Turkmenistan
Profiled in Ashgabat · Central Asia
A white-marble capital of monumental architecture and near-empty boulevards, surrounded by the Karakum desert and the burning Darvaza gas crater.
Cost of living
What a month costs
The official exchange rate diverges sharply from the black market, which distorts every price. Foreigners generally pay official rates, making the country expensive.
The scores
How it rates for a moving family
See and do
Top 10 in Ashgabat
- AshgabatGuinness-record city for the highest density of white marble buildings.
- Darvaza Gas CraterA seventy-metre burning crater in the desert.
- MervOne of the largest cities of the medieval Islamic world, a UNESCO site.
- Konye-UrgenchMinaret and mausoleums of the Khorezmian capital.
- Turkmenbashi Ruhy MosqueThe largest mosque in Central Asia, at Gypjak.
- NisaParthian fortress site near Ashgabat, a UNESCO listing.
- Monument to the ConstitutionOne of Ashgabat's many marble monuments.
- Yangykala CanyonLayered pink and orange cliffs above a dry seabed.
Where to go
Weekend escapes
- Darvaza Gas CraterThe Door to Hell, burning since 1971 in the Karakum.
- MervAncient Silk Road city and UNESCO site near Mary.
- Konye-UrgenchRuined Khorezmian capital in the north, a UNESCO site.
- Yangykala CanyonStriped rock canyons near the Caspian.
- AwazaPurpose-built Caspian resort zone near Turkmenbashi.
Residency
Turkmenistan is among the most closed countries in the world. Tourist entry generally requires a guide and letter of invitation, there is no investor route, and residence for foreigners is rare.
Tax
A flat 10% personal rate applies, with corporate tax at 8% for domestic entities and 20% for those with foreign participation. VAT is 15%. There is no wealth or inheritance tax.
Nearby