Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Semey

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Semey
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Semey Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Semey

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Semey

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

A single person spends $1,362 per month in Almaty vs $712 in Semey, rent included.

Almaty $1,362
Semey $712

A couple spends around $2,151 per month in Almaty vs $1,148 in Semey, rent included.

Almaty $2,151
Semey $1,148

A family of three spends $2,940 per month in Almaty vs $1,584 in Semey, rent included.

Almaty $2,940
Semey $1,584

Almaty costs about 91% more than Semey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.32 ₸6,040

$4.93 ₸2,235

170.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 ₸20.3K

$21.82 ₸9,898

105.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 ₸4,054

$5.49 ₸2,491

62.84%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ₸1,530

$1.70 ₸771

98.24%

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

$1.32 ₸599

$0.76 ₸345

73.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸397

$0.48 ₸216

81.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 ₸1,428

$0.91 ₸412

246.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 ₸1,794

$1.35 ₸614

192.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸752

$1.03 ₸469

61.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸392

$0.37 ₸167

132.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₸910

$1.86 ₸845

8.06%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,122

$1.53 ₸693

61.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 ₸5,704

$5.36 ₸2,432

134.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 ₸2,980

$3.86 ₸1,751

70.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 ₸4,812

$5.43 ₸2,461

95.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸812

$1.23 ₸559

45.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₸1,041

$1.65 ₸748

39.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₸1,344

$1.72 ₸781

72.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 ₸1,295

$1.69 ₸768

69.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₸365

$0.39 ₸176

107.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₸267

$0.60 ₸274

-1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ₸718

$1.02 ₸461

54.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸451

$0.99 ₸448

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ₸1,243

$2.46 ₸1,116

11.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 ₸5,125

$7.24 ₸3,282

56.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₸555

$1.31 ₸596

-6.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₸1,117

$2.20 ₸998

11.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.25 ₸114

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸9,971

$15.69 ₸7,119

40.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸613

$1.29 ₸586

4.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 ₸318

$1.14 ₸515

-38.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,044

$6.54 ₸2,968

70.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸328

$0.65 ₸293

10.77%

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

$28.4K ₸12.9M

$32.4K ₸14.7M

-12.27%

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

$31.8K ₸14.4M

$26.3K ₸11.9M

21.00%

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

$91.3 ₸41.4K

$33.66 ₸15.3K

171.21%

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

$10.60 ₸4,807

$9.01 ₸4,088

17.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 ₸8,113

$18.84 ₸8,544

-5.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 ₸29.6K

$42.36 ₸19.2K

54.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 ₸12.6K

$11.23 ₸5,095

147.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ₸2,933

$4.39 ₸1,993

47.38%

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

$473 ₸214.4K

$132 ₸60.0K

257.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ₸5.6M

$4,406 ₸2.0M

178.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 ₸42.2K

$28.90 ₸13.1K

222.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.67 ₸21.6K

$25.47 ₸11.6K

87.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.7K

$100 ₸45.4K

42.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸61.0K

$76.6 ₸34.7K

75.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₸354.0K

$339 ₸153.5K

130.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₸223.2K

$229 ₸103.8K

115.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₸643.8K

$611 ₸276.9K

132.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₸423.7K

$489 ₸221.6K

91.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,462 ₸1.1M

$1,205 ₸546.7K

104.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 ₸721.9K

$739 ₸335.4K

115.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 ₸395.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

19.25

7.27%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Last update for Semey: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$492 36.1%

Semey

$229 32.2% 53.5% $263

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.4%

Semey

$154 21.7% 38.2% $96

Eating Out

Almaty

$206 15.1%

Semey

$88 12.4% 57.1% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.8%

Semey

$104 14.6% 44.7% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Semey

$62 8.6% 48.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$78 5.7%

Semey

$51 7.2% 34.6% $27

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2.1%

Semey

$24 3.3% 15.1% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $780 in Almaty versus $339 in Semey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Almaty versus $22 in Semey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $154 – making Semey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇰🇿 Semey

🕒 Local time

15:07 3:07 PM

Same time as Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

310,456

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Almaty Semey 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Semey

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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 91%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,043 per month in Almaty and $1,068 in Semey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Semey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $339 there versus $780 in Almaty.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Almaty and $22 in Semey. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,362 in Almaty and $712 in Semey. That makes Semey about 48% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Semey, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Almaty at $1,362. In Semey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Semey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Semey is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 48% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.