Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Zhoukou

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhoukou: $735 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Zhoukou
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Zhoukou Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Zhoukou

🇨🇳 China

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Zhoukou

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $735 in Zhoukou, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Zhoukou $735

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,182 in Zhoukou, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Zhoukou $1,182

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,628 in Zhoukou, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Zhoukou $1,628

Almaty costs about 87% more than Zhoukou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Zhoukou is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$3.96 ¥26.45

232.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$22.25 ¥149

101.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$4.88 ¥32.61

82.38%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$3.24 ¥21.68

0.31%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.48 ¥3.22

193.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.39 ¥2.58

125.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$1.06 ¥7.11

216.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$2.22 ¥14.85

81.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.77 ¥11.85

-4.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.59 ¥10.63

-45.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.10 ¥7.36

84.55%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.61 ¥10.77

50.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$13.10 ¥87.6

-4.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$3.44 ¥23.03

95.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$11.31 ¥75.6

-4.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$1.90 ¥12.69

-5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.27 ¥8.49

77.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$1.56 ¥10.46

86.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.17 ¥7.83

135.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$0.77 ¥5.14

-2.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$0.95 ¥6.38

-42.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.58 ¥3.88

179.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.58 ¥3.89

81.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$3.98 ¥26.63

-35.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$11.61 ¥77.6

-3.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$0.87 ¥5.83

39.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$1.35 ¥9.04

80.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.29 ¥1.91

-10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$17.83 ¥119

23.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$1.55 ¥10.38

-12.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.36 ¥2.38

77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$6.14 ¥41.03

81.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.25 ¥8.39

-42.40%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$17.7K ¥118.6K

27.00%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$15.5K ¥103.4K

95.68%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$58.1 ¥389

57.97%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$7.42 ¥49.60

43.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$10.48 ¥70.1

70.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$36.81 ¥246

91.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$15.02 ¥100

83.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$5.95 ¥39.80

13.95%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$413 ¥2,765

8.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$16.0K ¥106.9K

-24.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$39.61 ¥265

127.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$35.96 ¥240

30.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$75.1 ¥502

88.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$77.9 ¥521

70.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$300 ¥2,008

167.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$179 ¥1,197

179.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$585 ¥3,910

144.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$372 ¥2,489

142.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$3,774 ¥25.2K

-33.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$2,035 ¥13.6K

-23.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

3.36

514.58%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Zhoukou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Zhoukou

$179 24.3% 64.2% $321

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Zhoukou

$208 28.3% 16.9% $42

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Zhoukou

$98 13.4% 52% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Zhoukou

$103 14% 44.5% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Zhoukou

$76 10.3% 36.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Zhoukou

$49 6.6% 41.9% $35

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Zhoukou

$22 3% 19.2% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $300 in Zhoukou. 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 Zhoukou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $208 – making Zhoukou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Zhoukou

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

07:21 7:21 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

8,953,172

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Almaty Zhoukou 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min 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 Zhoukou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 87%, 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 $1,103 in Zhoukou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhoukou, 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 Zhoukou. 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 $735 in Zhoukou. That's a gap of about 87%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhoukou, where all-in costs run around $735, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Zhoukou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhoukou – 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 Zhoukou. 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.