Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changchun and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Changchun: $912 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Changchun
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Changchun Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index

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Changchun

🇨🇳 China

$912

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $912 per month in Changchun vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Changchun $912
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,335 per month in Changchun vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Changchun $1,335
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,757 per month in Changchun vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Changchun $1,757
Almaty $2,913

Changchun is about 34% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Changchun sits 32% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ¥19.71

$13.16 ₸5,939

-77.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.24 ¥149

$44.86 ₸20.2K

-50.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 ¥34.69

$8.90 ₸4,015

-41.69%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ¥16.66

$3.25 ₸1,466

-23.38%

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

$0.48 ¥3.20

$1.41 ₸638

-65.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.88 ₸398

-67.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.82

$3.35 ₸1,510

-65.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$4.04 ₸1,824

-54.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ¥12.70

$1.69 ₸761

12.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ¥8.16

$0.86 ₸390

41.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$2.03 ₸916

-28.57%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥12.33

$2.43 ₸1,098

-24.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$34.91 ¥233

$12.46 ₸5,623

180.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 ¥39.33

$6.71 ₸3,028

-12.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 ¥70.6

$10.85 ₸4,896

-2.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.80 ₸812

-5.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.79

$2.25 ₸1,017

-35.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.88

$2.91 ₸1,312

-38.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.68

$2.75 ₸1,241

-30.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.87

$0.75 ₸337

17.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$1.62 ₸731

-62.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.89

$1.05 ₸473

40.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 ¥24.44

$2.58 ₸1,165

41.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.59 ¥138

$11.15 ₸5,034

84.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.21 ₸546

-23.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$2.44 ₸1,102

-53.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.92

$0.26 ₸117

69.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,940

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$1.35 ₸610

-8.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.11

$0.64 ₸288

-51.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ¥19.57

$11.16 ₸5,036

-73.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.30

$0.72 ₸323

72.22%

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

$19.6K ¥130.9K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

-13.06%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-40.68%

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

$75.1 ¥502

$91.8 ₸41.4K

-18.18%

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

$4.52 ¥30.24

$10.66 ₸4,812

-57.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.87 ¥99.5

$17.86 ₸8,058

-16.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.44 ¥257

$70.3 ₸31.7K

-45.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.21 ¥28.18

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-84.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 ¥45.91

$6.78 ₸3,059

1.18%

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

$546 ¥3,650

$449 ₸202.5K

21.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K ¥143.2K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

76.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 ¥496

$89.9 ₸40.6K

-17.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 ¥303

$47.02 ₸21.2K

-3.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 ¥407

$142 ₸64.0K

-57.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ¥475

$133 ₸59.9K

-46.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 ¥1,459

$805 ₸363.1K

-72.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 ¥1,679

$500 ₸225.5K

-49.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 ¥3,847

$1,429 ₸644.8K

-59.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ¥2,073

$904 ₸408.2K

-65.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,661 ¥11.1K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

-33.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,015 ¥6,789

$1,559 ₸703.5K

-34.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 ¥6,451

$870 ₸392.6K

10.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

20.65

-78.84%

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

Last update for Changchun: October 10, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changchun

$315 * 34.6%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 20.5% $65

Accommodation & Living

Changchun

$251 27.5%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 99.1% $249

Clothing & Footwear

Changchun

$113 12.4%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 63.7% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changchun

$95 10.4%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 27.3% $26

Eating Out

Changchun

$82 9%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 151% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Changchun

$52 5.7%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 60.8% $32

Getting Around

Changchun

$4.6 * 0.5%

Almaty

$28 2% 507% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $218 in Changchun 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.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Changchun, 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 $22.00 in Changchun versus $45.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $315 in Changchun vs $250 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changchun

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

14:03 2:03 PM

2 h behind Changchun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,066,906

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Changchun Almaty 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Changchun
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

Changchun vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,368 per month in Changchun 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 Changchun, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $912 in Changchun and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 50%.

Kindergarten costs $546 per month in Changchun and $449 in Almaty. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Changchun, where all-in costs run around $912, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Changchun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Changchun – 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 Changchun. 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.