Turkmenistan is a fascinating Central Asian nation known for its surreal marble-clad capital Ashgabat, the mesmerizing Darvaza Gas Crater (Gates of Hell), and ancient Silk Road cities. This mysterious country offers a unique blend of Soviet-era grandeur, traditional nomadic culture, and vast Karakum Desert landscapes.
Local currency: Turkmenistani Manat (TMT). USD is also widely accepted at hotels, tour operators, and tourist sites. €1 = approx. 3.5 TMT; $1 = approx. 3.5 TMT (official rate).
Daily budget by traveller style
Typical per-person daily spend in Turkmenistan.
Cost breakdown
Typical price ranges across major spending categories.
Accommodation
- Hostel
- $15-25
- Budget
- $30-50
- Midrange
- $65-120
- Luxury
- $200-450+
Food
- Street
- $2-5
- Local
- $8-15
- Midrange
- $20-40
- Fine
- $60-100+
Transport
- Bus
- $0.50
- Taxi
- $3-8 city ride
- Airport
- $10-20
- Daytrip
- $40-80 hire car
Activities
- Museum
- $8-15
- Sites
- $10-15
- Tour
- $40-100
- Excursion
- $100-200 (Darvaza)
Trip budgets by length
What a typical trip to Turkmenistan costs end-to-end.
Budget traveller
$420-560/week
Midrange traveller
$840-1260/week
Luxury traveller
$1750-2800+/week
Money-saving tips
Practical ways to stretch your budget further.
Travel outside summer peak (June-August) for lower hotel prices — spring and autumn rates can be 20-30% cheaper
Book accommodation at guesthouses rather than hotels — family-run guesthouses ($25-40) include breakfast and insider travel advice
Use the state bus network in Ashgabat — at $0.20-0.50 per ride, buses are far cheaper than taxis for navigating the capital
Eat plov at Joshgun Palow House or similar local restaurants at lunch ($8-12) rather than at tourist-oriented restaurants ($25-40)
Arrange shared tours to Darvaza Crater — the $100-200 cost per person drops significantly when shared with 4-6 people in one vehicle
Buy dried fruits and nuts at Tolkuchka Bazaar (Sunday) rather than souvenir shops — prices are 40-60% lower
Free things to do
Memorable experiences that cost nothing.
Independence Monument and Park
Walk the sweeping marble grounds of Ashgabat's grand Independence Park with its 91-meter golden monument and choreographed fountain shows in the evening — free to enter and most spectacular at night when illuminated
Magtymguly Avenue Promenade
Stroll the world's most marble-clad avenue and photograph the extraordinary concentration of white marble architecture — the city itself is a surreal open-air museum of post-Soviet megalomaniac architecture
Geok Tepe Fortress Ruins
Historic earthen fortification 55km from Ashgabat where the decisive 1881 Russian conquest battle was fought — the ruins remain free to visit and are spiritually significant to Turkmen people
Ashgabat Hippodrome Sunday Viewing
Watch Akhal-Teke horse races on Sunday mornings from the public stands for free — arrive by 9:30 AM for the best positions; only the VIP enclosure charges admission
Ancient Nisa Exterior
The outer walls and general landscape of the UNESCO Parthian capital are visible from outside — a free view of the most intact section before deciding whether to pay the entrance fee for interior access
Tolkuchka Bazaar Walking
Entering and browsing Tolkuchka Bazaar on Sunday morning is free — the spectacle of Central Asia's largest market with thousands of vendors, livestock, and carpets costs nothing to observe