Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Guayaquil

For one person, living is cheaper in Guayaquil: $1,136 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
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Guayaquil Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,136

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Guayaquil

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $1,136 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Guayaquil $1,136

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,775 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Guayaquil $1,775

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $2,413 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Guayaquil $2,413

Almaty costs about 21% more than Guayaquil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Guayaquil is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$3.94 $3.94

234.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$52.6 $52.6

-14.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$9.15 $9.15

-2.73%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.82 $2.82

15.25%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.91 $0.91

54.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.74 $0.74

18.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$3.05 $3.05

9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$4.15 $4.15

-2.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.16 $1.16

45.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.98 $1.98

-56.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.47 $1.47

38.10%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$2.07 $2.07

17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$7.02 $7.02

77.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$5.18 $5.18

29.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$9.26 $9.26

17.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$1.48 $1.48

21.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.14 $1.14

97.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$0.98 $0.98

196.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$0.94 $0.94

192.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$1.22 $1.22

-38.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$0.98 $0.98

-43.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.88 $0.88

84.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.94 $0.94

11.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$5.91 $5.91

-56.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$12.19 $12.19

-8.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$1.55 $1.55

-21.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$2.19 $2.19

11.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.36 $0.36

-27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$19.61 $19.61

12.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$2.77 $2.77

-51.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$1.80 $1.80

-64.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$12.16 $12.16

-8.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$0.88 $0.88

-18.18%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$21.1K $21.1K

6.57%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$31.3K $31.3K

-3.32%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$131 $131

-29.81%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$14.76 $14.76

-27.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$26.25 $26.25

-31.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$46.30 $46.30

51.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$26.54 $26.54

3.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$7.29 $7.29

-7.00%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$378 $378

18.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$5,590 $5,590

116.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$66.2 $66.2

35.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$41.10 $41.10

14.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$124 $124

14.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$93.8 $93.8

41.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$476 $476

68.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$401 $401

24.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$800 $800

78.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$740 $740

22.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$2,275 $2,275

10.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$1,451 $1,451

7.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$612 $612

42.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

10.05

105.47%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Guayaquil: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Guayaquil

$401 35.3% 19.7% $99

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Guayaquil

$200 17.6% 20.1% $50

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Guayaquil

$123 10.8% 40% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Guayaquil

$146 12.9% 21.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Guayaquil

$172 15.1% 42.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Guayaquil

$61 5.4% 27.4% $23

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Guayaquil

$33 2.9% 18.9% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $476 in Guayaquil. 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 42% 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 $45.00 in Almaty versus $53.0 in Guayaquil. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Almaty vs $200 in Guayaquil – so Guayaquil wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

16:15 4:15 PM

11 h behind Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

3,500,000

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Guayaquil 14,930 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Guayaquil

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 Guayaquil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 21%, 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 $1,704 in Guayaquil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guayaquil, 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 $53.0 in Guayaquil. 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 $1,136 in Guayaquil. That's a gap of about 21%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guayaquil, where all-in costs run around $1,136, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Guayaquil it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guayaquil – 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 Guayaquil. 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.