Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Changshu

For one person, living is cheaper in Changshu: $707 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Changshu
Learn more

Changshu Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Changshu

🇨🇳 China

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Changshu

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $707 in Changshu, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Changshu $707

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $1,120 in Changshu, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Changshu $1,120

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $1,532 in Changshu, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Changshu $1,532

Almaty costs about 96% more than Changshu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Changshu is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸6,005

$2.71 ¥18.12

391.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.6K

$21.35 ¥143

103.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,969

$4.98 ¥33.30

76.71%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,490

$3.09 ¥20.67

6.80%

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

$1.37 ₸617

$0.43 ¥2.88

218.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸407

$0.27 ¥1.80

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,412

$0.94 ¥6.27

232.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,851

$2.06 ¥13.78

99.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸750

$1.87 ¥12.49

-11.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸404

$1.56 ¥10.44

-42.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸929

$0.90 ¥6.03

128.89%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,069

$1.54 ¥10.31

53.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,702

$12.88 ¥86.1

-1.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸2,985

$3.17 ¥21.16

108.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,904

$10.11 ¥67.5

7.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸841

$1.82 ¥12.19

2.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,070

$1.25 ¥8.33

89.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,351

$1.54 ¥10.29

94.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,276

$1.14 ¥7.64

148.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸346

$0.69 ¥4.60

11.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸263

$0.89 ¥5.98

-34.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸719

$0.56 ¥3.76

183.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸447

$0.50 ¥3.37

98.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,147

$3.04 ¥20.35

-16.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸4,981

$10.65 ¥71.2

3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸548

$0.74 ¥4.97

63.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,087

$1.63 ¥10.91

47.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$0.27 ¥1.78

-7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,854

$16.85 ¥113

29.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸578

$1.37 ¥9.16

-6.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸290

$0.35 ¥2.35

82.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,847

$6.82 ¥45.56

57.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸313

$1.14 ¥7.61

-39.47%

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

$22.3K ₸10.1M

$19.4K ¥129.4K

15.08%

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

$29.3K ₸13.2M

$16.9K ¥113.2K

73.25%

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

$87.8 ₸39.6K

$44.92 ¥300

95.37%

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

$10.83 ₸4,886

$9.95 ¥66.5

8.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,850

$11.63 ¥77.7

49.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.4K

$42.26 ¥282

64.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.0K

$13.67 ¥91.3

94.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,016

$5.88 ¥39.29

13.61%

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

$446 ₸201.2K

$340 ¥2,272

31.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

$17.1K ¥114.4K

-30.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.3K

$43.35 ¥290

116.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.2K

$30.09 ¥201

55.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.4K

$70.8 ¥473

101.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.2K

$73.3 ¥490

81.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸349.0K

$277 ¥1,853

178.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸224.4K

$192 ¥1,281

159.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸627.4K

$596 ¥3,986

133.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸397.0K

$355 ¥2,370

148.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.1M

$3,056 ¥20.4K

-16.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸679.8K

$2,007 ¥13.4K

-24.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸376.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

3.89

430.85%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Changshu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Changshu

$192 26.8% 61.4% $306

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Changshu

$198 27.7% 21.3% $53

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Changshu

$85 12% 58.4% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Changshu

$98 13.7% 47.8% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Changshu

$67 9.3% 42.7% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Changshu

$54 7.6% 35% $29

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Changshu

$21 3% 23% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $277 in Changshu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty versus $21.00 in Changshu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $198 – making Changshu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Changshu

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

15:48 3:48 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

1,677,050

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 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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Almaty Changshu 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
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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 Changshu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $1,061 in Changshu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Changshu, 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 $43.00 in Almaty and $21.00 in Changshu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $707 in Changshu. That's a gap of about 96%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Changshu, where all-in costs run around $707, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Changshu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Changshu. 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.