Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Ekibastuz

For one person, living is cheaper in Ekibastuz: $837 a month against $1,363 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Ekibastuz
Learn more

Ekibastuz Living Index

Jump to prices

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Ekibastuz

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Ekibastuz

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

A single person spends $1,363 per month in Almaty vs $837 in Ekibastuz, rent included.

Almaty $1,363
Ekibastuz $837

A couple spends around $2,131 per month in Almaty vs $1,349 in Ekibastuz, rent included.

Almaty $2,131
Ekibastuz $1,349

A family of three spends $2,900 per month in Almaty vs $1,860 in Ekibastuz, rent included.

Almaty $2,900
Ekibastuz $1,860

Almaty costs about 63% more than Ekibastuz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Almaty sits 1% above the global median, while Ekibastuz is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 ₸5,899

$10.85 ₸4,904

20.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 ₸19.6K

$36.90 ₸16.7K

17.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ₸3,962

$7.79 ₸3,523

12.45%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ₸1,501

$1.51 ₸683

119.87%

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

$1.34 ₸607

$1.10 ₸497

21.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸374

$0.67 ₸302

23.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₸1,518

$1.31 ₸590

156.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 ₸1,818

$2.17 ₸983

85.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₸747

$1.31 ₸592

25.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₸421

$0.64 ₸288

45.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ₸927

$1.63 ₸737

25.77%

Eggs

$2.46 ₸1,113

$2.18 ₸985

12.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 ₸5,646

$11.93 ₸5,393

4.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,035

$5.99 ₸2,707

12.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$10.72 ₸4,846

1.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ₸807

$1.82 ₸823

-2.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$2.27 ₸1,026

-0.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ₸1,299

$2.24 ₸1,012

28.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 ₸1,227

$2.14 ₸969

26.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ₸362

$0.70 ₸315

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸249

$0.42 ₸189

30.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.47 ₸663

10.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₸453

$0.96 ₸433

4.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$2.22 ₸1,004

16.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,039

$11.20 ₸5,065

-0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₸572

$1.36 ₸617

-7.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₸1,120

$2.41 ₸1,089

2.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₸128

$0.23 ₸103

21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.05 ₸9,970

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 ₸607

$1.12 ₸507

19.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$1.13 ₸512

-43.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.04 ₸4,993

$6.45 ₸2,916

71.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸326

$0.61 ₸274

18.03%

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

$28.1K ₸12.7M

$28.2K ₸12.8M

-0.32%

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

$31.8K ₸14.4M

$31.1K ₸14.0M

2.42%

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

$90.5 ₸40.9K

$67.5 ₸30.5K

34.04%

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

$10.63 ₸4,805

$9.93 ₸4,490

7.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.12 ₸8,190

$18.00 ₸8,137

0.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₸31.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 ₸12.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 ₸3,062

$6.23 ₸2,816

8.67%

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

$444 ₸200.6K

$375 ₸169.7K

18.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

$11.6K ₸5.2M

3.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 ₸41.5K

$66.7 ₸30.1K

37.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.80 ₸21.6K

$46.63 ₸21.1K

2.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 ₸63.0K

$119 ₸54.0K

16.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₸59.4K

$129 ₸58.3K

1.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 ₸351.2K

$247 ₸111.7K

214.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₸223.4K

$183 ₸82.8K

169.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 ₸650.4K

$439 ₸198.7K

227.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 ₸409.2K

$344 ₸155.3K

163.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 ₸1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,517 ₸685.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 ₸387.2K

$330 ₸149.0K

159.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

14.83

39.24%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ekibastuz: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$494 36.3%

Ekibastuz

$183 21.9% 62.9% $311

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Ekibastuz

$229 27.4% 8.5% $21

Eating Out

Almaty

$204 15%

Ekibastuz

$146 17.5% 28.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.6%

Ekibastuz

$163 19.4% 11.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$119 8.8%

Ekibastuz

$95 11.4% 20% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Ekibastuz

$12 * 1.5% 84.9% $70

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Ekibastuz

$7.7 * 0.9% 72.2% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $777 in Almaty versus $247 in Ekibastuz. 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 160% higher in Almaty, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty versus $37.00 in Ekibastuz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $229 – making Ekibastuz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇰🇿 Ekibastuz

🕒 Local time

23:00 11:00 PM

Same time as Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

159,760

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Ekibastuz 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Ekibastuz

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 Ekibastuz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,044 per month in Almaty and $1,256 in Ekibastuz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ekibastuz, 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 $1,363 in Almaty and $837 in Ekibastuz. That's a gap of about 63%.

Kindergarten costs $444 per month in Almaty and $375 in Ekibastuz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ekibastuz, where all-in costs run around $837, than in Almaty at $1,363. In Ekibastuz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ekibastuz – 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 Ekibastuz. 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.