Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Zhangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangzhou: $716 a month against $1,363 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 Zhangzhou
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Zhangzhou Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Zhangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Zhangzhou

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

A single person spends $1,363 per month in Almaty vs $716 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Almaty $1,363
Zhangzhou $716

A couple spends around $2,131 per month in Almaty vs $1,132 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Almaty $2,131
Zhangzhou $1,132

A family of three spends $2,900 per month in Almaty vs $1,547 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Almaty $2,900
Zhangzhou $1,547

Almaty costs about 90% more than Zhangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 1% above the global median, while Zhangzhou is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 ₸5,899

$2.74 ¥18.35

376.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 ₸19.6K

$21.73 ¥145

99.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ₸3,962

$4.80 ¥32.11

82.50%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ₸1,501

$3.05 ¥20.39

8.85%

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

$1.34 ₸607

$0.47 ¥3.16

185.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸374

$0.27 ¥1.78

207.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₸1,518

$0.90 ¥6.01

273.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 ₸1,818

$2.06 ¥13.75

95.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₸747

$1.81 ¥12.13

-8.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₸421

$1.59 ¥10.65

-41.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ₸927

$0.90 ¥6.03

127.78%

Eggs

$2.46 ₸1,113

$1.55 ¥10.35

58.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 ₸5,646

$12.58 ¥84.1

-0.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,035

$3.15 ¥21.08

113.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$10.14 ¥67.8

7.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ₸807

$1.86 ¥12.45

-4.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.25 ¥8.36

80.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ₸1,299

$1.48 ¥9.91

93.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 ₸1,227

$1.10 ¥7.38

146.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ₸362

$0.73 ¥4.88

9.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸249

$0.91 ¥6.11

-39.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.55 ¥3.70

194.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₸453

$0.56 ¥3.72

78.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$3.06 ¥20.49

-15.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,039

$10.62 ¥71.0

4.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₸572

$0.73 ¥4.89

72.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₸1,120

$1.58 ¥10.55

56.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₸128

$0.29 ¥1.95

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.05 ₸9,970

$16.89 ¥113

30.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 ₸607

$1.41 ¥9.43

-4.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.32 ¥2.17

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.04 ₸4,993

$6.55 ¥43.79

68.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸326

$1.12 ¥7.48

-35.71%

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

$28.1K ₸12.7M

$19.1K ¥127.9K

47.15%

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

$31.8K ₸14.4M

$17.2K ¥115.3K

84.46%

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

$90.5 ₸40.9K

$45.55 ¥305

98.73%

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

$10.63 ₸4,805

$9.74 ¥65.1

9.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.12 ₸8,190

$11.81 ¥79.0

53.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₸31.2K

$41.19 ¥275

67.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 ₸12.2K

$13.66 ¥91.4

97.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 ₸3,062

$5.94 ¥39.75

13.97%

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

$444 ₸200.6K

$337 ¥2,251

31.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

$16.7K ¥111.4K

-28.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 ₸41.5K

$43.23 ¥289

112.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.80 ₸21.6K

$30.11 ¥201

58.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 ₸63.0K

$71.1 ¥476

95.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₸59.4K

$72.8 ¥487

80.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 ₸351.2K

$282 ¥1,886

175.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₸223.4K

$196 ¥1,308

152.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 ₸650.4K

$584 ¥3,902

146.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 ₸409.2K

$361 ¥2,411

151.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 ₸1.1M

$2,977 ¥19.9K

-17.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,517 ₸685.7K

$2,003 ¥13.4K

-24.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 ₸387.2K

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 18, 2026

Last update for Zhangzhou: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$494 36.3%

Zhangzhou

$196 27.3% 60.4% $298

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Zhangzhou

$197 27.5% 21.4% $54

Eating Out

Almaty

$204 15%

Zhangzhou

$85 11.8% 58.6% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.6%

Zhangzhou

$98 13.7% 47.1% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$119 8.8%

Zhangzhou

$67 9.4% 43.7% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Zhangzhou

$53 7.4% 35.7% $29

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Zhangzhou

$21 2.9% 23.9% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $777 in Almaty versus $282 in Zhangzhou. 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 $43.00 in Almaty versus $22.00 in Zhangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $197 – making Zhangzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Zhangzhou

🕒 Local time

00:54 12:54 AM

02:54 2:54 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

4,809,983

💱 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 = 0.133 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 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).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Zhangzhou 4,240 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Zhangzhou

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 Zhangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,044 per month in Almaty and $1,074 in Zhangzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhangzhou, 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 $22.00 in Zhangzhou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,363 in Almaty and $716 in Zhangzhou. That's a gap of about 90%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhangzhou, where all-in costs run around $716, than in Almaty at $1,363. In Zhangzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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.

If budget matters most, go with Zhangzhou. 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.