Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Changchun

For one person, living is cheaper in Changchun: $912 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Changchun
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Changchun Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Changchun

🇨🇳 China

$912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Changchun

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $912 in Changchun, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Changchun $912

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,335 in Changchun, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Changchun $1,335

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,757 in Changchun, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Changchun $1,757

Almaty costs about 50% more than Changchun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Changchun is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,956

$2.95 ¥19.69

346.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$22.24 ¥149

101.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,026

$5.19 ¥34.66

71.48%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,470

$2.49 ¥16.64

30.52%

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

$1.41 ₸640

$0.48 ¥3.20

193.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.29 ¥1.93

203.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,514

$1.17 ¥7.81

186.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,829

$1.82 ¥12.18

121.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸763

$1.90 ¥12.69

-11.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸391

$1.22 ¥8.15

-29.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸918

$1.45 ¥9.71

40.00%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,101

$1.84 ¥12.31

32.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,639

$34.91 ¥233

-64.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,037

$5.88 ¥39.30

14.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,910

$10.55 ¥70.5

2.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸814

$1.71 ¥11.43

5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,019

$1.46 ¥9.78

54.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,315

$1.78 ¥11.87

63.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,245

$1.90 ¥12.67

44.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸338

$0.88 ¥5.86

-14.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸733

$0.61 ¥4.10

165.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$1.48 ¥9.88

-29.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,168

$3.65 ¥24.41

-29.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,048

$20.59 ¥138

-45.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$0.93 ¥6.20

30.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,105

$1.14 ¥7.59

114.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.44 ¥2.91

-40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,968

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸612

$1.23 ¥8.25

9.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.31 ¥2.10

106.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,050

$2.93 ¥19.55

280.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.24 ¥8.29

-41.94%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$19.6K ¥130.8K

15.02%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$18.0K ¥120.0K

68.59%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$75.1 ¥502

22.22%

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

$10.66 ₸4,826

$4.52 ¥30.21

135.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,081

$14.87 ¥99.4

20.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$38.44 ¥257

82.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$4.21 ¥28.15

555.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,067

$6.86 ¥45.87

-1.17%

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

$449 ₸203.1K

$546 ¥3,646

-17.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$21.4K ¥143.0K

-43.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$74.2 ¥496

21.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$45.27 ¥302

3.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.2K

$60.9 ¥407

132.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.1K

$71.0 ¥475

86.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸364.2K

$218 ¥1,458

268.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸226.1K

$251 ¥1,677

99.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸646.6K

$575 ¥3,844

148.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸409.3K

$310 ¥2,071

191.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$1,661 ¥11.1K

50.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸705.5K

$1,015 ¥6,783

53.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.7K

$965 ¥6,445

-9.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

4.37

372.54%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Changchun: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Changchun

$251 27.5% 49.8% $249

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Changchun

$315 * 34.6% 25.8% $65

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Changchun

$82 9% 60.2% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Changchun

$113 12.4% 38.9% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Changchun

$95 10.4% 21.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Changchun

$52 5.7% 37.8% $32

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Changchun

$4.6 * 0.5% 83.5% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $218 in Changchun. 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 11% higher in Changchun, 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 $22.00 in Changchun. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Almaty vs $315 in Changchun – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Changchun

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

15:12 3:12 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

9,066,906

💱 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 = 0.134 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 507 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

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Between locations

Almaty Changchun 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Changchun

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 Changchun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 50%, 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 $1,368 in Changchun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $912 in Changchun. That's a gap of about 50%.

Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Almaty and $546 in Changchun. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Changchun, where all-in costs run around $912, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Changchun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Changchun – 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 Changchun. 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.