Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Aktau

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.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$790

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Aktau

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

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

Almaty $1,362
Aktau $790

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

Almaty $2,151
Aktau $1,315

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

Almaty $2,940
Aktau $1,840

Almaty costs about 72% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.32 ₸6,066

$11.03 ₸5,023

20.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 ₸20.4K

$43.54 ₸19.8K

2.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 ₸4,071

$9.90 ₸4,511

-9.70%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ₸1,537

$2.59 ₸1,182

30.12%

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

$1.32 ₸602

$0.79 ₸358

67.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸398

$0.49 ₸223

77.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 ₸1,434

$1.37 ₸623

129.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 ₸1,801

$1.59 ₸723

148.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸756

$1.47 ₸672

12.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸393

$0.50 ₸229

72.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₸913

$1.90 ₸864

5.79%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,127

$1.69 ₸771

46.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 ₸5,728

$10.02 ₸4,562

25.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 ₸2,993

$4.16 ₸1,893

57.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 ₸4,832

$8.58 ₸3,909

23.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸816

$1.53 ₸696

16.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₸1,046

$2.32 ₸1,059

-0.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₸1,349

$2.34 ₸1,068

26.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 ₸1,301

$2.78 ₸1,268

2.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₸367

$0.66 ₸303

22.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₸268

$0.57 ₸261

3.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ₸722

$1.48 ₸676

6.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸453

$0.91 ₸414

8.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ₸1,248

$2.59 ₸1,181

5.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 ₸5,147

$9.37 ₸4,267

20.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₸558

$0.78 ₸356

56.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₸1,122

$0.92 ₸418

167.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.16 ₸70.7

62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸10.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸616

$1.09 ₸498

23.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 ₸320

$0.64 ₸292

9.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,065

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸329

$0.66 ₸302

9.09%

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)

$31.8K ₸14.5M

$31.4K ₸14.3M

1.23%

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

$91.3 ₸41.6K

$45.62 ₸20.8K

100.11%

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

$10.60 ₸4,827

$8.07 ₸3,678

31.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 ₸8,148

$10.70 ₸4,872

67.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 ₸29.7K

$36.05 ₸16.4K

81.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 ₸12.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ₸2,945

$3.03 ₸1,379

113.53%

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

$473 ₸215.3K

$146 ₸66.5K

223.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ₸5.6M

$2,678 ₸1.2M

357.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 ₸42.4K

$67.3 ₸30.7K

38.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.67 ₸21.7K

$39.80 ₸18.1K

19.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸65.0K

$71.6 ₸32.6K

99.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸61.3K

$89.2 ₸40.6K

50.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₸355.5K

$328 ₸149.6K

137.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₸224.2K

$193 ₸88.1K

154.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₸646.5K

$544 ₸247.7K

161.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₸425.5K

$393 ₸179.0K

137.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,462 ₸1.1M

$806 ₸367.3K

205.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 ₸724.9K

$657 ₸299.1K

142.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 ₸397.5K

$553 ₸251.9K

57.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

47.50%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Last update for Aktau: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$492 36.1%

Aktau

$193 24.5% 60.7% $299

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.4%

Aktau

$200 25.3% 19.9% $50

Eating Out

Almaty

$206 15.1%

Aktau

$164 20.8% 20.4% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.8%

Aktau

$121 15.3% 35.9% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Aktau

$64 8.2% 46.2% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$78 5.7%

Aktau

$42 5.3% 46.2% $36

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2.1%

Aktau

$4.9 * 0.6% 82.3% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $780 in Almaty versus $328 in Aktau. 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 $45 in Almaty versus $44 in Aktau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $200 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇰🇿 Aktau

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

Same time as Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

273,830

💱 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

Almaty Aktau 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Aktau

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

Almaty vs Aktau: 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 $2,043 per month in Almaty and $1,185 in Aktau. 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 $1,362 in Almaty and $790 in Aktau. 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.