Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Kazan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kazan: $1,192 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,372
/mo nomad
Kazan
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,192
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Kazan

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $1,192 in Kazan, rent included.

  • Almaty $1,372
  • Kazan $1,192

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,852 in Kazan, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,142
  • Kazan $1,852

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $2,513 in Kazan, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,913
  • Kazan $2,513

Almaty costs about 15% more than Kazan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Kazan is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Almaty
Kazan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.16 ₸5,949
$13.28 ₽1,108
-0.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.86 ₸20.3K
$39.10 ₽3,263
14.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.90 ₸4,022
$6.02 ₽503
47.84%
Cappuccino
$3.25 ₸1,469
$3.15 ₽263
3.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 ₸639
$1.35 ₽113
4.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 ₸399
$0.56 ₽46.36
57.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.35 ₸1,513
$1.77 ₽148
89.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.04 ₸1,827
$2.44 ₽204
65.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Almaty
Kazan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 ₸762
$1.14 ₽94.8
48.25%
White Bread (500g)
$0.86 ₸390
$0.69 ₽57.8
24.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.03 ₸917
$1.51 ₽126
34.44%
Eggs
$2.43 ₸1,100
$1.51 ₽126
60.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.46 ₸5,632
$11.07 ₽924
12.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.71 ₸3,033
$4.45 ₽372
50.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.85 ₸4,905
$10.51 ₽877
3.24%
Apples (1kg)
$1.80 ₸813
$1.86 ₽155
-3.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 ₸1,018
$1.73 ₽144
30.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.91 ₸1,314
$1.84 ₽153
58.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.75 ₸1,243
$3.10 ₽259
-11.29%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ₸337
$0.83 ₽69.4
-9.64%
Onion (1kg)
$0.55 ₸248
$0.56 ₽46.85
-1.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 ₸732
$1.39 ₽116
16.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 ₸474
$0.72 ₽59.7
45.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.58 ₸1,167
$3.00 ₽250
-14.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.15 ₸5,042
$7.71 ₽644
44.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 ₸547
$1.06 ₽88.3
14.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 ₸1,104
$1.91 ₽160
27.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Almaty
Kazan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₸117
$0.53 ₽44.21
-50.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.03 ₸9,957
$18.74 ₽1,564
17.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.35 ₸611
$2.32 ₽194
-41.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₸288
$0.56 ₽47.11
14.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.16 ₸5,044
$7.30 ₽609
52.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.72 ₸324
$0.86 ₽72.0
-16.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.5K ₸10.2M
$36.2K ₽3.0M
-37.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.3K ₸13.7M
$42.3K ₽3.5M
-28.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
Kazan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$91.8 ₸41.5K
$127 ₽10.6K
-27.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.66 ₸4,820
$5.40 ₽451
97.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.86 ₸8,072
$7.21 ₽602
147.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
Kazan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.3 ₸31.8K
$36.58 ₽3,053
92.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.60 ₸12.5K
$30.32 ₽2,531
-8.97%
Cinema Ticket
$6.78 ₸3,064
$6.59 ₽550
2.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Almaty
Kazan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$449 ₸202.9K
$283 ₽23.6K
58.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.1K ₸5.5M
$6,559 ₽547.4K
84.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
Kazan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.9 ₸40.7K
$93.1 ₽7,770
-3.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.02 ₸21.3K
$90.6 ₽7,561
-48.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$142 ₸64.1K
$105 ₽8,726
35.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 ₸60.0K
$76.5 ₽6,386
73.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Almaty
Kazan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$805 ₸363.7K
$683 ₽57.0K
17.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₸225.9K
$426 ₽35.6K
17.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 ₸645.9K
$1,107 ₽92.4K
29.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$904 ₸408.8K
$777 ₽64.8K
16.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,503 ₸1.1M
$4,273 ₽356.6K
-41.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,559 ₸704.7K
$2,332 ₽194.6K
-33.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Almaty
Kazan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$870 ₸393.3K
$956 ₽79.8K
-9.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20.65
20.8
-0.72%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kazan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Almaty
$500
Kazan
$426 14.7% $73
Groceries & Markets
Almaty
$250
Kazan
$202 19.2% $48
Eating Out
Almaty
$205
Kazan
$184 10.4% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
$185
Kazan
$164 11.4% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
$120
Kazan
$140 16% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
$84
Kazan
$50 40.7% $34
Getting Around
Almaty
$28
Kazan
$26 5.8% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $683 in Kazan. 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 10% higher in Kazan, 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 $39.00 in Kazan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $202 – making Kazan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Almaty
🇷🇺 Kazan
🕒 Local time
15:53 3:53 PM
12:53 12:53 PM
3 h behind Almaty
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,475,400
1,257,341
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Almaty Kazan 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Almaty
  • Kazan

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 Kazan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kazan cheaper than Almaty?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty and $1,788 in Kazan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kazan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Almaty or in Kazan?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty and $39.00 in Kazan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Almaty and in Kazan?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $1,192 in Kazan. That's a gap of about 15%.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Almaty or in Kazan?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kazan, where all-in costs run around $1,192, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Kazan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Almaty or Kazan more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kazan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Almaty or Kazan?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kazan. 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.

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