Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Changzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Changzhou: $741 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Changzhou
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Changzhou Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Changzhou

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Changzhou

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $741 in Changzhou, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Changzhou $741

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,217 in Changzhou, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Changzhou $1,217

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,694 in Changzhou, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Changzhou $1,694

Almaty costs about 85% more than Changzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Changzhou is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,939

$2.92 ¥19.51

350.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.2K

$28.54 ¥191

57.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,015

$4.51 ¥30.16

97.34%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,466

$2.22 ¥14.82

46.40%

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

$1.41 ₸638

$0.38 ¥2.55

271.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸398

$0.23 ¥1.53

282.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,510

$0.62 ¥4.15

440.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,824

$1.45 ¥9.69

178.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸761

$1.86 ¥12.47

-9.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.28 ¥8.59

-32.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸916

$1.00 ¥6.66

103.00%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,098

$1.72 ¥11.54

41.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,623

$7.41 ¥49.55

68.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,028

$2.82 ¥18.86

137.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,896

$12.35 ¥82.6

-12.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸812

$2.16 ¥14.44

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,017

$1.73 ¥11.58

30.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,312

$1.97 ¥13.14

47.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,241

$1.04 ¥6.97

164.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$0.77 ¥5.13

-2.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$0.99 ¥6.63

-44.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸731

$0.39 ¥2.60

315.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸473

$0.62 ¥4.18

69.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,165

$3.29 ¥22.03

-21.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,034

$10.58 ¥70.8

5.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸546

$0.82 ¥5.49

47.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,102

$1.56 ¥10.45

56.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.33 ¥2.20

-21.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,940

$14.32 ¥95.8

53.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸610

$1.51 ¥10.09

-10.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.31 ¥2.08

106.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,036

$2.93 ¥19.57

280.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸323

$1.31 ¥8.74

-45.04%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$17.1K ¥114.1K

31.96%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$13.8K ¥92.3K

119.25%

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

$91.8 ₸41.4K

$57.5 ¥385

59.64%

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

$10.66 ₸4,812

$8.13 ¥54.3

31.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,058

$10.66 ¥71.3

67.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.7K

$40.60 ¥272

73.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$14.75 ¥98.7

87.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,059

$4.57 ¥30.53

48.36%

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

$449 ₸202.5K

$251 ¥1,681

78.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$15.1K ¥101.1K

-19.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.6K

$55.3 ¥370

62.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.2K

$22.58 ¥151

108.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.0K

$76.0 ¥508

86.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸59.9K

$76.2 ¥510

74.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.1K

$285 ¥1,908

181.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.5K

$229 ¥1,529

118.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸644.8K

$917 ¥6,133

55.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.2K

$495 ¥3,312

82.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$2,942 ¥19.7K

-14.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸703.5K

$1,613 ¥10.8K

-3.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸392.6K

$1,067 ¥7,132

-18.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

3.35

516.42%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Changzhou

$229 30.9% 54.2% $271

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Changzhou

$192 25.9% 23.4% $59

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Changzhou

$72 9.7% 64.9% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Changzhou

$104 14% 44.1% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Changzhou

$76 10.3% 36.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Changzhou

$50 6.7% 40.7% $34

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Changzhou

$19 2.5% 32.2% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $285 in Changzhou. 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 23% higher in Changzhou, 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 $29.00 in Changzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $192 – making Changzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Changzhou

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

13:48 1:48 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

5,278,121

💱 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 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 Changzhou 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Changzhou

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 Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 85%, 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 $1,111 in Changzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Changzhou, 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 $29.00 in Changzhou. 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 $741 in Changzhou. That's a gap of about 85%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Changzhou, where all-in costs run around $741, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Changzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Changzhou – 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 Changzhou. 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.