Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkmenabat and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkmenabat and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,141 in Turkmenabat versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,380 in Turkmenabat versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,619 in Turkmenabat versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Turkmenabat is roughly 74% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Turkmenabat is 60% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$58.1 TMT 203

$4.63 ฿151

1154.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 TMT 395

$46.84 ฿1,523

141.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

Cappuccino

$7.25 TMT 25.38

$3.00 ฿97.4

141.67%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ฿24.11

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 TMT 3.06

$0.37 ฿11.88

135.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 TMT 20.36

$2.44 ฿79.3

138.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.35 TMT 50.2

$3.61 ฿117

297.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.39 TMT 15.36

$2.26 ฿73.5

94.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 TMT 14.58

$2.24 ฿73.0

86.16%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 TMT 29.37

$3.65 ฿119

129.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 TMT 15.31

$3.39 ฿110

28.91%

Banana (1kg)

$7.84 TMT 27.45

$1.64 ฿53.4

378.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.34 TMT 22.17

$2.41 ฿78.5

163.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 TMT 7.19

$2.03 ฿66.0

1.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 TMT 4.09

$1.56 ฿50.6

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 TMT 2.97

$1.50 ฿48.66

-43.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 TMT 3.93

$0.49 ฿15.91

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.73 TMT 101

$4.45 ฿145

545.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 TMT 0.54

$1.40 ฿45.54

-89.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.64 TMT 30.24

$11.48 ฿373

-24.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 TMT 30.34

$14.09 ฿458

-38.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.41 TMT 1.44

$1.35 ฿43.93

-69.63%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.2K ฿883.7K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.9K ฿1.1M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$125 ฿4,063

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.57 ฿441

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$420 TMT 1,472

$18.52 ฿602

2170.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.0 TMT 297

$61.5 ฿1,999

38.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.79 TMT 72.8

$16.84 ฿547

23.46%

Cinema Ticket

$17.03 TMT 59.6

$9.19 ฿299

85.31%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$58.2 TMT 204

$698 ฿22.7K

-91.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 TMT 203

$35.24 ฿1,146

64.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$424 TMT 1,484

$113 ฿3,677

274.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$493 TMT 1,724

$86.4 ฿2,808

470.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 TMT 1,714

$616 ฿20.0K

-20.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 TMT 1,001

$446 ฿14.5K

-35.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 TMT 3,941

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-45.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 TMT 2,036

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-61.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 TMT 1,776

$524 ฿17.0K

-3.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Turkmenabat: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Turkmenabat and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $113 in Turkmenabat vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $292, with Turkmenabat cheaper for home cooking.

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

Turkmenabat vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 3% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Turkmenabat versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $58.2 in Turkmenabat versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Turkmenabat pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,141 in Turkmenabat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Turkmenabat. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Turkmenabat, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Turkmenabat and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Turkmenabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.