The cost of living in Uzbekistan has historically been relatively low, but prices have been going up in the recent years due to the war in the region and other factors. The official inflation rate amounted to 8.77% in 2023. In terms of exchange rate, 1 US$ = 12,600 Uzbek soums (local currency- UZS).
Currently, the authorities estimate that minimum consumer expenditure of the population is UZS 621,000 (about US$50) per person month. As a foreigner, you’ll definitely spend more than that, but this gives you an idea.
The salaries in Uzbekistan have been increasing. According to the statistics agency, the median monthly salary in Tashkent city is currently the highest in the country. It reached UZS 8,116,000 which is approximately $676. The median salary in the country is UZS 4,919,900 (around $400). The lowest salary is UZS 3,543,000 in the Surxobdary region (around $300).
The sections below dig deeper into the cost of living in Uzbekistan and provide some indication as to how much you should expect to spend on different items.
Our family moved to Tashkent from the US in the summer of 2024, and this has been our experience.
Please note that we live in Tashkent, so most of the descriptions are relevant for the capital city. You can expect lower prices in the regions.
Some general thoughts
Although Uzbekistan is still a relatively inexpensive country to live in, you need to be careful what you buy and where in order not to overpay and get good quality. Some items are made locally, and these are quite cheap by Western standards. A lot of items are imported from Russia and neighboring countries. These are also usually not expensive. But items imported from the US and other Western countries are expensive, since they have to be shipped all the way to Uzbekistan.
When I just arrived in Tashkent, I bought a box of Cheerios in the store. This is the type of cereal I used to eat in the US. But soon enough, I shifted to a locally made cereal alternative, which is much cheaper. Why overpay, if you have a close substitute?
My experience has been that fruits and vegetables in Uzbekistan are much better during the warmer part of the year. We arrived in Uzbekistan in August and had a wonderful selection.
In the winter, quality gradually started going down. A lot of imported fruits and vegetables arrive bruised, so you have to dig through the basket to find some good ones. Also, we noticed that some of the fruit go bad quicker than normal, so we started buying smaller quantities. Or not buying at all. For instance, after a few unsuccessful attempts to buy good kiwis, we gave up. And shifted to grapefruit.
There are some greenhouses around Tashkent, so you can even get locally grown strawberries in winter, but these are quite expensive (for better ones they charge UZS 250,000 per kg- $21). In the spring, you’d pay UZS 30,000-40,000 per kg of strawberries ($3-4).
Overall, I would say winter/early spring are not the best times for buying fruits and vegetables in Uzbekistan.
Cost of getting around Tashkent
Tashkent has a reliable and inexpensive metro system (ticket price UZS 2,000). Most of the stations are in the center, although some stretch out into the outskirts of the city. Metro stations are beautifully designed and each station is different from another.
There are also some buses and mini-buses circulating around. The bus price is also UZS 2,000 per ride. Buses are rather modern and you can track their activity via apps (for example, the Yandex app).
As in any other city, living close to a metro station is advantageous. In case you are thinking of renting/buying an apartment or a house, check if there is a metro station close by. It would provide some cost savings in terms of transportation.
Overall, taxis are rather cheap and convenient. You can use Yandex or MyTaxi apps and usually you’ll get a taxi in a few minutes. Prices are relatively low during weekends and non-peak times (I pay about UZS 25,000 for an average trip). But during peak times, prices can double or even triple. In 99% of cases, your driver will arrive in a Chevy car. And it’s likely to be white.
Buying a foreign car is expensive in Uzbekistan because of high import duties and selection of foreign cars in small. However, you can buy a locally manufactured car (Chevy). A lot of people here also hire drivers with their own car. If you are not planning to live in Uzbekistan for more than a couple of years, this might be a better option. Or you can just take taxis and public transportation. If you get an apartment in the center, you can easily do that. Tashkent’s center is not very large and you can get to most places of interest quickly.
Grocery shopping
There are several supermarket chains in Tashkent, the main ones being Macro and Korzinka. Although these are chains, selection slightly varies from store to store.
Our family prefers shopping at the supermarket Korzinka. It offers a relatively good selection of groceries, but keep in mind, this is not the US or similar country. Your choices will be quite limited compared to Giant or Safeway. Also, you won’t be able to take advantage of coupons or daily discounts which you are probably used to in the US. There are occasional promotions here, but very minor. In most cases, if something is being offered on discount, it’s actually either expired or closed to expiration date. So be careful with that.
A trip to the supermarket will usually costs us UZS 600,000 or so for a week of groceries.
Items is sold in kilograms, not pounds, so make sure you factor that in when looking at prices. 1 kg = 2.2 pounds. Liquids are measured in liters.
Examples of prices: tomatoes (1 kg) UZS 40,000; bread (1 loaf) UZS 9,000; apple juice (1liter): UZS 14,000; cheese (1 kg): UZS 140,000; oranges (1 kg): UZS 30,000; bananas (1 kg): UZS 20,000; drinking yogurt: UZS 15,000; milk (1 liter): UZS 13,000.
For certain food items, we also go to Mirabad market. They have a better selection of fruits and vegetables than the supermarket but you need to bargain/look for good prices, which is quite hard when you look like a foreigner. And especially if you speak English! Also, you have to look carefully if the vendor does not put a few rotten fruit into your bag (this happened to me multiple times). We also buy some pastries in the specialized bread store in the market (one cinnamon bun there costs about UZS 6,000).
Sports and entertainment
There are plenty of entertainment options. Prices are very low compared to what you’d be paying in the US.
The Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theater puts up a lot of wonderful performances throughout the year. A trip to the opera or ballet will cost you only $20-25 (if you buy best seats!) If you want to read more about entertainment in Tashkent, check out my blog: Winter in Tashkent.
There are various museums in Tashkent which are worth visiting. The entry tickets will cost you a couple of dollars at most, while the collections are quite impressive, especially at the Amir Temur museum.
Tashkent does not have too many options for doing sports, compared to the US. If you are used to public tennis courts, swimming pools and running tracks, you’ll be greatly disappointed. None of that here.
For everything you’ll have to pay. The good news is that prices are affordable.
A good place we have discovered is the NBU Stadium (also called “Yoshlik”- “health”). It boasts indoor and outdoor tennis courts, and indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a running track and even a fitness center. You have to buy a ticket at “Kassa” (Cashier’s office) which accepts credit cards, so it’s quite convenient. An outdoor tennis court will cost you about $12 per hour. The running track will cost about $5. There are various athletics for kids at the stadium and there is a nice park where you can sit in the shade on a hot day.
Tashkent also offers good opportunities for playing golf. The weather in Uzbekistan is quite mild, with few rains and many warm days even throughout winter. Not surprisingly, the city boasts both a well-maintained 18-hole golf course and a training facility with a driving range and classes for kids. The prices are quite affordable. The cost of using the driving range at the training facility for one hour is about $10.
Cost of restaurants
Tashkent has a good selection of restaurants, both local and international, throughout the central part of the city. You can also find food courts in malls which offer a good selection of options.
Since the cost of living in Uzbekistan is not high, prices are generally quite affordable. In a local pizzeria like Dodo Pizza or Bellissimo Pizza, you can expect to pay about $20-25 for 2 people. You’ll be able to eat for roughly the same amount in a local chain like Milliy Taomlar, which serves delicious Uzbek dishes, or a French bakery Bon! which is quite popular with the residents and expats. In a more refined setting, like popular cafes Chaykof or Ogni Tashkenta, you’ll pay $30-40 for a meal.
If you decide to go to an upscale restaurant (like Positano), then this is a different situation. You should expect to pay as much as you’d do in the US/Europe.
A lot of expats in Tashkent use relatively inexpensive services of a home chef. This is a good option, as groceries are rather cheap and dishes can be prepared in your home and fine-tuned to your taste. This way, you also have a better control of ingredients.
Activities for kids
Uzbekistan has a very young population. Consequently, there are plenty of activities of kids. I must say that a lot of young adults also take advantages of some of the options (for example, I see plenty of adults going to the Zoo, to the amusement parks and to the skating rink).
- Tashkent Zoo is a great place to visit with kids. The zoo has both indoor and outdoor pavilions and you will never be disappointed by this visit. Visitors can expect see a wide variety of animals, some of which are indigenous to Central Asia and others are exotic. The zoo has all the “usual suspects”- lions, tigers, bears, elephants, giraffes, a hippo, birds, and different primates (macaques, gibbons, mandrills, orangutan). It costs UZS 35,000 (<$3) for adults; UZS 20,000 for kids (7 and older), pensioners and soldiers; and kids under 7 and persons with disabilities come for free. You can find the full list of prices at the zoo website.
- In Tashkent, you have a choice of various outdoor playgrounds. Many are free, but some of the better ones require payment (could be UZS 30,000-50,000 depending on which playground). If you want to go to a nice free playground, you can consider Kosmonavt park.
- Indoor playgrounds are quite good for those times of the year when it’s too cold or too hot. A good one is Luna Park which is located in Riviera Mall (price is 140,000 UZS for the whole day per child, no fee is required from adult).
- Many kids enjoy skating and Tashkent offers good opportunities for that. 30 minutes cost less than $5 and rental skates are included in the price.
- Another popular choice among kids is trampoline. There are various options, ranging from $5 to $10 per hour, significantly below US prices, but quality of these places is quite good and kids are happy.
The Final Word
Overall, the cost of living in Uzbekistan is rather low by Western standards. Although you’ll have to pay for some services which were free for you in the US (example: tennis courts), this will unlikely break the bank. In general, we’ve been to able to do more things in Tashkent than in Washington DC and spend much less.
With Uzbekistan’s economy growing and quality of life improving, this country is becoming a good option to consider if you are looking to move overseas.