Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samarkand and Tashkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Samarkand: $636 a month against $1,048 in Tashkent, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Samarkand
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
$636
/mo nomad
Tashkent
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
$1,048
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Samarkand and in Tashkent

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Samarkand and in Tashkent actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $636 per month in Samarkand vs $1,048 in Tashkent, rent included.

  • Samarkand $636
  • Tashkent $1,048

A couple spends around $1,013 per month in Samarkand vs $1,642 in Tashkent, rent included.

  • Samarkand $1,013
  • Tashkent $1,642

A family of three spends $1,391 per month in Samarkand vs $2,236 in Tashkent, rent included.

  • Samarkand $1,391
  • Tashkent $2,236

Samarkand is about 39% cheaper than Tashkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Samarkand and Tashkent are more affordable than the global median – Samarkand 53% lower, Tashkent 23% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Samarkand
Tashkent
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.82 UZS 81.5K
$6.50 UZS 77.8K
4.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.65 UZS 235.0K
$33.14 UZS 396.4K
-40.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.78 UZS 57.2K
$5.08 UZS 60.8K
-5.91%
Cappuccino
$2.54 UZS 30.4K
$2.66 UZS 31.8K
-4.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 UZS 9,039
$0.72 UZS 8,571
5.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.21 UZS 2,497
$0.33 UZS 3,919
-36.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.64 UZS 19.7K
$2.11 UZS 25.2K
-22.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 UZS 27.1K
$3.69 UZS 44.1K
-38.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Samarkand
Tashkent
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 UZS 12.8K
$1.27 UZS 15.1K
-15.75%
White Bread (500g)
$0.32 UZS 3,790
$0.79 UZS 9,470
-59.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.59 UZS 19.1K
$1.69 UZS 20.2K
-5.92%
Eggs
$1.33 UZS 15.9K
$1.86 UZS 22.3K
-28.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.19 UZS 97.9K
$8.13 UZS 97.3K
0.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.19 UZS 50.1K
$4.13 UZS 49.4K
1.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.48 UZS 125.4K
$12.37 UZS 148.0K
-15.28%
Apples (1kg)
$0.86 UZS 10.3K
$1.47 UZS 17.6K
-41.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.76 UZS 21.0K
$1.75 UZS 21.0K
0.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.71 UZS 20.4K
$2.30 UZS 27.5K
-25.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.71 UZS 20.4K
$1.70 UZS 20.4K
0.59%
Potato (1kg)
$0.51 UZS 6,156
$0.59 UZS 7,012
-13.56%
Onion (1kg)
$0.15 UZS 1,820
$0.40 UZS 4,799
-62.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.26 UZS 3,139
$0.98 UZS 11.7K
-73.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.41 UZS 4,888
$0.44 UZS 5,242
-6.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.65 UZS 19.8K
$2.06 UZS 24.7K
-19.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.44 UZS 41.1K
$7.66 UZS 91.6K
-55.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 UZS 12.2K
$1.35 UZS 16.2K
-24.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 UZS 24.4K
$3.56 UZS 42.5K
-42.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Samarkand
Tashkent
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 UZS 2,859
$0.12 UZS 1,470
100.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$3.42 UZS 40.9K
$13.05 UZS 156.0K
-73.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.33 UZS 3,900
$0.82 UZS 9,845
-59.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.32 UZS 3,887
$0.36 UZS 4,333
-11.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.40 UZS 40.6K
$3.23 UZS 38.6K
5.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 UZS 14.2K
$1.20 UZS 14.4K
-0.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.3K UZS 207.0M
$17.4K UZS 208.3M
-0.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K UZS 252.5M
$21.1K UZS 252.1M
0.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Samarkand
Tashkent
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$41.16 UZS 492.3K
$66.9 UZS 800.7K
-38.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.92 UZS 46.9K
$4.36 UZS 52.2K
-10.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.63 UZS 163.0K
$13.53 UZS 161.8K
0.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Samarkand
Tashkent
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.16 UZS 468.4K
$65.4 UZS 781.9K
-40.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.56 UZS 78.5K
$18.68 UZS 223.5K
-64.88%
Cinema Ticket
$3.21 UZS 38.4K
$5.92 UZS 70.7K
-45.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Samarkand
Tashkent
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$380 UZS 4.5M
$391 UZS 4.7M
-2.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,387 UZS 88.4M
$9,307 UZS 111.3M
-20.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Samarkand
Tashkent
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$20.48 UZS 245.0K
$49.76 UZS 595.1K
-58.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.29 UZS 493.9K
$56.7 UZS 678.0K
-27.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.4 UZS 901.5K
$112 UZS 1.3M
-32.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.2 UZS 707.5K
$135 UZS 1.6M
-56.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Samarkand
Tashkent
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$239 UZS 2.9M
$609 UZS 7.3M
-60.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$164 UZS 2.0M
$396 UZS 4.7M
-58.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$457 UZS 5.5M
$1,175 UZS 14.1M
-61.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$319 UZS 3.8M
$730 UZS 8.7M
-56.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,248 UZS 14.9M
$1,614 UZS 19.3M
-22.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$536 UZS 6.4M
$931 UZS 11.1M
-42.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Samarkand
Tashkent
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$306 UZS 3.7M
$710 UZS 8.5M
-56.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
23.31
23.31
-

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Samarkand: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tashkent: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Samarkand
$164
Tashkent
$396 142% $232
Groceries & Markets
Samarkand
$157
Tashkent
$193 23.6% $37
Eating Out
Samarkand
$116
Tashkent
$121 4.5% $5.3
Clothing & Footwear
Samarkand
$88
Tashkent
$159 80.3% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Samarkand
$59
Tashkent
$85 44.5% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Samarkand
$46
Tashkent
$77 69.4% $32
Getting Around
Samarkand
$6.3
Tashkent
$16 156% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $239 in Samarkand versus $609 in Tashkent. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tashkent are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Samarkand versus $33 in Tashkent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $157 vs $193 – making Samarkand the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇿 Samarkand
🇺🇿 Tashkent
🕒 Local time
08:43 8:43 AM
08:43 8:43 AM
Same time as Samarkand
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
573,200
2,956,384 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UZS – Uzbekistani Som Converter

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 11,960 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.36 USD). 1 EUR = 13,333 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.5 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Samarkand Tashkent 270 km
From you
  • Samarkand
  • Tashkent

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Samarkand vs Tashkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Samarkand cheaper than Tashkent?
Yes – Tashkent is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $953 per month in Samarkand and $1,573 in Tashkent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Samarkand, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $239 there versus $609 in Tashkent.
What are total monthly expenses in Samarkand and in Tashkent?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $636 in Samarkand and $1,048 in Tashkent. That’s a gap of about 65%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 74% less in Samarkand. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Samarkand or in Tashkent?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Samarkand, where all-in costs run around $636, than in Tashkent at $1,048. In Samarkand it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tashkent it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Samarkand or Tashkent more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Samarkand – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Samarkand or Tashkent?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Samarkand. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tashkent makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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