Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,387 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $32,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,387
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in London

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

  • Almaty $1,387
  • London $4,086

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $5,816 in London, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,135
  • London $5,816

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $7,546 in London, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,883
  • London $7,546

Almaty is about 66% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Almaty and London sit above the global median – Almaty by 3%, London by 205%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Almaty
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.31 ₸5,991
$26.62 £20.12
-50.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 ₸19.5K
$108 £81.3
-59.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.80 ₸3,959
$10.39 £7.86
-15.30%
Cappuccino
$3.30 ₸1,486
$5.79 £4.38
-43.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 ₸616
$3.01 £2.27
-54.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ₸406
$2.15 £1.63
-58.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.13 ₸1,409
$9.35 £7.07
-66.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.10 ₸1,847
$7.84 £5.93
-47.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Almaty
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ₸749
$1.79 £1.35
-7.26%
White Bread (500g)
$0.90 ₸403
$2.06 £1.56
-56.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.06 ₸927
$2.31 £1.74
-10.82%
Eggs
$2.37 ₸1,067
$5.05 £3.82
-53.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.64 ₸5,689
$12.57 £9.50
0.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 ₸2,978
$10.66 £8.05
-37.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.87 ₸4,893
$17.13 £12.95
-36.54%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₸839
$3.03 £2.29
-38.61%
Banana (1kg)
$2.37 ₸1,067
$1.41 £1.07
68.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.99 ₸1,348
$3.05 £2.31
-1.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.83 ₸1,273
$3.38 £2.56
-16.27%
Potato (1kg)
$0.77 ₸345
$1.67 £1.26
-53.89%
Onion (1kg)
$0.58 ₸262
$1.73 £1.31
-66.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.59 ₸718
$1.41 £1.07
12.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 ₸446
$1.79 £1.35
-44.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.54 ₸1,145
$23.22 £17.55
-89.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.04 ₸4,969
$12.99 £9.82
-15.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 ₸546
$3.18 £2.41
-61.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 ₸1,085
$4.41 £3.34
-45.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Almaty
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₸113
$3.87 £2.93
-93.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.84 ₸9,831
$250 £189
-91.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₸577
$5.71 £4.31
-77.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₸289
$3.33 £2.51
-80.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.74 ₸4,836
$57.9 £43.77
-81.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.69 ₸312
$2.04 £1.54
-66.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.3K ₸10.0M
$37.5K £28.4K
-40.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.3K ₸13.2M
$40.9K £30.9K
-28.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.8 ₸39.5K
$376 £284
-76.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.83 ₸4,874
$17.88 £13.51
-39.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.40 ₸7,831
$40.01 £30.25
-56.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$69.7 ₸31.4K
$61.2 £46.23
13.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.58 ₸12.0K
$21.07 £15.93
26.15%
Cinema Ticket
$6.68 ₸3,009
$17.95 £13.57
-62.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Almaty
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$446 ₸200.8K
$2,865 £2,166
-84.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₸5.4M
$35.3K £26.7K
-66.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.7 ₸42.2K
$116 £87.7
-19.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.91 ₸21.1K
$54.1 £40.88
-13.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$143 ₸64.3K
$127 £95.7
12.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 ₸60.1K
$159 £120
-16.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Almaty
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$773 ₸348.1K
$2,853 £2,157
-72.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$497 ₸223.9K
$2,301 £1,740
-78.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,390 ₸625.9K
$5,201 £3,932
-73.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$880 ₸396.0K
$3,723 £2,814
-76.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,546 ₸1.1M
$19.0K £14.4K
-86.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,506 ₸678.2K
$7,881 £5,957
-80.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Almaty
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$834 ₸375.2K
$4,818 £3,642
-82.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20.65
4.65
344.09%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Almaty
$497
London
$2.3K 363% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Almaty
$251
London
$349 39.1% $98
Eating Out
Almaty
$205
London
$397 93.1% $191
Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
$188
London
$205 9.4% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
$116
London
$434 274% $318
Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
$83
London
$97 16.9% $14
Getting Around
Almaty
$27
London
$288 953% $261

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $2,853 in London. 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 478% higher in London, 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 $108 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $349 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Almaty
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
17:23 5:23 PM
12:23 12:23 PM
5 h behind Almaty
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,475,400
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.847 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Almaty London 5,600 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Almaty
  • London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is London cheaper than Almaty?
Yes – London is pricier by about 195%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $6,129 in London. 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 Almaty, 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 London?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty and $108 in London. 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 London?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $4,086 in London. That's a gap of about 195%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Almaty or in London?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in London at $4,086. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Almaty or London more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Almaty – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Almaty. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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