Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Zhangjiagang

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangjiagang: $740 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Zhangjiagang
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Zhangjiagang Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Zhangjiagang

🇨🇳 China

$740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Zhangjiagang

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $740 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Zhangjiagang $740

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,149 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Zhangjiagang $1,149

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,558 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Zhangjiagang $1,558

Almaty costs about 85% more than Zhangjiagang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Zhangjiagang is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,939

$3.80 ¥25.43

246.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.2K

$22.20 ¥148

102.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,015

$4.98 ¥33.31

78.71%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,466

$3.04 ¥20.32

6.91%

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

$1.41 ₸638

$0.49 ¥3.29

187.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸398

$0.27 ¥1.81

225.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,510

$1.51 ¥10.09

121.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,824

$2.22 ¥14.84

81.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸761

$2.08 ¥13.90

-18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$2.09 ¥13.95

-58.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸916

$0.84 ¥5.64

141.67%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,098

$1.36 ¥9.09

78.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,623

$10.64 ¥71.1

17.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,028

$2.93 ¥19.60

129.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,896

$9.12 ¥61.0

18.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸812

$2.04 ¥13.66

-11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,017

$1.29 ¥8.64

74.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,312

$1.80 ¥12.04

61.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,241

$1.11 ¥7.39

147.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$0.90 ¥5.99

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$0.90 ¥6.03

-38.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸731

$0.87 ¥5.80

86.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸473

$0.53 ¥3.51

98.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,165

$3.64 ¥24.37

-29.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,034

$13.44 ¥89.9

-17.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸546

$0.94 ¥6.27

28.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,102

$1.56 ¥10.44

56.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.30 ¥1.99

-13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,940

$17.58 ¥118

25.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸610

$1.76 ¥11.78

-23.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.39 ¥2.60

64.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,036

$8.76 ¥58.6

27.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸323

$1.37 ¥9.14

-47.45%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$19.2K ¥128.2K

17.45%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$16.9K ¥112.7K

79.60%

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

$91.8 ₸41.4K

$55.8 ¥373

64.68%

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

$10.66 ₸4,812

$7.76 ¥51.9

37.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,058

$7.32 ¥48.98

143.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.7K

$36.15 ¥242

94.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$16.01 ¥107

72.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,059

$6.07 ¥40.61

11.70%

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

$449 ₸202.5K

$418 ¥2,794

7.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$22.3K ¥149.4K

-45.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.6K

$42.99 ¥288

109.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.2K

$34.04 ¥228

38.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.0K

$65.7 ¥439

116.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸59.9K

$88.5 ¥592

50.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.1K

$280 ¥1,869

187.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.5K

$194 ¥1,295

158.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸644.8K

$719 ¥4,809

98.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.2K

$324 ¥2,168

179.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$3,266 ¥21.8K

-23.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸703.5K

$1,685 ¥11.3K

-7.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸392.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

3.42

503.80%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiagang: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Zhangjiagang

$194 26.2% 61.3% $306

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Zhangjiagang

$204 27.6% 18.5% $46

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Zhangjiagang

$97 13.1% 52.7% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Zhangjiagang

$104 14.1% 43.8% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Zhangjiagang

$71 9.6% 41.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Zhangjiagang

$48 6.5% 42.4% $36

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Zhangjiagang

$22 3% 18.6% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $280 in Zhangjiagang. 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 Zhangjiagang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $204 – making Zhangjiagang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Zhangjiagang

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

17:34 5:34 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

1,432,044

💱 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 →

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Almaty Zhangjiagang 4,000 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 Zhangjiagang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 85%, 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 $1,110 in Zhangjiagang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhangjiagang, 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 $22.00 in Zhangjiagang. 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 $740 in Zhangjiagang. That's a gap of about 85%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhangjiagang, where all-in costs run around $740, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Zhangjiagang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhangjiagang – 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 Zhangjiagang. 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.