Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktau and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $790 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$790

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aktau and in Almaty

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aktau and in Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $790 per month in Aktau vs $1,362 in Almaty, rent included.

Aktau $790
Almaty $1,362

A couple spends around $1,315 per month in Aktau vs $2,151 in Almaty, rent included.

Aktau $1,315
Almaty $2,151

A family of three spends $1,840 per month in Aktau vs $2,940 in Almaty, rent included.

Aktau $1,840
Almaty $2,940

Aktau is about 42% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.03 ₸5,001

$13.32 ₸6,039

-17.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.54 ₸19.7K

$44.80 ₸20.3K

-2.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 ₸4,491

$8.94 ₸4,054

10.74%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₸1,177

$3.37 ₸1,530

-23.15%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₸356

$1.32 ₸599

-40.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₸222

$0.87 ₸397

-43.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₸620

$3.15 ₸1,428

-56.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₸720

$3.95 ₸1,793

-59.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ₸669

$1.66 ₸752

-11.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₸228

$0.86 ₸392

-41.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 ₸860

$2.01 ₸909

-5.47%

Eggs

$1.69 ₸768

$2.47 ₸1,122

-31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 ₸4,542

$12.58 ₸5,703

-20.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 ₸1,885

$6.57 ₸2,980

-36.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 ₸3,892

$10.61 ₸4,811

-19.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ₸693

$1.79 ₸812

-14.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 ₸1,054

$2.30 ₸1,041

0.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₸1,063

$2.96 ₸1,343

-20.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 ₸1,262

$2.86 ₸1,295

-2.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸301

$0.81 ₸365

-18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 ₸260

$0.59 ₸267

-3.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ₸673

$1.58 ₸718

-6.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₸413

$0.99 ₸451

-8.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 ₸1,176

$2.74 ₸1,242

-5.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 ₸4,249

$11.30 ₸5,125

-17.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₸354

$1.22 ₸555

-36.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₸417

$2.46 ₸1,117

-62.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ₸70.4

$0.26 ₸117

-38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸9,970

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 ₸495

$1.35 ₸613

-19.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.70 ₸318

-8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,043

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸301

$0.72 ₸328

-8.33%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.4K ₸12.9M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.4K ₸14.2M

$31.8K ₸14.4M

-1.22%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$45.62 ₸20.7K

$91.3 ₸41.4K

-50.03%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.07 ₸3,661

$10.60 ₸4,806

-23.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ₸4,851

$17.89 ₸8,112

-40.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.05 ₸16.4K

$65.3 ₸29.6K

-44.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 ₸12.6K

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 ₸1,373

$6.47 ₸2,932

-53.17%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$146 ₸66.2K

$473 ₸214.4K

-69.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,678 ₸1.2M

$12.3K ₸5.6M

-78.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 ₸30.5K

$93.1 ₸42.2K

-27.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 ₸18.1K

$47.67 ₸21.6K

-16.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ₸32.5K

$143 ₸64.7K

-49.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 ₸40.4K

$134 ₸61.0K

-33.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 ₸148.9K

$780 ₸354.0K

-57.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 ₸87.8K

$492 ₸223.2K

-60.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 ₸246.6K

$1,419 ₸643.7K

-61.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₸178.2K

$934 ₸423.6K

-57.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$806 ₸365.7K

$2,462 ₸1.1M

-67.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$657 ₸297.8K

$1,591 ₸721.8K

-58.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$553 ₸250.8K

$873 ₸395.7K

-36.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

-32.20%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aktau: October 25, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Aktau

$200 25.3%

Almaty

$250 18.4% 24.9% $50

Accommodation & Living

Aktau

$193 24.5%

Almaty

$492 36.1% 154% $299

Eating Out

Aktau

$164 20.8%

Almaty

$206 15.1% 25.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Aktau

$121 15.3%

Almaty

$188 13.8% 56% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktau

$64 8.2%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 86% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Aktau

$42 5.3%

Almaty

$78 5.7% 85.8% $36

Getting Around

Aktau

$4.9 * 0.6%

Almaty

$28 2.1% 467% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $328 in Aktau versus $780 in Almaty. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 58% higher in Almaty, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Aktau versus $45 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $250 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktau

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

00:46 12:46 AM

Same time as Aktau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,830

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Aktau Almaty 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Aktau
Almaty

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aktau vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Almaty costs about 72% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,185 per month in Aktau and $2,043 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $328 there versus $780 in Almaty.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $790 in Aktau and $1,362 in Almaty. That makes Aktau about 42% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Almaty, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Aktau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Aktau. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.