Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Ulan Ude

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulan Ude: $1,098 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Ulan Ude
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Ulan Ude Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Ulan Ude

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,098

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Ulan Ude

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $1,098 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Ulan Ude $1,098

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $1,685 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Ulan Ude $1,685

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $2,272 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Ulan Ude $2,272

Almaty costs about 26% more than Ulan Ude, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Ulan Ude is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸6,034

$6.81 ₽579

95.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.7K

$46.65 ₽3,969

-7.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,988

$6.95 ₽591

26.62%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,497

$3.47 ₽296

-4.90%

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

$1.37 ₸620

$1.80 ₽154

-23.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸409

$1.73 ₽147

-47.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,419

$3.65 ₽310

-14.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,860

$5.74 ₽488

-28.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸754

$1.26 ₽107

31.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸406

$0.84 ₽71.7

7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸933

$0.45 ₽38.68

357.78%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,074

$1.88 ₽160

26.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,730

$11.60 ₽987

8.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸3,000

$5.90 ₽502

12.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,928

$10.40 ₽885

4.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸845

$1.21 ₽103

53.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,075

$1.79 ₽152

32.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,358

$1.17 ₽99.3

155.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,282

$2.32 ₽198

21.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸347

$0.58 ₽48.94

32.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸264

$0.84 ₽71.5

-30.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸723

$3.47 ₽295

-54.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸449

$0.73 ₽62.0

35.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,153

$2.85 ₽243

-10.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸5,005

$8.17 ₽695

35.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸550

$0.58 ₽49.24

108.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,093

$1.19 ₽101

102.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$0.46 ₽38.80

-45.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,901

$23.18 ₽1,972

-5.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸581

$1.21 ₽103

5.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.17 ₽14.61

276.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,870

$7.10 ₽605

51.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸314

$0.78 ₽66.1

-11.54%

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

$22.3K ₸10.1M

$47.6K ₽4.0M

-53.20%

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

$29.3K ₸13.3M

$35.1K ₽3.0M

-16.36%

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

$87.8 ₸39.8K

$118 ₽10.1K

-25.85%

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

$10.83 ₸4,909

$3.50 ₽298

209.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,887

$8.20 ₽698

112.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.6K

$23.55 ₽2,004

195.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.1K

$48.08 ₽4,091

-44.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,031

$6.87 ₽585

-2.77%

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

$446 ₸202.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.5K

$70.4 ₽5,992

33.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.3K

$29.41 ₽2,503

59.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.7K

$117 ₽9,919

22.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.5K

$119 ₽10.1K

12.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸350.6K

$501 ₽42.6K

54.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸225.5K

$371 ₽31.5K

34.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸630.4K

$773 ₽65.7K

79.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸398.9K

$580 ₽49.3K

51.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.2M

$1,977 ₽168.2K

28.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸683.0K

$1,538 ₽130.9K

-2.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸377.9K

$884 ₽75.2K

-5.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

21.67

-4.71%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ulan Ude: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Ulan Ude

$371 34.2% 25.4% $127

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Ulan Ude

$207 19.1% 17.8% $45

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Ulan Ude

$161 14.8% 21.7% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Ulan Ude

$151 13.9% 19.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Ulan Ude

$130 12% 12.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Ulan Ude

$37 3.4% 55.1% $46

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Ulan Ude

$27 2.5% 1% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $501 in Ulan Ude. 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 6% higher in Ulan Ude, 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 $43.00 in Almaty versus $47.00 in Ulan Ude. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Almaty vs $207 in Ulan Ude – so Ulan Ude wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇷🇺 Ulan Ude

🕒 Local time

16:15 4:15 PM

18:15 6:15 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

436,138

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.35 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Almaty Ulan Ude 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Ulan Ude

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 Ulan Ude: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $1,647 in Ulan Ude. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ulan Ude, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $1,098 in Ulan Ude. That's a gap of about 26%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty and $47.00 in Ulan Ude. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ulan Ude, where all-in costs run around $1,098, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Ulan Ude it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ulan Ude – 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 Ulan Ude. 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.