Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Taraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Taraz: $626 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Taraz
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Taraz Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Taraz

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Taraz

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

A single person spends $1,362 per month in Almaty vs $626 in Taraz, rent included.

Almaty $1,362
Taraz $626

A couple spends around $2,151 per month in Almaty vs $1,001 in Taraz, rent included.

Almaty $2,151
Taraz $1,001

A family of three spends $2,940 per month in Almaty vs $1,375 in Taraz, rent included.

Almaty $2,940
Taraz $1,375

Almaty costs about 118% more than Taraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.32 ₸6,066

$8.83 ₸4,023

50.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 ₸20.4K

$22.00 ₸10.0K

103.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 ₸4,071

$6.68 ₸3,043

33.83%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ₸1,537

$1.56 ₸713

116.03%

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

$1.32 ₸602

$0.92 ₸420

43.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸398

$0.42 ₸192

107.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 ₸1,434

$1.13 ₸516

178.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 ₸1,801

$1.80 ₸820

119.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸756

$1.08 ₸493

53.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸393

$0.44 ₸199

95.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₸913

$1.35 ₸615

48.89%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,127

$1.69 ₸772

46.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 ₸5,728

$10.17 ₸4,634

23.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 ₸2,992

$5.16 ₸2,349

27.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 ₸4,832

$8.26 ₸3,761

28.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸816

$1.21 ₸549

47.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₸1,046

$2.17 ₸989

5.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₸1,349

$2.59 ₸1,179

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 ₸1,301

$1.37 ₸624

108.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₸367

$0.51 ₸233

58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₸268

$0.44 ₸199

34.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ₸721

$0.88 ₸403

79.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸453

$0.80 ₸365

23.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ₸1,248

$2.39 ₸1,090

14.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 ₸5,147

$4.38 ₸1,993

157.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₸558

$1.08 ₸490

12.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₸1,122

$1.53 ₸696

60.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.21 ₸96.4

23.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸10.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸616

$0.88 ₸399

53.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 ₸320

$0.37 ₸170

89.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,065

$4.07 ₸1,852

173.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸329

$0.65 ₸298

10.77%

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

$28.4K ₸12.9M

$27.6K ₸12.6M

2.79%

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

$31.8K ₸14.5M

$27.5K ₸12.5M

15.59%

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

$91.3 ₸41.6K

$47.53 ₸21.7K

92.07%

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

$10.60 ₸4,827

$8.64 ₸3,936

22.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 ₸8,147

$8.98 ₸4,089

99.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 ₸29.7K

$36.00 ₸16.4K

81.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 ₸12.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ₸2,945

$4.54 ₸2,069

42.51%

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

$473 ₸215.3K

$58.8 ₸26.8K

704.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ₸5.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 ₸42.4K

$26.93 ₸12.3K

245.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.67 ₸21.7K

$34.47 ₸15.7K

38.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸65.0K

$111 ₸50.4K

28.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸61.3K

$53.0 ₸24.2K

153.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₸355.5K

$263 ₸120.0K

196.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₸224.1K

$109 ₸49.8K

350.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₸646.5K

$435 ₸198.0K

226.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₸425.5K

$200 ₸91.1K

367.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,462 ₸1.1M

$858 ₸391.0K

186.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 ₸724.9K

$600 ₸273.2K

165.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 ₸397.4K

$282 ₸128.2K

209.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

17.83

15.82%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Last update for Taraz: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$492 36.1%

Taraz

$109 17.5% 77.8% $383

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.4%

Taraz

$177 28.4% 29% $72

Eating Out

Almaty

$206 15.1%

Taraz

$124 19.8% 39.8% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.8%

Taraz

$101 16.2% 46.2% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Taraz

$65 10.4% 45.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$78 5.7%

Taraz

$45 7.2% 42.4% $33

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2.1%

Taraz

$3.6 * 0.6% 87.1% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $780 in Almaty versus $263 in Taraz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Almaty are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Almaty versus $22 in Taraz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $177 – making Taraz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇰🇿 Taraz

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

Same time as Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

431,160

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Taraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 118%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,043 per month in Almaty and $939 in Taraz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taraz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $263 there versus $780 in Almaty.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,362 in Almaty and $626 in Taraz. That makes Taraz about 54% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $473 per month in Almaty and $59 in Taraz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Taraz, where all-in costs run around $626, than in Almaty at $1,362. In Taraz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taraz – 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 Taraz. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.