Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Balikesir

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikesir: $923 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Balikesir
Learn more

Balikesir Living Index

Jump to prices

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Balikesir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$923

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Balikesir

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

A single person spends $1,362 per month in Almaty vs $923 in Balikesir, rent included.

Almaty $1,362
Balikesir $923

A couple spends around $2,151 per month in Almaty vs $1,456 in Balikesir, rent included.

Almaty $2,151
Balikesir $1,456

A family of three spends $2,940 per month in Almaty vs $1,989 in Balikesir, rent included.

Almaty $2,940
Balikesir $1,989

Almaty costs about 48% more than Balikesir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.32 ₸6,066

$7.12 ₺355

87.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 ₸20.4K

$28.14 ₺1,402

59.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 ₸4,071

$7.56 ₺377

18.25%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ₸1,537

$3.53 ₺176

-4.53%

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

$1.32 ₸602

$1.35 ₺67.2

-2.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸398

$0.35 ₺17.24

148.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 ₸1,434

$3.26 ₺163

-3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 ₸1,801

$4.16 ₺207

-5.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸756

$0.89 ₺44.28

86.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸393

$0.99 ₺49.52

-13.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₸913

$2.15 ₺107

-6.51%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,127

$1.97 ₺98.0

25.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 ₸5,728

$7.79 ₺388

61.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 ₸2,992

$3.85 ₺192

70.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 ₸4,832

$18.25 ₺910

-41.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸816

$1.86 ₺92.5

-3.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₸1,046

$1.83 ₺91.2

25.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₸1,349

$1.16 ₺57.9

155.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 ₸1,301

$1.01 ₺50.4

183.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₸367

$0.52 ₺26.09

55.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₸268

$0.35 ₺17.34

68.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ₸721

$0.89 ₺44.49

77.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸453

$0.70 ₺34.96

41.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ₸1,248

$1.95 ₺97.2

40.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 ₸5,147

$10.11 ₺504

11.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₸558

$1.99 ₺99.4

-38.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₸1,122

$3.25 ₺162

-24.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.59 ₺29.29

-55.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸10.0K

$39.58 ₺1,973

-44.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸616

$1.12 ₺55.6

20.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 ₸320

$1.08 ₺53.6

-35.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,065

$4.20 ₺209

164.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸329

$1.30 ₺64.9

-44.62%

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

$28.4K ₸12.9M

$41.6K ₺2.1M

-31.76%

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

$31.8K ₸14.5M

$39.2K ₺2.0M

-18.86%

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

$91.3 ₸41.6K

$61.3 ₺3,055

48.92%

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

$10.60 ₸4,827

$12.14 ₺605

-12.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 ₸8,147

$14.89 ₺742

20.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 ₸29.7K

$42.41 ₺2,113

53.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 ₸12.6K

$30.16 ₺1,503

-7.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ₸2,945

$4.00 ₺199

61.75%

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

$473 ₸215.3K

$455 ₺22.7K

3.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ₸5.6M

$12.3K ₺611.1K

-0.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 ₸42.4K

$23.90 ₺1,191

289.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.67 ₸21.7K

$16.06 ₺800

196.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸65.0K

$81.5 ₺4,061

75.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸61.3K

$51.2 ₺2,551

162.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₸355.5K

$371 ₺18.5K

110.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₸224.1K

$291 ₺14.5K

68.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₸646.5K

$779 ₺38.8K

82.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₸425.5K

$553 ₺27.6K

68.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,462 ₸1.1M

$1,120 ₺55.8K

119.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 ₸724.9K

$800 ₺39.9K

98.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 ₸397.4K

$1,268 ₺63.2K

-31.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

39.8

-48.12%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Last update for Balikesir: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$492 36.1%

Balikesir

$291 31.6% 40.8% $201

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.4%

Balikesir

$214 23.1% 14.5% $36

Eating Out

Almaty

$206 15.1%

Balikesir

$153 16.6% 25.6% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.8%

Balikesir

$78 8.4% 58.7% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Balikesir

$88 9.6% 26.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$78 5.7%

Balikesir

$50 5.5% 35.6% $28

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2.1%

Balikesir

$48 5.3% 73.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $780 in Almaty versus $371 in Balikesir. 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 45% higher in Balikesir, 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 in Almaty versus $28 in Balikesir. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $214 – making Balikesir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇹🇷 Balikesir

🕒 Local time

01:33 1:33 AM

23:33 11:33 PM

2 h behind Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

1,196,170

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 455 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 507 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.83 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.48 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Balikesir 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Balikesir

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 Balikesir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,043 per month in Almaty and $1,385 in Balikesir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balikesir, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $371 there versus $780 in Almaty.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Almaty and $28 in Balikesir. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,362 in Almaty and $923 in Balikesir. That makes Balikesir about 32% cheaper.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,362 in Almaty and $923 in Balikesir. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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