Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikesir and Almaty Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikesir and Almaty

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $906 per month in Balikesir vs $1,057 in Almaty, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,497 per month in Balikesir vs $1,648 in Almaty, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,088 per month in Balikesir vs $2,238 in Almaty, rent included.

Balikesir is about 14% cheaper than Almaty, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Balikesir and Almaty are more affordable than the global median – Balikesir 32% lower, Almaty 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.41 ₺341

$8.03 ₸3,934

-7.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.28 ₺1,208

$38.47 ₸18.9K

-31.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 ₺351

$6.97 ₸3,416

9.61%

Cappuccino

$2.39 ₺110

$2.40 ₸1,174

-0.42%

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

$0.99 ₺45.45

$0.98 ₸478

1.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₺16.11

$0.57 ₸277

-38.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ₺116

$1.40 ₸687

80.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₺165

$2.99 ₸1,464

20.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 ₺43.12

$1.31 ₸644

-28.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₺22.41

$0.60 ₸293

-18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ₺57.2

$1.54 ₸756

-19.48%

Eggs

$1.84 ₺84.7

$1.74 ₸852

5.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 ₺366

$9.74 ₸4,773

-18.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 ₺241

$4.70 ₸2,301

11.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.82 ₺819

$7.50 ₸3,678

137.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 ₺71.2

$1.35 ₸661

14.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₺109

$1.98 ₸970

19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 ₺65.4

$1.95 ₸957

-27.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ₺72.7

$2.07 ₸1,014

-23.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺30.69

$0.63 ₸308

6.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₺28.24

$0.42 ₸206

45.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 ₺39.18

$1.24 ₸608

-31.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₺23.23

$0.71 ₸346

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 ₺107

$1.97 ₸965

18.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.65 ₺443

$10.09 ₸4,947

-4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₺111

$0.88 ₸433

176.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₺151

$2.04 ₸999

60.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 ₺27.79

$0.24 ₸118

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.87 ₺1,326

$17.76 ₸8,701

62.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 ₺92.2

$1.16 ₸567

73.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₺29.83

$0.70 ₸343

-7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.96 ₺412

$4.80 ₸2,355

86.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₺52.4

$0.49 ₸240

132.65%

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

$41.1K ₺1.9M

$23.2K ₸11.4M

77.24%

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

$43.5K ₺2.0M

$27.2K ₸13.4M

59.82%

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

$66.2 ₺3,041

$63.8 ₸31.3K

3.70%

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

$11.99 ₺551

$8.60 ₸4,213

39.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.95 ₺549

$13.83 ₸6,777

-13.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 ₺2,626

$48.67 ₸23.9K

17.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.54 ₺576

$21.24 ₸10.4K

-40.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₺248

$5.11 ₸2,505

5.68%

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

$847 ₺38.9K

$267 ₸130.8K

217.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,360 ₺246.3K

$12.9K ₸6.3M

-58.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.07 ₺1,473

$84.0 ₸41.1K

-61.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 ₺1,865

$43.48 ₸21.3K

-6.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 ₺4,109

$96.8 ₸47.4K

-7.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.5 ₺2,915

$119 ₸58.5K

-46.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 ₺19.6K

$665 ₸325.9K

-35.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ₺11.8K

$420 ₸205.7K

-38.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 ₺40.2K

$1,175 ₸575.8K

-25.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 ₺26.8K

$773 ₸378.9K

-24.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,287 ₺59.1K

$2,143 ₸1.0M

-39.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$841 ₺38.6K

$1,254 ₸614.6K

-32.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,032 ₺47.4K

$789 ₸386.9K

30.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

29.75

18.39

61.77%

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

Last update for Balikesir: June 1, 2026

Last update for Almaty: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $426 in Balikesir versus $665 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 31% higher in Balikesir, 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 $26.00 in Balikesir versus $38.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $216 in Balikesir vs $189 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Balikesir vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 17%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,360 per month in Balikesir and $1,586 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balikesir, 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 $26.00 in Balikesir and $38.00 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 $906 in Balikesir and $1,057 in Almaty. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Balikesir, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Almaty at $1,057. In Balikesir it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Balikesir – 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 Balikesir. 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.