Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Karaganda

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaganda: $929 a month against $1,363 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Karaganda
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Karaganda Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Karaganda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Karaganda

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

A single person spends $1,363 per month in Almaty vs $929 in Karaganda, rent included.

Almaty $1,363
Karaganda $929

A couple spends around $2,131 per month in Almaty vs $1,498 in Karaganda, rent included.

Almaty $2,131
Karaganda $1,498

A family of three spends $2,900 per month in Almaty vs $2,067 in Karaganda, rent included.

Almaty $2,900
Karaganda $2,067

Almaty costs about 47% more than Karaganda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 1% above the global median, while Karaganda is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 ₸5,899

$9.92 ₸4,483

31.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 ₸19.6K

$34.77 ₸15.7K

24.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ₸3,962

$5.62 ₸2,540

55.87%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ₸1,501

$1.90 ₸861

74.74%

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

$1.34 ₸607

$0.87 ₸392

54.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸374

$0.64 ₸290

29.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₸1,518

$1.37 ₸618

145.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 ₸1,818

$2.81 ₸1,271

43.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₸747

$1.33 ₸602

24.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₸421

$0.48 ₸219

93.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ₸927

$1.34 ₸605

52.99%

Eggs

$2.46 ₸1,113

$1.87 ₸845

31.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 ₸5,646

$13.37 ₸6,043

-6.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,035

$5.55 ₸2,510

20.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$11.16 ₸5,043

-2.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ₸807

$1.51 ₸683

17.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.89 ₸857

19.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ₸1,299

$2.78 ₸1,255

3.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 ₸1,227

$2.09 ₸944

29.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ₸362

$0.63 ₸284

26.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸249

$0.54 ₸245

1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.04 ₸469

55.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₸453

$0.70 ₸315

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$2.18 ₸985

18.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,039

$8.40 ₸3,798

32.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₸572

$1.36 ₸616

-7.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₸1,120

$2.11 ₸955

17.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₸128

$0.23 ₸104

21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.05 ₸9,970

$15.45 ₸6,982

42.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 ₸607

$1.23 ₸558

8.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$1.24 ₸562

-48.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.04 ₸4,993

$3.22 ₸1,457

242.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸326

$0.52 ₸236

38.46%

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

$28.1K ₸12.7M

$21.6K ₸9.8M

30.05%

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

$31.8K ₸14.4M

$32.3K ₸14.6M

-1.42%

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

$90.5 ₸40.9K

$72.6 ₸32.8K

24.73%

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

$10.63 ₸4,805

$9.86 ₸4,457

7.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.12 ₸8,190

$11.82 ₸5,342

53.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₸31.2K

$45.55 ₸20.6K

51.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 ₸12.2K

$18.09 ₸8,179

49.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 ₸3,062

$5.29 ₸2,390

27.98%

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

$444 ₸200.6K

$133 ₸59.9K

234.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 ₸41.5K

$60.5 ₸27.4K

51.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.80 ₸21.6K

$57.6 ₸26.0K

-17.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 ₸63.0K

$79.0 ₸35.7K

76.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₸59.4K

$85.7 ₸38.7K

53.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 ₸351.2K

$400 ₸180.6K

94.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₸223.4K

$274 ₸123.7K

80.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 ₸650.4K

$730 ₸330.1K

97.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 ₸409.2K

$543 ₸245.7K

66.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 ₸1.1M

$1,053 ₸475.8K

134.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,517 ₸685.7K

$695 ₸314.0K

118.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 ₸387.2K

$566 ₸256.1K

51.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

19.25

7.27%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Last update for Karaganda: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$494 36.3%

Karaganda

$274 29.5% 44.6% $220

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Karaganda

$216 23.3% 13.7% $34

Eating Out

Almaty

$204 15%

Karaganda

$138 14.8% 32.6% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.6%

Karaganda

$127 13.7% 31.1% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$119 8.8%

Karaganda

$94 10.2% 21% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Karaganda

$56 6% 32% $26

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Karaganda

$24 2.6% 14% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $777 in Almaty versus $400 in Karaganda. 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 51% 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 $35.00 in Karaganda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $216 – making Karaganda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇰🇿 Karaganda

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

Same time as Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

520,486

💱 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

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Almaty Karaganda 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Almaty
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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 Karaganda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,044 per month in Almaty and $1,393 in Karaganda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karaganda, 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 $35.00 in Karaganda. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,363 in Almaty and $929 in Karaganda. That's a gap of about 47%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karaganda, where all-in costs run around $929, than in Almaty at $1,363. In Karaganda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karaganda – 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 Karaganda. 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.