Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,387 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Almaty

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,704 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,704
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $4,133 per month in Austin, TX vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,133
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $5,562 per month in Austin, TX vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,562
Almaty $2,883

Austin, TX costs about 95% more than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Austin, TX and Almaty sit above the global median – Austin, TX by 102%, Almaty by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$13.31 ₸5,991

51.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$43.37 ₸19.5K

96.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$8.80 ₸3,959

40.34%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.30 ₸1,486

65.76%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.37 ₸616

178.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.90 ₸406

177.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.13 ₸1,409

157.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.10 ₸1,847

119.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.66 ₸749

-31.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.90 ₸403

320.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.06 ₸927

57.77%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.37 ₸1,067

74.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$12.64 ₸5,689

3.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.62 ₸2,978

116.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$10.87 ₸4,893

46.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.86 ₸839

135.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.37 ₸1,067

-38.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.99 ₸1,348

51.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.83 ₸1,273

48.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.77 ₸345

241.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.58 ₸262

306.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.59 ₸718

10.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.99 ₸446

118.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.54 ₸1,145

286.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$11.04 ₸4,969

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.21 ₸546

129.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.41 ₸1,085

44.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.25 ₸113

496.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$21.84 ₸9,831

85.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.28 ₸577

108.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.64 ₸289

146.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$10.74 ₸4,836

228.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.69 ₸312

43.48%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$22.3K ₸10.0M

60.74%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$29.3K ₸13.2M

-7.37%

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

$219 $219

$87.8 ₸39.5K

149.85%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$10.83 ₸4,874

435.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$17.40 ₸7,831

292.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$69.7 ₸31.4K

-16.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$26.58 ₸12.0K

-44.24%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$6.68 ₸3,009

111.53%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$446 ₸200.8K

238.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

80.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$93.7 ₸42.2K

-44.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$46.91 ₸21.1K

-6.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$143 ₸64.3K

-40.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$133 ₸60.1K

-21.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$773 ₸348.1K

149.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$497 ₸223.9K

155.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,390 ₸625.9K

163.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$880 ₸396.0K

187.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,546 ₸1.1M

199.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,506 ₸678.2K

112.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$834 ₸375.2K

512.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

20.65

-67.12%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 60.9% $775

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 37.6% $152

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Almaty

$205 15% 41% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 66.4% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 45.6% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 3.6% $3.1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Almaty

$27 2% 52.1% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $773 in Almaty. 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 512% higher in Austin, TX, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Austin, TX versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $251 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

00:28 12:28 AM

11:28 11:28 AM

11 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,475,400

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

KZT to USD in detail →

On the map

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Austin, TX Almaty 11,820 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Almaty

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

Austin, TX vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Austin, TX is pricier by about 95%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,055 per month in Austin, TX and $2,080 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Almaty, 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 $85.0 in Austin, TX and $43.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,704 in Austin, TX and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 95%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in Austin, TX at $2,704. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Almaty – 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 Almaty. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.