Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Maoming

For one person, living is cheaper in Maoming: $720 a month against $1,363 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,363
/mo nomad
Maoming
🇨🇳 China
$720
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Maoming

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $709 in Maoming, rent included.

  • Almaty $1,372
  • Maoming $709

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,137 in Maoming, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,142
  • Maoming $1,137

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,566 in Maoming, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,913
  • Maoming $1,566

Almaty costs about 93% more than Maoming, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Maoming is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Almaty
Maoming
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.05 ₸5,899
$2.66 ¥17.80
390.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.44 ₸19.6K
$22.64 ¥151
91.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ₸3,962
$4.01 ¥26.82
118.45%
Cappuccino
$3.32 ₸1,501
$2.74 ¥18.33
21.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 ₸607
$0.51 ¥3.41
162.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 ₸374
$0.31 ¥2.08
167.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.36 ₸1,518
$1.10 ¥7.36
205.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 ₸1,818
$2.05 ¥13.70
96.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Almaty
Maoming
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 ₸747
$1.76 ¥11.74
-6.25%
White Bread (500g)
$0.93 ₸421
$1.59 ¥10.65
-41.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.05 ₸927
$1.01 ¥6.75
102.97%
Eggs
$2.46 ₸1,113
$1.66 ¥11.13
48.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.49 ₸5,646
$13.37 ¥89.4
-6.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.71 ₸3,035
$3.34 ¥22.31
100.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.85 ₸4,905
$11.08 ¥74.1
-2.08%
Apples (1kg)
$1.78 ₸807
$1.83 ¥12.24
-2.73%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 ₸1,018
$1.26 ¥8.44
78.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.87 ₸1,299
$1.56 ¥10.41
83.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.71 ₸1,227
$1.33 ¥8.88
103.76%
Potato (1kg)
$0.80 ₸362
$0.74 ¥4.94
8.11%
Onion (1kg)
$0.55 ₸249
$0.96 ¥6.45
-42.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 ₸732
$0.60 ¥3.98
170.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 ₸453
$0.55 ¥3.69
81.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.58 ₸1,167
$3.78 ¥25.29
-31.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.15 ₸5,039
$11.67 ¥78.0
-4.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 ₸572
$0.86 ¥5.78
46.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 ₸1,120
$1.54 ¥10.27
61.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Almaty
Maoming
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.28 ₸128
$0.31 ¥2.08
-9.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.05 ₸9,970
$18.19 ¥122
21.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.34 ₸607
$1.47 ¥9.82
-8.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₸288
$0.32 ¥2.16
100.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.04 ₸4,993
$7.13 ¥47.64
54.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.72 ₸326
$1.25 ¥8.34
-42.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K ₸12.7M
$19.5K ¥130.3K
44.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.8K ₸14.4M
$17.4K ¥116.6K
82.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
Maoming
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.5 ₸40.9K
$57.9 ¥387
56.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.63 ₸4,805
$8.59 ¥57.5
23.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.12 ₸8,190
$11.19 ¥74.8
61.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
Maoming
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$69.0 ₸31.2K
$32.99 ¥221
109.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.98 ₸12.2K
$14.65 ¥97.9
84.16%
Cinema Ticket
$6.77 ₸3,062
$6.50 ¥43.44
4.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Almaty
Maoming
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$444 ₸200.6K
$418 ¥2,796
6.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.0K ₸5.4M
$17.3K ¥115.9K
-30.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
Maoming
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.9 ₸41.5K
$43.78 ¥293
109.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.80 ₸21.6K
$34.05 ¥228
40.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 ₸63.0K
$74.2 ¥496
87.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 ₸59.4K
$74.2 ¥496
77.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Almaty
Maoming
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$777 ₸351.2K
$295 ¥1,975
162.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$494 ₸223.4K
$185 ¥1,239
166.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,439 ₸650.4K
$637 ¥4,261
125.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$905 ₸409.2K
$370 ¥2,475
144.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,470 ₸1.1M
$3,530 ¥23.6K
-30.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,517 ₸685.7K
$1,949 ¥13.0K
-22.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Almaty
Maoming
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$857 ₸387.2K
$1,046 ¥6,996
-18.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20.65
3.36
514.58%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Last update for Maoming: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Almaty
$494
Maoming
$185 62.5% $309
Groceries & Markets
Almaty
$251
Maoming
$208 17.1% $43
Eating Out
Almaty
$204
Maoming
$79 61.2% $125
Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
$185
Maoming
$102 44.9% $83
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
$119
Maoming
$78 34.9% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
$83
Maoming
$46 44.3% $37
Getting Around
Almaty
$28
Maoming
$23 18.7% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $257 in Maoming. 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 18% higher in Maoming, 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 $24.00 in Maoming. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $212 – making Maoming the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Almaty
🇨🇳 Maoming
🕒 Local time
15:52 3:52 PM
17:52 5:52 PM
2 h ahead of Almaty
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,475,400
1,217,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Almaty Maoming 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Almaty
  • Maoming

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 Maoming: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maoming cheaper than Almaty?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty and $1,064 in Maoming. 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 Maoming, 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 Maoming?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty and $24.00 in Maoming. 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 Maoming?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $709 in Maoming. That's a gap of about 93%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Almaty or in Maoming?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Maoming, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Maoming it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Almaty or Maoming more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Maoming – 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 Maoming. 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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