Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Shenyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenyang: $718 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Shenyang
Learn more

Shenyang Living Index

Jump to prices

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Shenyang

🇨🇳 China

$718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Shenyang

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $718 in Shenyang, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Shenyang $718

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,071 in Shenyang, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Shenyang $1,071

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,424 in Shenyang, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Shenyang $1,424

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$3.00 ¥20.04

338.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$22.24 ¥148

101.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$5.08 ¥33.93

75.20%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.46 ¥16.43

32.11%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.47 ¥3.16

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.38 ¥2.54

131.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$0.87 ¥5.79

285.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$1.82 ¥12.15

121.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.89 ¥12.65

-10.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$2.46 ¥16.43

-65.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.08 ¥7.18

87.96%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.03 ¥6.87

135.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$11.99 ¥80.0

-9.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$1.78 ¥11.89

1.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.19 ¥7.93

89.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.53 ¥10.21

79.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.61 ¥4.07

165.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.64 ¥4.27

64.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$3.77 ¥25.14

-31.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$16.53 ¥110

-32.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$0.66 ¥4.40

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$1.09 ¥7.26

123.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.38 ¥2.57

-31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$12.91 ¥86.2

70.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$1.35 ¥9.03

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.31 ¥2.09

106.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$2.96 ¥19.76

277.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.29 ¥8.64

-44.19%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$19.1K ¥127.5K

17.96%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$18.3K ¥122.3K

65.27%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$75.4 ¥503

21.80%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$15.87 ¥106

-32.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$14.87 ¥99.3

20.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$22.27 ¥149

215.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$10.79 ¥72.0

155.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$6.09 ¥40.69

11.33%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$539 ¥3,601

-16.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$21.3K ¥141.9K

-43.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$42.49 ¥284

111.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$59.5 ¥397

138.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$69.5 ¥464

90.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$277 ¥1,847

190.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$242 ¥1,617

106.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$558 ¥3,729

155.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$393 ¥2,621

130.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$2,272 ¥15.2K

10.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$1,308 ¥8,732

19.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$1,115 ¥7,444

-21.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

4.37

372.54%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shenyang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Shenyang

$242 33.7% 51.6% $258

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Shenyang

$160 * 22.3% 36% $90

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Shenyang

$80 11.2% 60.9% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Shenyang

$77 * 10.8% 58.3% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Shenyang

$106 14.8% 11.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Shenyang

$34 4.8% 58.9% $49

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Shenyang

$17 2.4% 37.1% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $277 in Shenyang. 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 28% higher in Shenyang, 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 $22.00 in Shenyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $160 – making Shenyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Shenyang

🕒 Local time

22:45 10:45 PM

00:45 12:45 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

9,199,601

💱 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 = 0.133 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Shenyang 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Shenyang

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 Shenyang: 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 $2,058 per month in Almaty and $1,076 in Shenyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shenyang, 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 $45.00 in Almaty and $22.00 in Shenyang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $718 in Shenyang. That's a gap of about 91%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shenyang, where all-in costs run around $718, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Shenyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shenyang – 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 Shenyang. 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.