Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Chenzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Chenzhou: $721 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Chenzhou
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Chenzhou Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Chenzhou

🇨🇳 China

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Chenzhou

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

A single person spends $1,362 per month in Almaty vs $721 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Almaty $1,362
Chenzhou $721

A couple spends around $2,151 per month in Almaty vs $1,197 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Almaty $2,151
Chenzhou $1,197

A family of three spends $2,940 per month in Almaty vs $1,674 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Almaty $2,940
Chenzhou $1,674

Almaty costs about 89% more than Chenzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.32 ₸6,066

$3.03 ¥20.15

339.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 ₸20.4K

$22.13 ¥147

102.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 ₸4,071

$4.86 ¥32.33

83.95%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ₸1,537

$1.54 ¥10.24

118.83%

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

$1.32 ₸602

$0.51 ¥3.41

158.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸398

$0.27 ¥1.80

222.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 ₸1,434

$1.29 ¥8.58

144.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 ₸1,801

$1.89 ¥12.59

108.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸756

$1.97 ¥13.09

-15.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸393

$2.38 ¥15.83

-63.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₸913

$0.79 ¥5.23

154.43%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,127

$1.72 ¥11.46

43.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 ₸5,728

$13.15 ¥87.5

-4.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 ₸2,992

$4.13 ¥27.47

59.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 ₸4,832

$11.57 ¥77.0

-8.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸816

$0.59 ¥3.92

203.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₸1,046

$1.18 ¥7.82

94.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₸1,349

$0.73 ¥4.87

305.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 ₸1,301

$1.19 ¥7.89

140.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₸367

$0.97 ¥6.49

-16.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₸268

$1.54 ¥10.24

-61.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ₸721

$0.61 ¥4.04

159.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸453

$0.49 ¥3.23

102.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ₸1,248

$3.02 ¥20.08

-9.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 ₸5,147

$12.71 ¥84.6

-11.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₸558

$1.04 ¥6.91

17.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₸1,122

$1.57 ¥10.45

56.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.31 ¥2.05

-16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸10.0K

$15.40 ¥103

42.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸616

$1.52 ¥10.09

-11.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 ₸320

$0.29 ¥1.93

141.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,065

$4.60 ¥30.59

141.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸329

$1.29 ¥8.59

-44.19%

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

$28.4K ₸12.9M

$19.3K ¥128.3K

47.25%

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

$31.8K ₸14.5M

$17.4K ¥115.6K

82.99%

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

$91.3 ₸41.6K

$56.3 ¥375

62.09%

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

$10.60 ₸4,827

$8.94 ¥59.5

18.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 ₸8,147

$11.27 ¥75.0

58.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 ₸29.7K

$42.59 ¥283

53.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 ₸12.6K

$14.67 ¥97.6

89.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ₸2,945

$6.48 ¥43.13

-0.15%

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

$473 ₸215.3K

$329 ¥2,188

43.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ₸5.6M

$16.9K ¥112.3K

-27.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 ₸42.4K

$84.2 ¥561

10.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.67 ₸21.7K

$35.01 ¥233

36.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸65.0K

$89.1 ¥593

60.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸61.3K

$58.9 ¥392

128.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₸355.5K

$310 ¥2,061

152.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₸224.1K

$163 ¥1,086

201.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₸646.5K

$584 ¥3,885

143.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₸425.5K

$414 ¥2,753

125.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,462 ₸1.1M

$3,531 ¥23.5K

-30.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 ₸724.9K

$1,917 ¥12.8K

-17.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 ₸397.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

3.46

496.82%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chenzhou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$492 36.1%

Chenzhou

$163 22.6% 66.8% $329

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.4%

Chenzhou

$215 29.8% 13.9% $35

Eating Out

Almaty

$206 15.1%

Chenzhou

$71 9.8% 65.8% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.8%

Chenzhou

$120 16.7% 36.1% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Chenzhou

$77 10.6% 36.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$78 5.7%

Chenzhou

$56 7.7% 29% $23

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2.1%

Chenzhou

$20 2.7% 29.7% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $780 in Almaty versus $310 in Chenzhou. 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 $45 in Almaty versus $22 in Chenzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $215 – making Chenzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Chenzhou

🕒 Local time

18:54 6:54 PM

21:54 9:54 PM

3 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

4,667,134

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 455 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 507 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

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Between locations

Almaty Chenzhou 3,790 km ≈ 5 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 Chenzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 89%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,043 per month in Almaty and $1,081 in Chenzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chenzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $310 there versus $780 in Almaty.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Almaty and $22 in Chenzhou. 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 $721 in Chenzhou. That’s a gap of about 89%.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Chenzhou, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Almaty at $1,362. In Chenzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Chenzhou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 89% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.