Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Kostanay

For one person, living is cheaper in Kostanay: $962 a month against $1,363 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Kostanay
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Kostanay Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Kostanay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Kostanay

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

A single person spends $1,363 per month in Almaty vs $962 in Kostanay, rent included.

Almaty $1,363
Kostanay $962

A couple spends around $2,131 per month in Almaty vs $1,452 in Kostanay, rent included.

Almaty $2,131
Kostanay $1,452

A family of three spends $2,900 per month in Almaty vs $1,943 in Kostanay, rent included.

Almaty $2,900
Kostanay $1,943

Almaty costs about 42% more than Kostanay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 1% above the global median, while Kostanay is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 ₸5,899

$5.60 ₸2,532

133.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 ₸19.6K

$28.73 ₸13.0K

51.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ₸3,962

$7.05 ₸3,186

24.26%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ₸1,501

$2.18 ₸988

52.29%

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

$1.34 ₸607

$1.12 ₸506

19.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸374

$0.86 ₸389

-3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₸1,518

$1.45 ₸656

131.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 ₸1,818

$2.61 ₸1,181

54.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₸747

$1.22 ₸550

35.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₸421

$0.52 ₸235

78.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ₸927

$1.05 ₸474

95.24%

Eggs

$2.46 ₸1,113

$2.27 ₸1,026

8.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 ₸5,646

$10.21 ₸4,614

22.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,035

$5.72 ₸2,585

17.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$8.33 ₸3,767

30.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ₸807

$1.61 ₸730

10.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$2.37 ₸1,071

-5.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ₸1,299

$1.84 ₸831

55.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 ₸1,227

$2.32 ₸1,047

16.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ₸362

$0.58 ₸264

37.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸249

$0.68 ₸308

-19.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.21 ₸548

33.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₸453

$0.88 ₸399

13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$2.51 ₸1,135

2.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,039

$8.47 ₸3,827

31.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₸572

$1.10 ₸495

14.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₸1,120

$2.37 ₸1,071

4.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₸128

$0.31 ₸142

-9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.05 ₸9,970

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 ₸607

$0.95 ₸430

41.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$1.14 ₸516

-43.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.04 ₸4,993

$6.09 ₸2,755

81.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸326

$0.58 ₸263

24.14%

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

$28.1K ₸12.7M

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-7.08%

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

$31.8K ₸14.4M

$30.5K ₸13.8M

4.20%

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

$90.5 ₸40.9K

$76.8 ₸34.7K

17.83%

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

$10.63 ₸4,805

$10.97 ₸4,961

-3.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.12 ₸8,190

$15.99 ₸7,229

13.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₸31.2K

$48.26 ₸21.8K

42.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 ₸12.2K

$20.11 ₸9,091

34.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 ₸3,062

$4.40 ₸1,989

53.86%

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

$444 ₸200.6K

$209 ₸94.5K

112.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

$6,498 ₸2.9M

84.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 ₸41.5K

$96.3 ₸43.5K

-4.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.80 ₸21.6K

$53.8 ₸24.3K

-11.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 ₸63.0K

$107 ₸48.6K

29.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₸59.4K

$93.7 ₸42.3K

40.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 ₸351.2K

$402 ₸181.7K

93.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₸223.4K

$321 ₸144.9K

54.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 ₸650.4K

$598 ₸270.1K

140.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 ₸409.2K

$494 ₸223.4K

83.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 ₸1.1M

$1,218 ₸550.5K

102.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,517 ₸685.7K

$925 ₸418.0K

64.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 ₸387.2K

$657 ₸297.0K

30.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

18.5

11.62%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Last update for Kostanay: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$494 36.3%

Kostanay

$321 33.4% 35.1% $174

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Kostanay

$202 21% 19.5% $49

Eating Out

Almaty

$204 15%

Kostanay

$113 11.7% 44.8% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.6%

Kostanay

$158 16.4% 14.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$119 8.8%

Kostanay

$104 10.8% 13% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Kostanay

$57 5.9% 30.9% $25

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Kostanay

$7.9 * 0.8% 71.5% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $777 in Almaty versus $402 in Kostanay. 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 30% 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 $29.00 in Kostanay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $202 – making Kostanay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇰🇿 Kostanay

🕒 Local time

18:32 6:32 PM

Same time as Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

264,446

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Kostanay 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Kostanay

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 Kostanay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 42%, 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 $1,443 in Kostanay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kostanay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,363 in Almaty and $962 in Kostanay. That's a gap of about 42%.

Kindergarten costs $444 per month in Almaty and $209 in Kostanay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kostanay, where all-in costs run around $962, than in Almaty at $1,363. In Kostanay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kostanay – 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 Kostanay. 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.