Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baoji and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Baoji: $756 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baoji
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Baoji Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

Jump to prices

Baoji

🇨🇳 China

$756

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baoji 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 Baoji and in Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $756 per month in Baoji vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Baoji $756
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,139 per month in Baoji vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Baoji $1,139
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,521 per month in Baoji vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Baoji $1,521
Almaty $2,913

Baoji is about 45% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Baoji sits 44% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 ¥18.33

$13.16 ₸5,939

-79.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.92 ¥79.7

$44.86 ₸20.2K

-73.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ¥29.83

$8.90 ₸4,015

-49.89%

Cappuccino

$2.17 ¥14.54

$3.25 ₸1,466

-33.23%

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

$0.29 ¥1.92

$1.41 ₸638

-79.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.88 ₸398

-69.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$3.35 ₸1,510

-56.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ¥9.80

$4.04 ₸1,824

-63.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 ¥9.88

$1.69 ₸761

-12.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥11.71

$0.86 ₸390

103.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.08

$2.03 ₸916

-55.17%

Eggs

$0.86 ¥5.74

$2.43 ₸1,098

-64.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 ¥78.3

$12.46 ₸5,623

-6.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 ¥26.51

$6.71 ₸3,028

-40.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 ¥70.7

$10.85 ₸4,896

-2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ¥11.17

$1.80 ₸812

-7.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.44

$2.25 ₸1,017

-50.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.28

$2.91 ₸1,312

-57.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.52

$2.75 ₸1,241

-53.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.23

$0.75 ₸337

-16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.68

$0.55 ₸248

27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$1.62 ₸731

-61.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.64

$1.05 ₸473

-48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ¥23.00

$2.58 ₸1,165

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.75 ¥65.2

$11.15 ₸5,034

-12.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$1.21 ₸546

-37.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.73

$2.44 ₸1,102

-28.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.95

$0.26 ₸117

11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.56 ¥111

$22.03 ₸9,940

-24.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$1.35 ₸610

-4.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.64 ₸288

-54.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 ¥30.19

$11.16 ₸5,036

-59.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.16

$0.72 ₸323

90.28%

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

$19.3K ¥129.4K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

-14.09%

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

$17.5K ¥117.1K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-42.17%

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

$90.2 ¥603

$91.8 ₸41.4K

-1.75%

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

$6.31 ¥42.18

$10.66 ₸4,812

-40.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.84 ¥72.5

$17.86 ₸8,058

-39.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.46 ¥311

$70.3 ₸31.7K

-33.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.18 ¥88.1

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-52.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 ¥38.82

$6.78 ₸3,059

-14.31%

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

$701 ¥4,686

$449 ₸202.5K

56.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K ¥117.2K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

44.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.43 ¥264

$89.9 ₸40.6K

-56.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 ¥252

$47.02 ₸21.2K

-19.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 ¥496

$142 ₸64.0K

-47.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 ¥612

$133 ₸59.9K

-31.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 ¥1,858

$805 ₸363.1K

-65.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ¥1,311

$500 ₸225.5K

-60.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 ¥4,209

$1,429 ₸644.8K

-55.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ¥2,337

$904 ₸408.2K

-61.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,178 ¥21.3K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

26.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,815 ¥12.1K

$1,559 ₸703.5K

16.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸392.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

20.65

-83.78%

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

Last update for Baoji: October 12, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baoji

$196 25.9%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 155% $304

Groceries & Markets

Baoji

$192 25.3%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 30.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Baoji

$109 14.4%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 69.5% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baoji

$107 14.2%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 12.1% $13

Eating Out

Baoji

$74 9.8%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 178% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Baoji

$58 7.7%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 44.4% $26

Getting Around

Baoji

$20 2.7%

Almaty

$28 2% 35% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $278 in Baoji versus $805 in Almaty. 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 $12.00 in Baoji versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $250 – making Baoji the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Baoji

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

13:13 1:13 PM

11:13 11:13 AM

2 h behind Baoji

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,438,000

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Baoji Almaty 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Baoji
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

Baoji vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,135 per month in Baoji and $2,058 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Baoji, 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 $12.00 in Baoji and $45.00 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 $756 in Baoji and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 81%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Baoji, where all-in costs run around $756, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Baoji it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Baoji – 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 Baoji. 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.