Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Irkutsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Irkutsk: $1,013 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Irkutsk
Learn more

Irkutsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Irkutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,013

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Irkutsk

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $1,013 in Irkutsk, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Irkutsk $1,013

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $1,501 in Irkutsk, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Irkutsk $1,501

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $1,988 in Irkutsk, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Irkutsk $1,988

Almaty costs about 37% more than Irkutsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Irkutsk is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸6,034

$7.18 ₽611

85.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.7K

$32.58 ₽2,772

33.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,988

$5.81 ₽494

51.46%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,497

$3.03 ₽258

8.91%

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

$1.37 ₸620

$1.60 ₽136

-14.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸409

$0.65 ₽55.1

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,419

$2.69 ₽229

16.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,860

$4.04 ₽344

1.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸754

$1.20 ₽102

38.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸406

$0.64 ₽54.5

40.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸933

$2.22 ₽189

-7.21%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,074

$1.59 ₽135

49.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,730

$11.69 ₽995

8.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸3,000

$6.04 ₽514

9.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,928

$11.24 ₽956

-3.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸845

$1.89 ₽161

-1.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,075

$1.99 ₽169

19.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,358

$1.75 ₽149

70.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,282

$3.47 ₽295

-18.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸347

$0.72 ₽61.4

6.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸264

$0.69 ₽58.6

-15.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸723

$1.79 ₽152

-11.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸449

$0.65 ₽55.6

52.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,153

$2.70 ₽230

-5.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸5,005

$7.17 ₽610

53.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸550

$1.02 ₽86.7

18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,093

$1.90 ₽162

26.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$0.57 ₽48.62

-56.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,901

$15.79 ₽1,344

38.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸581

$1.19 ₽102

7.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.18 ₽14.94

255.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,870

$8.91 ₽758

20.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸314

$0.79 ₽66.8

-12.66%

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

$22.3K ₸10.1M

$29.0K ₽2.5M

-23.21%

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

$29.3K ₸13.3M

$36.8K ₽3.1M

-20.29%

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

$87.8 ₸39.8K

$118 ₽10.0K

-25.38%

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

$10.83 ₸4,909

$5.84 ₽497

85.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,887

$11.41 ₽971

52.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.6K

$34.35 ₽2,923

102.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.1K

$21.13 ₽1,798

25.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,031

$6.64 ₽565

0.60%

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

$446 ₸202.2K

$294 ₽25.0K

51.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

$3,121 ₽265.6K

280.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.5K

$58.7 ₽4,992

59.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.3K

$23.42 ₽1,993

100.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.7K

$100 ₽8,516

42.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.5K

$113 ₽9,642

17.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸350.6K

$438 ₽37.2K

76.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸225.5K

$309 ₽26.3K

60.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸630.4K

$750 ₽63.8K

85.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸398.9K

$432 ₽36.8K

103.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.2M

$2,712 ₽230.8K

-6.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸683.0K

$1,807 ₽153.7K

-16.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸377.9K

$752 ₽64.0K

10.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

24.57

-15.95%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Irkutsk

$309 30.7% 37.8% $188

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Irkutsk

$220 21.9% 12.4% $31

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Irkutsk

$142 14.1% 31% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Irkutsk

$133 13.2% 29.1% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Irkutsk

$135 13.4% 16.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Irkutsk

$48 4.7% 42.6% $35

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Irkutsk

$20 2% 26.3% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $438 in Irkutsk. 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 11% 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 $33.00 in Irkutsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $220 – making Irkutsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇷🇺 Irkutsk

🕒 Local time

14:22 2:22 PM

16:22 4:22 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

617,515

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.44 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Irkutsk 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Irkutsk

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 Irkutsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $1,520 in Irkutsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Irkutsk, 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 $43.00 in Almaty and $33.00 in Irkutsk. 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 $1,013 in Irkutsk. That's a gap of about 37%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Irkutsk, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Irkutsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Irkutsk – 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 Irkutsk. 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.