Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Tieling

For one person, living is cheaper in Tieling: $732 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Tieling
Learn more

Tieling Living Index

Jump to prices

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Tieling

🇨🇳 China

$732

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Tieling

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $732 in Tieling, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Tieling $732

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,195 in Tieling, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Tieling $1,195

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,658 in Tieling, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Tieling $1,658

Almaty costs about 87% more than Tieling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Tieling is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,939

$3.15 ¥21.08

317.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.2K

$23.29 ¥156

92.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,015

$5.48 ¥36.62

62.41%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,466

$3.06 ¥20.45

6.21%

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

$1.41 ₸638

$0.52 ¥3.46

171.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸398

$0.30 ¥2.02

193.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,510

$1.12 ¥7.47

199.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,824

$2.31 ¥15.43

74.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸761

$1.85 ¥12.37

-8.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.65 ¥11.01

-47.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸916

$1.00 ¥6.67

103.00%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,098

$1.61 ¥10.77

50.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,623

$13.97 ¥93.4

-10.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,028

$3.40 ¥22.72

97.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,896

$11.33 ¥75.8

-4.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸812

$1.82 ¥12.20

-1.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,017

$1.32 ¥8.84

70.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,312

$1.52 ¥10.17

91.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,241

$1.30 ¥8.69

111.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$0.70 ¥4.68

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$0.91 ¥6.09

-39.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸731

$0.63 ¥4.19

157.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸473

$0.56 ¥3.73

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,165

$3.63 ¥24.27

-28.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,034

$11.69 ¥78.2

-4.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸546

$0.82 ¥5.51

47.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,102

$1.60 ¥10.69

52.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.29 ¥1.94

-10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,940

$15.73 ¥105

40.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸610

$1.53 ¥10.23

-11.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.29 ¥1.95

120.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,036

$7.85 ¥52.5

42.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸323

$1.25 ¥8.38

-42.40%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$19.5K ¥130.2K

15.67%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$17.7K ¥118.1K

71.35%

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

$91.8 ₸41.4K

$56.4 ¥377

62.81%

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

$10.66 ₸4,812

$8.53 ¥57.1

24.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,058

$11.49 ¥76.8

55.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.7K

$37.43 ¥250

87.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$14.15 ¥94.7

95.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,059

$6.24 ¥41.71

8.65%

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

$449 ₸202.5K

$370 ¥2,474

21.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$18.0K ¥120.7K

-32.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.6K

$43.48 ¥291

106.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.2K

$34.18 ¥229

37.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.0K

$73.7 ¥493

92.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸59.9K

$77.3 ¥517

71.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.1K

$304 ¥2,036

164.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.5K

$180 ¥1,200

178.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸644.8K

$559 ¥3,735

155.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.2K

$405 ¥2,709

123.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$3,439 ¥23.0K

-27.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸703.5K

$1,656 ¥11.1K

-5.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸392.6K

$677 ¥4,527

28.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

3.36

514.58%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Tieling: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Tieling

$180 24.5% 64.1% $320

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Tieling

$212 28.9% 15.4% $39

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Tieling

$92 12.5% 55.2% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Tieling

$103 14.1% 44.4% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Tieling

$76 10.4% 36.5% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Tieling

$50 6.8% 40.5% $34

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Tieling

$20 2.7% 28% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $304 in Tieling. 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 29% higher in Almaty, 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 $45.00 in Almaty versus $23.00 in Tieling. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $212 – making Tieling the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Tieling

🕒 Local time

15:31 3:31 PM

17:31 5:31 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

699,675

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Tieling 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Tieling

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 Tieling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 87%, 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 $1,098 in Tieling. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tieling, 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 $23.00 in Tieling. 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 $732 in Tieling. That's a gap of about 87%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tieling, where all-in costs run around $732, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Tieling it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tieling – 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 Tieling. 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.