Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktobe and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktobe: $881 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Aktobe
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Aktobe Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Aktobe

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$881

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aktobe 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 Aktobe and in Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $881 per month in Aktobe vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Aktobe $881
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,386 per month in Aktobe vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Aktobe $1,386
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,891 per month in Aktobe vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Aktobe $1,891
Almaty $2,913

Aktobe is about 36% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Aktobe sits 35% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.74 ₸3,951

$13.16 ₸5,949

-33.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.63 ₸18.4K

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-9.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 ₸3,170

$8.90 ₸4,022

-21.24%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₸1,115

$3.25 ₸1,469

-24.00%

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

$1.26 ₸567

$1.41 ₸639

-10.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₸275

$0.88 ₸399

-30.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 ₸831

$3.35 ₸1,513

-45.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ₸1,335

$4.04 ₸1,827

-26.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ₸641

$1.69 ₸762

-15.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.86 ₸390

-52.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₸421

$2.03 ₸917

-54.19%

Eggs

$1.77 ₸799

$2.43 ₸1,100

-27.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 ₸3,535

$12.46 ₸5,632

-37.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.68 ₸2,569

$6.71 ₸3,033

-15.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.10 ₸4,115

$10.85 ₸4,905

-16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 ₸733

$1.80 ₸813

-10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ₸964

$2.25 ₸1,018

-5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₸1,058

$2.91 ₸1,314

-19.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 ₸878

$2.75 ₸1,243

-29.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₸378

$0.75 ₸337

12.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸181

$0.55 ₸248

-27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₸494

$1.62 ₸732

-32.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₸312

$1.05 ₸474

-34.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 ₸1,142

$2.58 ₸1,167

-1.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 ₸2,689

$11.15 ₸5,042

-46.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 ₸489

$1.21 ₸547

-10.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₸818

$2.44 ₸1,104

-25.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₸90.8

$0.26 ₸117

-23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.62 ₸7,966

$22.03 ₸9,957

-20.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₸487

$1.35 ₸611

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₸511

$0.64 ₸288

76.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 ₸2,499

$11.16 ₸5,044

-50.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 ₸294

$0.72 ₸324

-9.72%

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

$23.1K ₸10.4M

$22.5K ₸10.2M

2.57%

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

$30.6K ₸13.8M

$30.3K ₸13.7M

1.17%

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

$55.8 ₸25.2K

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-39.28%

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

$10.35 ₸4,680

$10.66 ₸4,820

-2.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.93 ₸9,463

$17.86 ₸8,072

17.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.08 ₸21.7K

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-31.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.14 ₸5,490

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-56.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 ₸2,458

$6.78 ₸3,064

-19.76%

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

$220 ₸99.6K

$449 ₸202.9K

-50.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,286 ₸1.5M

$12.1K ₸5.5M

-72.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ₸24.6K

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-39.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₸25.2K

$47.02 ₸21.3K

18.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₸53.3K

$142 ₸64.1K

-16.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ₸45.3K

$133 ₸60.0K

-24.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 ₸138.8K

$805 ₸363.7K

-61.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 ₸105.5K

$500 ₸225.9K

-53.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$453 ₸204.8K

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-68.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₸162.3K

$904 ₸408.8K

-60.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$846 ₸382.4K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

-66.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$546 ₸247.0K

$1,559 ₸704.7K

-64.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 ₸247.8K

$870 ₸393.3K

-37.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

-17.68%

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

Last update for Aktobe: October 12, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aktobe

$234 26.5%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 114% $266

Groceries & Markets

Aktobe

$185 21%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 35.3% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Aktobe

$148 16.8%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 25.3% $37

Eating Out

Aktobe

$143 16.3%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 43.2% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktobe

$87 9.9%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 38.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Aktobe

$59 6.7%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 42.3% $25

Getting Around

Aktobe

$25 2.9%

Almaty

$28 2% 9.7% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $307 in Aktobe versus $805 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 59% 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 $41.00 in Aktobe versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $250 – making Aktobe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktobe

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

13:09 1:09 PM

14:09 2:09 PM

1 h ahead of Aktobe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

570,452

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Aktobe Almaty 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Aktobe
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

Aktobe vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,321 per month in Aktobe and $2,058 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktobe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Almaty, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Aktobe and $45.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aktobe, where all-in costs run around $881, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Aktobe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aktobe – 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 Aktobe. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.