Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Hua-lien

For one person, living is cheaper in Hua-lien: $1,076 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Hua-lien
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Hua-lien Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Hua-lien

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,076

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Hua-lien

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 Hua-lien actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $1,076 in Hua-lien, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Hua-lien $1,076

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,820 in Hua-lien, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Hua-lien $1,820

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $2,563 in Hua-lien, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Hua-lien $2,563

Almaty costs about 27% more than Hua-lien, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Hua-lien is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$3.99 NT$129

229.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$28.74 NT$932

56.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$4.28 NT$139

107.94%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.78 NT$90.3

16.91%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.93 NT$30.01

51.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.56 NT$18.18

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$1.33 NT$43.12

151.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$2.09 NT$67.6

93.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$2.93 NT$95.1

-42.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.76 NT$56.9

-51.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$4.50 NT$146

-54.89%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.98 NT$64.1

22.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$19.63 NT$636

-36.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$6.20 NT$201

8.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$25.54 NT$828

-57.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$2.66 NT$86.3

-32.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$2.50 NT$80.9

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$3.21 NT$104

-9.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$3.18 NT$103

-13.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$2.43 NT$78.7

-69.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$2.30 NT$74.6

-76.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$2.02 NT$65.5

-19.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.98 NT$31.72

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$3.88 NT$126

-33.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$12.63 NT$410

-11.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$1.91 NT$62.1

-36.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$2.35 NT$76.1

3.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.61 NT$19.64

-57.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$36.66 NT$1,189

-39.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$3.08 NT$99.8

-56.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.31 NT$9.91

106.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$10.36 NT$336

7.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$0.89 NT$28.98

-19.10%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$33.7K NT$1.1M

-33.24%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$26.6K NT$862.6K

13.80%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$103 NT$3,332

-10.66%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$19.48 NT$632

-45.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$12.54 NT$407

42.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$36.61 NT$1,187

92.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$10.12 NT$328

-33.00%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$767 NT$24.9K

-41.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$16.4K NT$533.1K

-26.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$57.1 NT$1,850

57.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$36.07 NT$1,170

30.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$79.5 NT$2,576

78.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$107 NT$3,455

24.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$404 NT$13.1K

99.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$253 NT$8,204

97.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$985 NT$31.9K

45.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$740 NT$24.0K

22.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$7,755 NT$251.5K

-67.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$4,989 NT$161.8K

-68.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$2,940 NT$95.3K

-70.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

2.13

869.48%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Hua-lien

$253 23.5% 49.4% $247

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Hua-lien

$368 34.2% 46.8% $117

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Hua-lien

$95 8.8% 53.7% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Hua-lien

$126 11.7% 32.2% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Hua-lien

$135 12.5% 12% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Hua-lien

$57 5.3% 32.2% $27

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Hua-lien

$44 4.1% 58.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $404 in Hua-lien. 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 238% higher in Hua-lien, 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 Hua-lien. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Almaty vs $368 in Hua-lien – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇹🇼 Hua-lien

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

10:06 10:06 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

105,034

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Hua-lien 4,590 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Hua-lien

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 Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty and $1,615 in Hua-lien. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hua-lien, 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 Hua-lien. 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 $1,076 in Hua-lien. That's a gap of about 27%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hua-lien, where all-in costs run around $1,076, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Hua-lien it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hua-lien – 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 Hua-lien. 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.