Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Yangshuo

For one person, living is cheaper in Yangshuo: $713 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,372
/mo nomad
Yangshuo
🇨🇳 China
$713
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Yangshuo

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $713 in Yangshuo, rent included.

  • Almaty $1,372
  • Yangshuo $713

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,130 in Yangshuo, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,142
  • Yangshuo $1,130

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,548 in Yangshuo, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,913
  • Yangshuo $1,548

Almaty costs about 93% more than Yangshuo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Yangshuo is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Almaty
Yangshuo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.16 ₸5,949
$2.80 ¥18.73
370.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.86 ₸20.3K
$21.83 ¥146
105.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.90 ₸4,022
$4.91 ¥32.80
81.26%
Cappuccino
$3.25 ₸1,469
$3.06 ¥20.45
6.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 ₸639
$0.47 ¥3.12
200.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 ₸399
$0.29 ¥1.95
203.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.35 ₸1,513
$0.90 ¥5.99
272.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.04 ₸1,827
$2.04 ¥13.62
98.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Almaty
Yangshuo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 ₸762
$1.82 ¥12.14
-7.14%
White Bread (500g)
$0.86 ₸390
$1.60 ¥10.68
-46.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.03 ₸917
$0.95 ¥6.33
113.68%
Eggs
$2.43 ₸1,100
$1.54 ¥10.29
57.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.46 ₸5,632
$12.67 ¥84.7
-1.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.71 ₸3,033
$3.14 ¥20.99
113.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.85 ₸4,905
$10.02 ¥67.0
8.28%
Apples (1kg)
$1.80 ₸813
$1.87 ¥12.49
-3.74%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 ₸1,018
$1.20 ¥8.02
87.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.91 ₸1,314
$1.48 ¥9.88
96.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.75 ₸1,243
$1.15 ¥7.70
139.13%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ₸337
$0.70 ¥4.67
7.14%
Onion (1kg)
$0.55 ₸248
$0.91 ¥6.10
-39.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 ₸732
$0.60 ¥4.03
170.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 ₸474
$0.51 ¥3.41
105.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.58 ₸1,167
$3.04 ¥20.34
-15.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.15 ₸5,042
$10.74 ¥71.8
3.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 ₸547
$0.80 ¥5.38
51.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 ₸1,104
$1.65 ¥11.01
47.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Almaty
Yangshuo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₸117
$0.29 ¥1.94
-10.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.03 ₸9,957
$16.88 ¥113
30.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.35 ₸611
$1.35 ¥9.05
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₸288
$0.33 ¥2.18
93.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.16 ₸5,044
$6.61 ¥44.22
68.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.72 ₸324
$1.18 ¥7.91
-38.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.5K ₸10.2M
$19.3K ¥129.1K
16.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.3K ₸13.7M
$17.4K ¥116.2K
74.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
Yangshuo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$91.8 ₸41.5K
$45.58 ¥305
101.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.66 ₸4,820
$9.73 ¥65.0
9.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.86 ₸8,072
$11.52 ¥77.0
55.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
Yangshuo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.3 ₸31.8K
$41.10 ¥275
71.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.60 ₸12.5K
$13.85 ¥92.6
99.28%
Cinema Ticket
$6.78 ₸3,064
$5.87 ¥39.27
15.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Almaty
Yangshuo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$449 ₸202.9K
$339 ¥2,270
32.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.1K ₸5.5M
$17.0K ¥113.8K
-28.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
Yangshuo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.9 ₸40.7K
$44.49 ¥297
102.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.02 ₸21.3K
$30.94 ¥207
51.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$142 ₸64.1K
$72.5 ¥485
95.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 ₸60.0K
$71.1 ¥475
86.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Almaty
Yangshuo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$805 ₸363.7K
$280 ¥1,870
187.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₸225.9K
$191 ¥1,274
162.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 ₸645.9K
$581 ¥3,881
146.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$904 ₸408.8K
$358 ¥2,394
152.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,503 ₸1.1M
$3,087 ¥20.6K
-18.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,559 ₸704.7K
$1,990 ¥13.3K
-21.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Almaty
Yangshuo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$870 ₸393.3K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20.65
3.89
430.85%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Yangshuo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Almaty
$500
Yangshuo
$191 61.9% $309
Groceries & Markets
Almaty
$250
Yangshuo
$197 21.2% $53
Eating Out
Almaty
$205
Yangshuo
$85 58.3% $120
Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
$185
Yangshuo
$99 46.8% $87
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
$120
Yangshuo
$67 44.5% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
$84
Yangshuo
$53 37% $31
Getting Around
Almaty
$28
Yangshuo
$21 23.8% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $280 in Yangshuo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty versus $22.00 in Yangshuo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $197 – making Yangshuo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Almaty
🇨🇳 Yangshuo
🕒 Local time
14:30 2:30 PM
16:30 4:30 PM
2 h ahead of Almaty
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,475,400
300,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Almaty Yangshuo 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Almaty
  • Yangshuo

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 Yangshuo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Yangshuo cheaper than Almaty?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty and $1,069 in Yangshuo. 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 Yangshuo, 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 Yangshuo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty and $22.00 in Yangshuo. 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 Yangshuo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $713 in Yangshuo. That's a gap of about 93%.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Almaty or in Yangshuo?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Yangshuo, where all-in costs run around $713, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Yangshuo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Almaty or Yangshuo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Yangshuo – 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 Yangshuo?
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 Yangshuo. 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.

Almaty vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?