Dushanbe - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Most people employ someone to clean, cook, or be a nanny, and like everything else in Tajikistan, it's usually pretty affordable. I paid $25/week for pretty basic house cleaning. - Aug 2021
Household help is readily available. Housekeepers/cooks/nannies/gardeners are all employed by the community. You can get updated prices from the Community Liaison Office (CLO), but I think most people pay somewhere around $500 per month for in-home services. Gardeners are much less. - Apr 2021
Many people have full-time housekeeping/nanny help, as it is quite inexpensive compared to prices in the United States. - Jun 2020
Cheap household help is universally available. Everyone has an aunt or cousin who needs a job. However (1) the quality varies a lot, so get references; (2) be ready to give them very precise instructions, and (3) you will have to pay a large premium -- like, 50% to 100% more -- to get an English-speaking maid or nanny. There aren't a lot of them and they're in demand. Again, speaking basic Russian or Tajik will give you a lot more options. - Dec 2016
Available and cheap. US$150 - $200 a month will get you a good housekeeper - Dec 2015
Much availability, cost is low. However, I had a ton of stuff stolen by my housekeeper. - Jun 2014
The cost of help was very low. - Mar 2014
Available and reasonable. - Oct 2013
Domestic full-time help costs about US$275-$300 per month. They are always available. I wanted someone who speaks English, they aren't as easy to find. Most helpers speak Russian and Tajik. - Jan 2012
Maids start at about $80/mo for part time, nannies a little more, gardeners about $60/mo. (And we overpay). You will want someone to clean a lot because of the dust, and also because of the lack of dishwashers. - Jun 2009
Readily available, although many don't speak any English. Russian is pretty widely spoken in Dushanbe itself. We pay US$150/month for half time housekeeping and shopping, and US$250/month for a nanny FT. There are people available for more and less, depending on what you are looking for. - Jul 2008
