Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Qingdao, Shandong

For one person, living is cheaper in Qingdao, Shandong: $756 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Qingdao, Shandong
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Qingdao, Shandong Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Qingdao, Shandong

🇨🇳 China

$756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Qingdao, Shandong

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $756 in Qingdao, Shandong, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Qingdao, Shandong $756

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $1,233 in Qingdao, Shandong, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Qingdao, Shandong $1,233

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $1,709 in Qingdao, Shandong, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Qingdao, Shandong $1,709

Almaty costs about 83% more than Qingdao, Shandong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Qingdao, Shandong is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸6,034

$2.91 ¥19.43

357.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.7K

$17.98 ¥120

141.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,988

$4.46 ¥29.79

97.31%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,497

$2.66 ¥17.78

24.06%

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

$1.37 ₸620

$0.54 ¥3.64

153.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸409

$0.32 ¥2.15

181.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,419

$1.11 ¥7.42

181.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,860

$2.67 ¥17.82

53.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸754

$1.91 ¥12.73

-13.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸406

$1.35 ¥9.05

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸933

$0.97 ¥6.50

112.37%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,074

$1.29 ¥8.63

83.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,730

$16.27 ¥109

-22.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸3,000

$4.36 ¥29.12

51.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,928

$9.66 ¥64.6

12.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸845

$1.41 ¥9.43

31.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,075

$1.20 ¥7.99

97.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,358

$1.73 ¥11.55

72.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,282

$1.26 ¥8.39

124.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸347

$0.68 ¥4.53

13.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸264

$0.96 ¥6.44

-39.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸723

$0.94 ¥6.26

69.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸449

$0.61 ¥4.09

62.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,153

$3.79 ¥25.34

-32.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸5,005

$14.69 ¥98.2

-24.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸550

$1.01 ¥6.75

19.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,093

$1.57 ¥10.50

53.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$0.31 ¥2.10

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,901

$18.25 ¥122

19.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸581

$1.50 ¥10.03

-14.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.41 ¥2.74

56.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,870

$9.06 ¥60.5

18.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸314

$1.31 ¥8.74

-47.33%

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

$22.3K ₸10.1M

$19.1K ¥127.4K

16.89%

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

$29.3K ₸13.3M

$16.6K ¥110.7K

77.14%

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

$87.8 ₸39.8K

$69.2 ¥463

26.77%

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

$10.83 ₸4,909

$6.73 ¥44.95

60.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,887

$7.73 ¥51.7

125.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.6K

$20.95 ¥140

232.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.1K

$18.21 ¥122

45.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,031

$6.25 ¥41.79

6.88%

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

$446 ₸202.2K

$365 ¥2,439

22.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

$17.6K ¥117.4K

-32.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.5K

$52.5 ¥351

78.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.3K

$49.25 ¥329

-4.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.7K

$93.9 ¥628

51.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.5K

$91.2 ¥609

46.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸350.6K

$353 ¥2,362

118.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸225.5K

$199 ¥1,328

150.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸630.4K

$757 ¥5,056

83.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸398.9K

$418 ¥2,796

110.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.2M

$3,573 ¥23.9K

-28.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸683.0K

$2,172 ¥14.5K

-30.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸377.9K

$1,196 ¥7,995

-30.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

3.37

512.76%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Qingdao, Shandong: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Qingdao, Shandong

$199 25.7% 60% $299

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Qingdao, Shandong

$221 28.7% 11.9% $30

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Qingdao, Shandong

$83 10.7% 59.6% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Qingdao, Shandong

$129 16.7% 31.2% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Qingdao, Shandong

$84 10.8% 27.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Qingdao, Shandong

$33 4.3% 59.7% $50

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Qingdao, Shandong

$23 3% 15.6% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $353 in Qingdao, Shandong. 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 44% higher in Qingdao, Shandong, 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 $43.00 in Almaty versus $18.00 in Qingdao, Shandong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $221 – making Qingdao, Shandong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Qingdao, Shandong

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

19:59 7:59 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

10,071,722

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, 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).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Qingdao, Shandong 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Qingdao, Shandong

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 Qingdao, Shandong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 83%, 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 $1,134 in Qingdao, Shandong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty and $18.00 in Qingdao, Shandong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $756 in Qingdao, Shandong. That's a gap of about 83%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Qingdao, Shandong, where all-in costs run around $756, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Qingdao, Shandong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qingdao, Shandong – 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 Qingdao, Shandong. 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.