Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Zaozhuang

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaozhuang: $667 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Zaozhuang
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Zaozhuang Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Zaozhuang

🇨🇳 China

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Zaozhuang

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

A single person spends $1,362 per month in Almaty vs $667 in Zaozhuang, rent included.

Almaty $1,362
Zaozhuang $667

A couple spends around $2,151 per month in Almaty vs $1,022 in Zaozhuang, rent included.

Almaty $2,151
Zaozhuang $1,022

A family of three spends $2,940 per month in Almaty vs $1,378 in Zaozhuang, rent included.

Almaty $2,940
Zaozhuang $1,378

Almaty costs about 104% more than Zaozhuang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.32 ₸6,066

$1.82 ¥12.14

631.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 ₸20.4K

$11.81 ¥78.6

279.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 ₸4,071

$2.26 ¥15.04

295.58%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ₸1,537

$1.47 ¥9.80

129.25%

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

$1.32 ₸602

$0.39 ¥2.58

238.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸398

$0.15 ¥0.97

480.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 ₸1,434

$0.91 ¥6.07

246.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 ₸1,801

$1.77 ¥11.81

123.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸756

$1.45 ¥9.63

14.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸393

$1.42 ¥9.44

-39.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₸913

$1.23 ¥8.15

63.41%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,127

$1.06 ¥7.07

133.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 ₸5,728

$11.74 ¥78.2

7.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 ₸2,992

$3.29 ¥21.90

99.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 ₸4,832

$11.16 ¥74.3

-4.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸816

$1.47 ¥9.76

21.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₸1,046

$1.03 ¥6.83

123.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₸1,349

$1.36 ¥9.07

117.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 ₸1,301

$1.09 ¥7.24

162.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₸367

$0.59 ¥3.92

37.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₸268

$0.70 ¥4.65

-15.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ₸721

$0.57 ¥3.80

177.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸453

$0.62 ¥4.09

59.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ₸1,248

$3.65 ¥24.27

-24.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 ₸5,147

$9.84 ¥65.5

14.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₸558

$0.71 ¥4.72

71.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₸1,122

$1.36 ¥9.05

80.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.28 ¥1.83

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸10.0K

$15.73 ¥105

39.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸616

$1.61 ¥10.72

-16.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 ₸320

$0.25 ¥1.65

180.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,065

$4.48 ¥29.81

148.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸329

$1.30 ¥8.67

-44.62%

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

$28.4K ₸12.9M

$19.7K ¥131.0K

44.29%

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

$31.8K ₸14.5M

$15.3K ¥101.7K

108.15%

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

$91.3 ₸41.6K

$74.1 ¥493

23.22%

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

$10.60 ₸4,827

$6.84 ¥45.51

54.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 ₸8,147

$5.08 ¥33.83

252.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 ₸29.7K

$43.72 ¥291

49.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 ₸12.6K

$15.67 ¥104

77.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ₸2,945

$5.33 ¥35.47

21.39%

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

$473 ₸215.3K

$215 ¥1,430

119.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ₸5.6M

$19.7K ¥130.9K

-37.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 ₸42.4K

$33.72 ¥224

176.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.67 ₸21.7K

$42.01 ¥280

13.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸65.0K

$72.4 ¥482

97.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸61.3K

$71.2 ¥474

88.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₸355.5K

$321 ¥2,135

143.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₸224.1K

$172 ¥1,146

185.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₸646.5K

$630 ¥4,192

125.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₸425.5K

$318 ¥2,113

194.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,462 ₸1.1M

$2,866 ¥19.1K

-14.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 ₸724.9K

$1,665 ¥11.1K

-4.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 ₸397.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

3.13

559.74%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zaozhuang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$492 36.1%

Zaozhuang

$172 25.9% 65% $320

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.4%

Zaozhuang

$186 27.9% 25.5% $64

Eating Out

Almaty

$206 15.1%

Zaozhuang

$49 7.4% 76.1% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.8%

Zaozhuang

$99 14.8% 47.5% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Zaozhuang

$86 12.9% 28.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$78 5.7%

Zaozhuang

$54 8.2% 30.5% $24

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2.1%

Zaozhuang

$20 3% 29.4% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $780 in Almaty versus $321 in Zaozhuang. 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 in Almaty versus $12 in Zaozhuang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $186 – making Zaozhuang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Zaozhuang

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

07:10 7:10 AM

3 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

2,125,000

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 455 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 507 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

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Almaty Zaozhuang 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 Zaozhuang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 104%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,043 per month in Almaty and $1,000 in Zaozhuang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zaozhuang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $321 there versus $780 in Almaty.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Almaty and $12 in Zaozhuang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,362 in Almaty and $667 in Zaozhuang. That makes Zaozhuang about 51% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Zaozhuang, where all-in costs run around $667, than in Almaty at $1,362. In Zaozhuang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zaozhuang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Zaozhuang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 51% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.