Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Turkmenistan

For one person, living is cheaper in the United States: $2,785 a month against $3,362 in Turkmenistan, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. The total is higher in Turkmenistan despite lower rent and utilities.

🇺🇸 United States
$2,785
/mo nomad
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
$3,362
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Turkmenistan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,784 in the United States versus $3,362 in Turkmenistan.

  • United States $2,784
  • Turkmenistan $3,362

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,982 in the United States versus $5,034 in Turkmenistan.

  • United States $3,982
  • Turkmenistan $5,034

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,179 in the United States versus $6,706 in Turkmenistan.

  • United States $5,179
  • Turkmenistan $6,706

Living in the United States costs about 17% less than in Turkmenistan on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United States 108% above, Turkmenistan 151% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
United States
Turkmenistan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$28.71 TMT 96.5
-29.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.1 $81.1
$86.4 TMT 290
-6.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.12 $12.12
$12.74 TMT 42.79
-4.87%
Cappuccino
$5.36 $5.36
$6.97 TMT 23.41
-23.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 $2.77
$2.65 TMT 8.90
4.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 $2.09
$0.87 TMT 2.93
140.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.84 $5.84
$5.36 TMT 18.00
8.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.92 $7.92
$12.68 TMT 42.59
-37.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United States
Turkmenistan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$4.35 TMT 14.60
-76.09%
White Bread (500g)
$3.56 $3.56
$1.96 TMT 6.57
81.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.69 $4.69
$5.61 TMT 18.86
-16.40%
Eggs
$4.43 $4.43
$5.99 TMT 20.13
-26.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 $12.91
$33.44 TMT 112
-61.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.20 $12.20
$18.33 TMT 61.6
-33.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.00 $17.00
$24.87 TMT 83.6
-31.64%
Apples (1kg)
$5.31 $5.31
$4.41 TMT 14.82
20.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 $1.67
$8.61 TMT 28.92
-80.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.49 $4.49
$7.32 TMT 24.59
-38.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.05 $5.05
$3.81 TMT 12.79
32.55%
Potato (1kg)
$2.83 $2.83
$2.35 TMT 7.91
20.43%
Onion (1kg)
$3.00 $3.00
$1.44 TMT 4.83
108.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.28 $2.28
$2.70 TMT 9.07
-15.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.09 TMT 3.66
108.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.33 $10.33
$26.12 TMT 87.8
-60.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$40.19 TMT 135
-63.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.05 $2.05
$5.13 TMT 17.25
-60.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 $3.66
$2.88 TMT 9.68
27.08%
🚌 Getting Around
United States
Turkmenistan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 $2.33
$0.13 TMT 0.42
1692.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.1 $65.1
$10.24 TMT 34.40
535.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.60 $3.60
$2.93 TMT 9.84
22.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 $1.90
$0.84 TMT 2.81
126.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.81 $29.81
$8.46 TMT 28.43
252.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$0.42 TMT 1.40
145.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.1K $35.1K
$44.4K TMT 149.2K
-20.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$56.6K TMT 190.3K
-53.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
Turkmenistan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$216 $216
$576 TMT 1,935
-62.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.3 $62.3
$53.9 TMT 181
15.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.6 $74.6
$97.8 TMT 329
-23.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United States
Turkmenistan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.70 $44.70
$194 TMT 651
-76.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.55 $22.55
$44.44 TMT 149
-49.26%
Cinema Ticket
$15.19 $15.19
$8.64 TMT 29.01
75.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United States
Turkmenistan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,440 $1,440
$22.66 TMT 76.2
6255.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.2K $25.2K
$24.4K TMT 82.1K
3.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United States
Turkmenistan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 $53.7
$56.6 TMT 190
-5.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.44 $42.44
$112 TMT 377
-62.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.4 $93.4
$362 TMT 1,217
-74.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 $115
$195 TMT 655
-41.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United States
Turkmenistan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,622 $1,622
$1,388 TMT 4,665
16.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,357 $1,357
$1,016 TMT 3,414
33.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,681 $2,681
$1,754 TMT 5,893
52.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,170 $2,170
$1,943 TMT 6,530
11.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,294 $3,294
$3,604 TMT 12.1K
-8.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,674 $2,674
$2,840 TMT 9,542
-5.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United States
Turkmenistan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,242 $4,242
$678 TMT 2,278
525.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
9.5
-31.05%

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

Last update for the United States: October 6, 2026

Last update for Turkmenistan: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
United States
$1.4K
Turkmenistan
$1K 25.1% $340
Groceries & Markets
United States
$411
Turkmenistan
$644 56.7% $233
Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
$353
Turkmenistan
$728 106% $375
Eating Out
United States
$327
Turkmenistan
$418 27.7% $91
Clothing & Footwear
United States
$137
Turkmenistan
$327 139% $190
Getting Around
United States
$87
Turkmenistan
$18 79.6% $70
Sport & Entertainment
United States
$75
Turkmenistan
$211 181% $136

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,605 in the United States, $234 in Turkmenistan. Capital cities: $2,726 in Washington, DC vs $1,402 in Ashgabat.

National salary averages: $4,534 in the United States, $472 in Turkmenistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 586% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 74% more in the United States.

Public transport is 1250% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 861% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know
🇺🇸 United States
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
🕒 Local time
03:52 3:52 AM
12:52 12:52 PM
9 h ahead of the United States
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
340,110,988
6,117,933
Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.77 TMT (1 TMT = 0.265 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • United States Turkmenistan 11,090 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • United States
  • Turkmenistan

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
United States vs Turkmenistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Turkmenistan or the United States?
At $3,362 per month in Turkmenistan and $2,784 in the United States, there's a 21% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, the United States is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.
How far does $4,000 go in Turkmenistan compared to the United States?
In the United States, $4,000 covers most cities easily; in Turkmenistan it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Turkmenistan and in the United States?
It depends on what you're after: the United States wins on affordability; Turkmenistan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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