Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkmenistan and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkmenistan and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $972 in Turkmenistan versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,495 in Turkmenistan versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,017 in Turkmenistan versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Turkmenistan is roughly 37% more expensive than China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Turkmenistan 27% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Turkmenistan: monthly costs span $14.00 to $3,178, compared to $520–$1,209 in China. City choice carries more weight in Turkmenistan.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.96 TMT 114

$2.81 ¥18.98

1108.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.8 TMT 292

$23.30 ¥158

272.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.71 TMT 42.71

$5.01 ¥33.87

153.69%

Cappuccino

$7.41 TMT 24.91

$3.01 ¥20.38

146.18%

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

$3.26 TMT 10.96

$0.45 ¥3.03

624.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 TMT 2.45

$0.29 ¥1.97

151.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 TMT 17.56

$0.95 ¥6.41

449.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.36 TMT 48.26

$2.05 ¥13.87

600.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.67 TMT 15.69

$1.76 ¥11.87

165.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 TMT 7.99

$1.62 ¥10.98

46.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.10 TMT 17.14

$0.95 ¥6.45

436.84%

Eggs

$6.24 TMT 20.97

$1.56 ¥10.55

300.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$39.52 TMT 133

$13.06 ¥88.3

202.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.08 TMT 54.0

$3.28 ¥22.17

390.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.81 TMT 63.2

$10.65 ¥72.0

76.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 TMT 14.82

$1.78 ¥12.03

147.75%

Banana (1kg)

$8.13 TMT 27.33

$1.24 ¥8.42

555.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.70 TMT 22.50

$1.50 ¥10.12

346.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 TMT 10.77

$1.15 ¥7.79

178.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 TMT 5.85

$0.75 ¥5.07

132.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 TMT 4.28

$0.86 ¥5.81

47.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 TMT 6.65

$0.62 ¥4.17

219.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 TMT 3.80

$0.56 ¥3.81

101.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.01 TMT 97.5

$3.51 ¥23.76

726.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$40.55 TMT 136

$11.66 ¥78.9

247.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.77 TMT 16.04

$0.80 ¥5.40

496.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 TMT 9.56

$1.66 ¥11.25

71.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.12 TMT 0.42

$0.43 ¥2.93

-72.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.42 TMT 28.29

$20.86 ¥141

-59.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 TMT 9.45

$1.37 ¥9.26

105.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 TMT 2.80

$0.35 ¥2.38

137.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 TMT 28.63

$6.63 ¥44.82

28.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.42 TMT 1.40

$1.14 ¥7.69

-63.16%

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

$44.5K TMT 149.5K

$19.2K ¥129.7K

131.95%

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

$56.0K TMT 188.2K

$16.8K ¥113.4K

234.16%

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

$566 TMT 1,902

$51.2 ¥346

1006.43%

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

$58.3 TMT 196

$10.16 ¥68.7

473.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$185 TMT 621

$11.51 ¥77.9

1504.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$170 TMT 571

$40.53 ¥274

319.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.64 TMT 150

$15.05 ¥102

196.61%

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 TMT 52.0

$6.10 ¥41.26

153.44%

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

$34.63 TMT 116

$402 ¥2,719

-91.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K TMT 86.4K

$17.7K ¥119.5K

45.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 TMT 219

$45.57 ¥308

42.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$102 TMT 341

$33.26 ¥225

205.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$396 TMT 1,331

$72.6 ¥491

445.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$293 TMT 985

$74.5 ¥503

293.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 TMT 3,557

$429 ¥2,903

146.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 TMT 2,239

$257 ¥1,739

159.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,686 TMT 5,664

$895 ¥6,055

88.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 TMT 4,661

$541 ¥3,660

156.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,509 TMT 11.8K

$5,015 ¥33.9K

-30.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,817 TMT 9,464

$2,469 ¥16.7K

14.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$661 TMT 2,220

$1,055 ¥7,132

-37.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

4.06

109.36%

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

Last update for Turkmenistan: June 2, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $271 in Turkmenistan, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,132 in Ashgabat vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $491 in Turkmenistan, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 6% higher in China.

Dining out costs 57% more in Turkmenistan.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 75% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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

Turkmenistan vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $1,596 in Turkmenistan, there's a 85% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Turkmenistan beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Turkmenistan, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; Turkmenistan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.