Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Anshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Anshan: $630 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Anshan
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Anshan Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Anshan

🇨🇳 China

$630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Anshan

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $630 in Anshan, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Anshan $630

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,018 in Anshan, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Anshan $1,018

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,406 in Anshan, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Anshan $1,406

Almaty costs about 118% more than Anshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Anshan is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$3.08 ¥20.59

327.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$18.82 ¥126

138.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$4.36 ¥29.16

104.13%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.49 ¥16.65

30.52%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.39 ¥2.58

261.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.23 ¥1.54

282.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$0.78 ¥5.25

329.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$1.66 ¥11.09

143.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.77 ¥11.83

-4.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.29 ¥8.64

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$0.35 ¥2.37

480.00%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.06 ¥7.12

129.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$8.74 ¥58.4

42.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$1.77 ¥11.82

279.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$9.11 ¥60.9

19.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$1.06 ¥7.11

69.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.17 ¥7.82

92.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$1.18 ¥7.88

146.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.17 ¥7.81

135.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$0.31 ¥2.09

141.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$0.89 ¥5.95

-38.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.29 ¥1.94

458.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.43 ¥2.89

144.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$3.66 ¥24.45

-29.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$7.66 ¥51.2

45.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$0.77 ¥5.14

57.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$1.10 ¥7.38

121.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.29 ¥1.94

-10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$17.75 ¥119

24.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$1.07 ¥7.13

26.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.16 ¥1.06

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$2.92 ¥19.53

282.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.06 ¥7.07

-32.08%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$19.5K ¥130.6K

15.28%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$15.2K ¥101.9K

98.63%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$29.30 ¥196

213.34%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$7.25 ¥48.47

47.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$14.66 ¥98.0

21.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$42.00 ¥281

67.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$15.17 ¥101

81.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$5.91 ¥39.53

14.72%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$221 ¥1,478

103.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$21.7K ¥144.9K

-44.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$37.91 ¥253

137.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$33.24 ¥222

41.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$60.1 ¥402

135.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$70.2 ¥470

89.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$298 ¥1,996

169.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$184 ¥1,229

171.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$626 ¥4,187

128.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$380 ¥2,540

138.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$3,597 ¥24.0K

-30.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$1,957 ¥13.1K

-20.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$960 ¥6,418

-9.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

932.50%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Anshan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Anshan

$184 29.2% 63.2% $316

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Anshan

$152 24.1% 39.3% $98

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Anshan

$77 12.3% 62.3% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Anshan

$91 14.4% 51% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Anshan

$51 8.1% 57.4% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Anshan

$54 8.6% 35.8% $30

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Anshan

$21 3.3% 24.7% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $298 in Anshan. 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 10% higher in Anshan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty versus $19.00 in Anshan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $152 – making Anshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Anshan

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

00:42 12:42 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

1,543,696

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

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Almaty Anshan 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 Anshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 118%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty and $944 in Anshan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty and $19.00 in Anshan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $630 in Anshan. That's a gap of about 118%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Anshan, where all-in costs run around $630, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Anshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Anshan – 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 Anshan. 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.