Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Mandalgovi

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandalgovi: $634 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Mandalgovi
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Mandalgovi Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Mandalgovi

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Mandalgovi

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $634 in Mandalgovi, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Mandalgovi $634

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $1,056 in Mandalgovi, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Mandalgovi $1,056

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $1,477 in Mandalgovi, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Mandalgovi $1,477

Almaty costs about 119% more than Mandalgovi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Mandalgovi is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸6,034

$5.72 MNT 20.5K

132.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.7K

$31.77 MNT 114.2K

36.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,988

$5.70 MNT 20.5K

54.39%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,497

$2.49 MNT 8,944

32.53%

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

$1.37 ₸620

$0.88 MNT 3,168

55.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸409

$0.62 MNT 2,217

45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,419

$2.33 MNT 8,362

34.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,860

$3.35 MNT 12.0K

22.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸754

$1.46 MNT 5,236

13.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸406

$0.98 MNT 3,507

-8.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸933

$2.09 MNT 7,518

-1.44%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,074

$2.05 MNT 7,379

15.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,730

$12.58 MNT 45.2K

0.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸3,000

$4.82 MNT 17.3K

37.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,928

$7.38 MNT 26.5K

47.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸845

$3.15 MNT 11.3K

-40.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,075

$2.38 MNT 8,555

-0.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,358

$3.82 MNT 13.7K

-21.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,282

$3.04 MNT 10.9K

-6.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸347

$0.75 MNT 2,684

2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸264

$1.08 MNT 3,878

-46.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸723

$1.74 MNT 6,269

-8.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸449

$0.77 MNT 2,767

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,153

$1.69 MNT 6,081

50.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸5,005

$10.27 MNT 36.9K

7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸550

$1.50 MNT 5,403

-19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,093

$1.80 MNT 6,470

33.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,901

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸581

$0.52 MNT 1,863

146.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.55 MNT 1,960

16.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,870

$6.30 MNT 22.6K

70.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸314

$1.06 MNT 3,812

-34.91%

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

$22.3K ₸10.1M

$26.6K MNT 95.6M

-16.31%

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

$29.3K ₸13.3M

$34.8K MNT 125.2M

-15.80%

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

$87.8 ₸39.8K

$69.9 MNT 251.1K

25.57%

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

$10.83 ₸4,909

$7.74 MNT 27.8K

39.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,887

$13.71 MNT 49.3K

26.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,031

$4.10 MNT 14.7K

62.93%

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

$446 ₸202.2K

$809 MNT 2.9M

-44.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

$8,442 MNT 30.3M

40.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.5K

$83.4 MNT 299.7K

12.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.3K

$44.82 MNT 161.0K

4.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.7K

$105 MNT 377.5K

35.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.5K

$191 MNT 685.9K

-30.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸350.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸225.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸630.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸398.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸683.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸377.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

10.32

100.10%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mandalgovi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Mandalgovi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Mandalgovi

$238 36.7% 5.4% $13

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Mandalgovi

$117 18.1% 43% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Mandalgovi

$191 29.4% 1.8% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Mandalgovi

$91 14.1% 21.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Mandalgovi

$8.2 * 1.3% 90.1% $75

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Mandalgovi

$3.3 * 0.5% 88.1% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty versus $32.00 in Mandalgovi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $238 – making Mandalgovi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇳 Mandalgovi

🕒 Local time

19:04 7:04 PM

21:04 9:04 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

10,888

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, 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 = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,026 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Almaty Mandalgovi 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Mandalgovi

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 Mandalgovi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 119%, 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 $951 in Mandalgovi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $634 in Mandalgovi. That's a gap of about 119%.

Kindergarten costs $446 per month in Almaty and $809 in Mandalgovi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mandalgovi, where all-in costs run around $634, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Mandalgovi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mandalgovi – 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 Mandalgovi. 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.