Turkmenistan is one of the cheaper Central Asian destinations. If you twin share in modest hotels, get your food from cheap restaurants and street stalls and travel by bus and train, you should be able to keep daily costs to around US$25.00 - US$40.00 a day. Budgeteers relying on trains, streetside cafes or bazaars and truckers' hostels may need little more than US$10.00 a day. Foreigners often pay substantially more than locals for services, and there's not much you can do to avoid this. Watch for budget blowers like imported beer and chocolate bars.

Turkmenistan is effectively a cash-only zone. The local currency is the only legal tender, though in practice US dollars may be accepted or even requested for some transactions. Travellers' cheques cannot be changed at any bank, although things do change so if you are desperate it doesn't hurt to ask. Credit cards can be used in some big hotels in Ashgabat. Only a couple of banks in the capital allow you to draw money against your credit or debit card. Sanagat Bank accepts mastercard at a 3% commission rate and the State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs supports Visa at a 5% commission. To change money, use private money changers who change at a rate five times higher than the official state rate.

Tipping runs counter to many people's Islamic sense of hospitality, and may even offend them. If your waiter or waitress is Russian, it's OK to leave a 10% tip. Shops and hotels have fixed prices but bargaining in bazaars is expected.

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Disclaimer: We've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before you travel.

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