Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Zhengzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhengzhou: $683 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Zhengzhou
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Zhengzhou Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Zhengzhou

🇨🇳 China

$683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Zhengzhou

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $683 in Zhengzhou, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Zhengzhou $683

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,088 in Zhengzhou, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Zhengzhou $1,088

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,492 in Zhengzhou, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Zhengzhou $1,492

Almaty costs about 101% more than Zhengzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Zhengzhou is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$2.17 ¥14.54

506.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$16.72 ¥112

168.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$4.57 ¥30.54

94.75%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.41 ¥16.13

34.85%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.57 ¥3.80

147.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.28 ¥1.88

214.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$0.88 ¥5.90

280.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$1.66 ¥11.07

143.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.74 ¥11.60

-2.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.71 ¥11.42

-49.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$0.89 ¥5.92

128.09%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$0.98 ¥6.58

147.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$8.26 ¥55.2

50.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$3.16 ¥21.15

112.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$10.52 ¥70.3

3.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$1.49 ¥9.97

20.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.04 ¥6.93

116.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$1.07 ¥7.15

171.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.17 ¥7.81

135.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$0.67 ¥4.48

11.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$0.73 ¥4.91

-24.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.67 ¥4.50

141.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.71 ¥4.77

47.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$3.31 ¥22.15

-22.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$14.74 ¥98.6

-24.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$0.94 ¥6.32

28.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$2.10 ¥14.02

16.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.13 ¥0.90

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$14.89 ¥99.6

47.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$1.46 ¥9.75

-7.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.31 ¥2.10

106.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$3.54 ¥23.67

215.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.27 ¥8.52

-43.31%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$19.2K ¥128.6K

17.09%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$17.4K ¥116.6K

73.60%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$70.2 ¥469

30.82%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$7.19 ¥48.08

48.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$10.50 ¥70.2

70.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$40.79 ¥273

72.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$13.58 ¥90.8

103.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$6.01 ¥40.17

12.81%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$391 ¥2,614

14.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$30.2K ¥202.0K

-59.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$43.52 ¥291

106.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$33.43 ¥224

40.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$73.6 ¥492

92.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$70.1 ¥469

89.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$215 ¥1,436

274.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$162 ¥1,085

208.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$574 ¥3,839

148.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$370 ¥2,473

144.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$2,825 ¥18.9K

-11.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$1,515 ¥10.1K

2.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$918 ¥6,137

-5.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

3.29

527.66%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Zhengzhou: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Zhengzhou

$162 23.8% 67.5% $337

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Zhengzhou

$191 28% 23.7% $59

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Zhengzhou

$71 10.4% 65.3% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Zhengzhou

$99 14.5% 46.4% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Zhengzhou

$88 12.9% 27% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Zhengzhou

$53 7.7% 37% $31

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Zhengzhou

$18 2.7% 33.1% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $215 in Zhengzhou. 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 5% higher in Zhengzhou, 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 $45.00 in Almaty versus $17.00 in Zhengzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $191 – making Zhengzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Zhengzhou

🕒 Local time

03:09 3:09 AM

05:09 5:09 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

12,600,574

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Zhengzhou 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Zhengzhou

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 Zhengzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 101%, 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 $1,024 in Zhengzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhengzhou, 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 $17.00 in Zhengzhou. 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 $683 in Zhengzhou. That's a gap of about 101%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhengzhou, where all-in costs run around $683, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Zhengzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhengzhou – 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 Zhengzhou. 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.