Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Albany

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,372 a month against $2,486 in Albany, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Albany
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Albany Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Albany

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,486

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Albany

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 Albany actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,372 in Almaty versus $2,486 in Albany.

Almaty $1,372
Albany $2,486

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,142 in Almaty versus $3,609 in Albany.

Almaty $2,142
Albany $3,609

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Almaty versus $4,732 in Albany.

Almaty $2,913
Albany $4,732

Living in Almaty costs roughly 45% less than in Albany, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Almaty 2% above, Albany 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$19.51 A$28.07

-32.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$84.9 A$122

-47.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$10.11 A$14.54

-11.97%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$4.33 A$6.22

-24.94%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$2.49 A$3.58

-43.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$2.03 A$2.92

-56.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$8.50 A$12.24

-60.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$7.55 A$10.87

-46.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.55 A$2.23

9.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$2.69 A$3.88

-68.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$2.14 A$3.08

-5.14%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$5.19 A$7.47

-53.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$10.46 A$15.05

19.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$9.32 A$13.41

-28.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$12.64 A$18.18

-14.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$4.07 A$5.85

-55.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$3.13 A$4.51

-28.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$3.75 A$5.39

-22.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$4.53 A$6.52

-39.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$2.71 A$3.90

-72.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$2.35 A$3.38

-76.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$2.12 A$3.05

-23.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$1.38 A$1.99

-23.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$42.14 A$60.6

-93.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$14.68 A$21.13

-24.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$4.44 A$6.40

-72.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$5.93 A$8.53

-58.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$2.95 A$4.25

-91.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$79.8 A$115

-72.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$2.98 A$4.29

-54.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$1.56 A$2.24

-58.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$35.56 A$51.2

-68.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.19 A$1.71

-39.50%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$25.6K A$36.9K

-12.07%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$33.5K A$48.1K

-9.51%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$202 A$290

-54.44%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$27.79 A$39.99

-61.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$48.77 A$70.2

-63.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$53.4 A$76.9

31.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$17.39 A$25.03

58.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$14.90 A$21.43

-54.50%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$2,234 A$3,215

-79.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$20.4K A$29.3K

-40.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$77.9 A$112

15.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$50.4 A$72.5

-6.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$116 A$167

22.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$112 A$161

19.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$1,194 A$1,718

-32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$1,182 A$1,701

-57.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$2,181 A$3,139

-34.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$1,789 A$2,574

-49.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$5,564 A$8,006

-55.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$4,761 A$6,851

-67.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$2,598 A$3,738

-66.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

5.84

253.60%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Albany: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Albany

$1.2K 47.6% 137% $682

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Albany

$366 14.7% 46.1% $115

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Albany

$314 12.6% 53.2% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Albany

$160 6.4% 13.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Albany

$278 11.2% 131% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Albany

$83 3.4% 0.8% $0.7

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Albany

$102 4.1% 271% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $805 in Almaty and $1,194 in Albany. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albany pays 199% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Almaty vs $85.0 in Albany for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $366 per month, with Almaty cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇦🇺 Albany

🕒 Local time

17:12 5:12 PM

19:12 7:12 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

31,128

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Almaty Albany 9,640 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Albany

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 Albany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Almaty wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Albany. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Almaty the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 199% lower in Albany. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $805 in Almaty versus $1,194 in Albany. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,372 per month in Almaty versus $2,486 in Albany – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Almaty runs roughly 262% less than in Albany. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,372 in Almaty versus $2,486 in Albany, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Almaty but tight or insufficient in Albany. The gap between the two cities makes Almaty the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Almaty delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,372 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Almaty hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Almaty and Albany are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Almaty gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Albany. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.