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: $2,122 in Turkmenabat versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,396 in Turkmenabat versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,670 in Turkmenabat versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Turkmenabat is roughly 68% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Turkmenabat is 59% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$56.5 TMT 190

$4.48 ฿150

1162.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 TMT 386

$45.59 ฿1,525

151.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

Cappuccino

$7.21 TMT 24.21

$2.97 ฿99.3

142.76%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 TMT 2.93

$0.39 ฿13.07

123.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 TMT 19.52

$2.53 ฿84.7

129.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.36 TMT 48.27

$3.75 ฿125

282.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.32 TMT 14.53

$2.15 ฿71.8

100.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 TMT 14.09

$2.18 ฿73.1

92.20%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.80 TMT 29.57

$3.63 ฿121

142.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 TMT 14.26

$3.24 ฿109

30.86%

Banana (1kg)

$8.21 TMT 27.59

$1.64 ฿54.7

400.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.45 TMT 21.69

$2.33 ฿78.0

176.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 TMT 6.90

$2.07 ฿69.3

-0.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 TMT 3.94

$1.55 ฿51.8

-24.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 TMT 2.98

$1.46 ฿48.67

-39.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 TMT 3.78

$0.48 ฿16.13

135.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.65 TMT 96.3

$4.35 ฿146

558.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 TMT 0.51

$1.42 ฿47.40

-89.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.68 TMT 29.16

$11.57 ฿387

-24.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 TMT 29.31

$13.89 ฿465

-37.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.42 TMT 1.40

$1.34 ฿44.96

-68.66%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

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

$123 ฿4,116

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

$13.77 ฿461

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$422 TMT 1,417

$18.33 ฿613

2200.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.0 TMT 289

$60.7 ฿2,030

41.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.38 TMT 71.8

$17.16 ฿574

24.59%

Cinema Ticket

$17.20 TMT 57.8

$8.87 ฿297

93.91%

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

$57.2 TMT 192

$688 ฿23.0K

-91.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 TMT 193

$34.69 ฿1,160

65.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$428 TMT 1,439

$115 ฿3,853

271.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$480 TMT 1,612

$83.8 ฿2,802

472.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 TMT 1,602

$621 ฿20.8K

-23.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 TMT 944

$446 ฿14.9K

-37.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 TMT 3,916

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-42.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 TMT 1,913

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-61.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$516 TMT 1,734

$494 ฿16.5K

4.52%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Turkmenabat and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turkmenabat pays 5% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $115 in Turkmenabat vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $229 vs $291, 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 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Turkmenabat, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Turkmenabat versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $57.2 in Turkmenabat versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Turkmenabat pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,122 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 68% less than in Turkmenabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.