Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Taipei

For one person, living costs are similar in Almaty and in Taipei: $1,387 and $1,395 a month, rent and utilities included.

Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,387
/mo nomad
Taipei
🇹🇼 Taiwan
$1,395
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Taipei

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $1,395 in Taipei, rent included.

  • Almaty $1,387
  • Taipei $1,395

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $2,227 in Taipei, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,135
  • Taipei $2,227

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $3,059 in Taipei, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,883
  • Taipei $3,059

Almaty is about 1% cheaper than Taipei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Almaty and Taipei sit above the global median – Almaty by 3%, Taipei by 4%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Almaty
Taipei
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.31 ₸6,034
$4.76 NT$152
179.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 ₸19.7K
$48.18 NT$1,537
-9.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.80 ₸3,988
$5.75 NT$183
53.04%
Cappuccino
$3.30 ₸1,497
$3.49 NT$112
-5.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 ₸620
$0.88 NT$28.03
55.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ₸409
$0.65 NT$20.61
38.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.13 ₸1,419
$2.86 NT$91.4
9.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.10 ₸1,860
$3.67 NT$117
11.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Almaty
Taipei
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ₸754
$3.09 NT$98.5
-46.28%
White Bread (500g)
$0.90 ₸406
$2.05 NT$65.5
-56.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.06 ₸933
$3.06 NT$97.5
-32.68%
Eggs
$2.37 ₸1,074
$2.70 NT$86.0
-12.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.64 ₸5,730
$19.66 NT$627
-35.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 ₸3,000
$9.83 NT$314
-32.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.87 ₸4,928
$21.11 NT$674
-48.51%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₸845
$5.08 NT$162
-63.39%
Banana (1kg)
$2.37 ₸1,075
$3.39 NT$108
-30.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.99 ₸1,358
$3.00 NT$95.8
-0.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.83 ₸1,282
$4.56 NT$146
-37.94%
Potato (1kg)
$0.77 ₸347
$2.72 NT$86.8
-71.69%
Onion (1kg)
$0.58 ₸264
$2.28 NT$72.9
-74.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.59 ₸723
$1.68 NT$53.7
-5.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 ₸449
$1.15 NT$36.81
-13.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.54 ₸1,153
$4.05 NT$129
-37.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.04 ₸5,005
$14.32 NT$457
-22.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 ₸550
$1.70 NT$54.2
-28.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 ₸1,093
$2.29 NT$73.0
5.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Almaty
Taipei
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₸113
$0.61 NT$19.46
-59.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.84 ₸9,901
$38.47 NT$1,228
-43.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₸581
$2.73 NT$87.0
-53.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₸291
$0.75 NT$24.02
-14.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.74 ₸4,870
$9.59 NT$306
11.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.69 ₸314
$1.02 NT$32.56
-32.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.3K ₸10.1M
$34.1K NT$1.1M
-34.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.3K ₸13.3M
$24.2K NT$771.9K
21.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
Taipei
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.8 ₸39.8K
$86.4 NT$2,756
1.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.83 ₸4,909
$17.12 NT$546
-36.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.40 ₸7,887
$27.06 NT$864
-35.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
Taipei
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$69.7 ₸31.6K
$40.77 NT$1,301
70.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.58 ₸12.1K
$16.04 NT$512
65.71%
Cinema Ticket
$6.68 ₸3,031
$9.63 NT$307
-30.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Almaty
Taipei
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$446 ₸202.2K
$656 NT$20.9K
-32.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₸5.4M
$16.4K NT$524.1K
-27.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
Taipei
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.7 ₸42.5K
$62.7 NT$2,001
49.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.91 ₸21.3K
$39.50 NT$1,261
18.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$143 ₸64.7K
$83.9 NT$2,677
70.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 ₸60.5K
$106 NT$3,392
25.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Almaty
Taipei
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$773 ₸350.6K
$1,016 NT$32.4K
-23.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$497 ₸225.5K
$479 NT$15.3K
3.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,390 ₸630.4K
$1,568 NT$50.0K
-11.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$880 ₸398.9K
$952 NT$30.4K
-7.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,546 ₸1.2M
$12.2K NT$389.2K
-79.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,506 ₸683.0K
$7,207 NT$230.0K
-79.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Almaty
Taipei
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$834 ₸377.9K
$1,772 NT$56.5K
-52.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20.65
2.4
760.42%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Taipei: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Almaty
$497
Taipei
$479 3.8% $19
Groceries & Markets
Almaty
$251
Taipei
$401 59.8% $150
Eating Out
Almaty
$205
Taipei
$125 39.1% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
$188
Taipei
$132 29.8% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
$116
Taipei
$131 12.6% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
$83
Taipei
$60 27.7% $23
Getting Around
Almaty
$27
Taipei
$47 73.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $1,016 in Taipei. 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 113% higher in Taipei, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty versus $48.00 in Taipei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $401 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Almaty
🇹🇼 Taipei
🕒 Local time
12:38 12:38 PM
14:38 2:38 PM
2 h ahead of Almaty
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,475,400
2,635,286 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.79 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Almaty Taipei 4,510 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Almaty
  • Taipei

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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Taipei cheaper than Almaty?
Yes – Taipei is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $2,092 in Taipei. 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 Almaty, 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 Taipei?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty and $48.00 in Taipei. 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 Taipei?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $1,395 in Taipei. That's a gap of about 1%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Almaty or in Taipei?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in Taipei at $1,395. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taipei it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Almaty or Taipei more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Almaty – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Almaty or Taipei?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Almaty. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Taipei makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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