Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Erdenet

For one person, living is cheaper in Erdenet: $377 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Erdenet
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Erdenet Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Erdenet

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$377

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Erdenet

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $377 in Erdenet, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Erdenet $377

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $617 in Erdenet, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Erdenet $617

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $858 in Erdenet, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Erdenet $858

Almaty costs about 268% more than Erdenet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Erdenet is 72% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸6,034

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

226.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.7K

$27.28 MNT 98.0K

58.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,988

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

115.69%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,497

$2.29 MNT 8,214

44.10%

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

$1.37 ₸620

$0.66 MNT 2,373

107.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸409

$0.40 MNT 1,454

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,419

$1.70 MNT 6,100

84.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,860

$1.63 MNT 5,840

151.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸754

$1.01 MNT 3,627

64.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸406

$0.91 MNT 3,281

-1.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸933

$2.85 MNT 10.3K

-27.72%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,074

$2.02 MNT 7,270

17.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,730

$7.05 MNT 25.3K

79.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸3,000

$6.78 MNT 24.4K

-2.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,928

$4.54 MNT 16.3K

139.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸845

$2.24 MNT 8,038

-16.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,075

$1.68 MNT 6,054

41.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,358

$1.63 MNT 5,857

83.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,282

$1.37 MNT 4,925

106.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸347

$1.43 MNT 5,136

-46.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸264

$0.85 MNT 3,040

-31.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸723

$1.41 MNT 5,071

12.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸449

$0.98 MNT 3,539

1.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,153

$2.83 MNT 10.2K

-10.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸5,005

$5.67 MNT 20.4K

94.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸550

$1.62 MNT 5,830

-25.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,093

$1.65 MNT 5,938

46.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$0.15 MNT 549

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,901

$19.59 MNT 70.4K

11.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸581

$0.61 MNT 2,209

109.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.43 MNT 1,546

48.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,870

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸314

$0.75 MNT 2,689

-8.00%

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

$22.3K ₸10.1M

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

$29.3K ₸13.3M

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

$87.8 ₸39.8K

$57.7 MNT 207.4K

52.02%

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

$10.83 ₸4,909

$2.86 MNT 10.3K

278.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,887

$14.06 MNT 50.5K

23.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,031

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

$446 ₸202.2K

$281 MNT 1.0M

58.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

$2,474 MNT 8.9M

380.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸350.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸225.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸630.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸398.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸683.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸377.9K

$218 MNT 782.9K

282.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Erdenet: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Erdenet

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Erdenet

$188 50.3% 25.1% $63

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Erdenet

$88 23.6% 57% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Erdenet

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Erdenet

$75 20% 35.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Erdenet

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Erdenet

$23 6.1% 16% $4.4

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 283% 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 $27.00 in Erdenet. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $188 – making Erdenet the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇳 Erdenet

🕒 Local time

12:09 12:09 PM

14:09 2:09 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

86,866

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Almaty Erdenet 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Erdenet

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 Erdenet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 268%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $565 in Erdenet. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty and $27.00 in Erdenet. 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 $377 in Erdenet. That's a gap of about 268%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Erdenet, where all-in costs run around $377, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Erdenet it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Erdenet – 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 Erdenet. 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.