Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Xi'an

For one person, living is cheaper in Xi'an: $733 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Xi'an
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Xi'an Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Xi'an

🇨🇳 China

$733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Xi'an

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $733 in Xi'an, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Xi'an $733

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $1,128 in Xi'an, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Xi'an $1,128

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $1,523 in Xi'an, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Xi'an $1,523

Almaty costs about 89% more than Xi'an, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Xi'an is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸6,034

$2.72 ¥18.15

389.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.7K

$18.21 ¥122

138.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,988

$4.55 ¥30.41

93.41%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,497

$2.16 ¥14.45

52.78%

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

$1.37 ₸620

$0.41 ¥2.71

234.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸409

$0.27 ¥1.80

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,419

$1.52 ¥10.16

105.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,860

$1.52 ¥10.13

169.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸754

$1.47 ¥9.82

12.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸406

$1.72 ¥11.48

-47.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸933

$0.89 ¥5.97

131.46%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,074

$1.46 ¥9.76

62.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,730

$11.64 ¥77.8

8.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸3,000

$4.16 ¥27.82

59.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,928

$10.40 ¥69.5

4.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸845

$1.63 ¥10.92

14.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,075

$1.16 ¥7.75

104.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,358

$1.29 ¥8.60

131.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,282

$1.32 ¥8.82

114.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸347

$0.69 ¥4.62

11.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸264

$0.73 ¥4.90

-20.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸723

$0.61 ¥4.08

160.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸449

$0.58 ¥3.88

70.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,153

$3.46 ¥23.10

-26.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸5,005

$9.96 ¥66.6

10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸550

$0.82 ¥5.48

47.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,093

$1.68 ¥11.20

43.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$0.29 ¥1.93

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,901

$26.12 ¥175

-16.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸581

$1.28 ¥8.57

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.31 ¥2.09

106.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,870

$4.51 ¥30.13

138.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸314

$1.34 ¥8.99

-48.51%

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

$22.3K ₸10.1M

$19.1K ¥127.8K

16.51%

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

$29.3K ₸13.3M

$17.6K ¥117.5K

66.86%

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

$87.8 ₸39.8K

$89.4 ¥597

-1.79%

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

$10.83 ₸4,909

$6.09 ¥40.72

77.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,887

$10.78 ¥72.1

61.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.6K

$30.01 ¥201

132.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.1K

$21.10 ¥141

25.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,031

$5.96 ¥39.82

12.08%

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

$446 ₸202.2K

$692 ¥4,626

-35.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

$17.5K ¥116.7K

-31.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.5K

$38.93 ¥260

140.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.3K

$36.83 ¥246

27.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.7K

$74.2 ¥496

92.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.5K

$92.5 ¥618

44.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸350.6K

$310 ¥2,071

149.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸225.5K

$178 ¥1,190

179.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸630.4K

$879 ¥5,876

58.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸398.9K

$350 ¥2,341

151.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.2M

$2,369 ¥15.8K

7.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸683.0K

$1,647 ¥11.0K

-8.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸377.9K

$1,069 ¥7,141

-21.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

3.35

516.42%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Xi'an: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Xi'an

$178 24.2% 64.2% $319

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Xi'an

$195 26.6% 22.2% $56

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Xi'an

$75 10.2% 63.7% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Xi'an

$109 14.8% 41.8% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Xi'an

$106 14.5% 8.4% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Xi'an

$42 5.7% 49.5% $41

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Xi'an

$30 4.1% 10.2% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $310 in Xi'an. 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 Xi'an, 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 $18.00 in Xi'an. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $195 – making Xi'an the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Xi'an

🕒 Local time

16:12 4:12 PM

18:12 6:12 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

12,183,280

💱 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 = 0.134 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

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Almaty Xi'an 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
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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 Xi'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 89%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $1,099 in Xi'an. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Xi'an, 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 $43.00 in Almaty and $18.00 in Xi'an. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $733 in Xi'an. That's a gap of about 89%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Xi'an, where all-in costs run around $733, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Xi'an it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Xi'an – 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 Xi'an. 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.