Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Aktobe

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $741 a month against $881 in Aktobe, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Aktobe despite lower rent and utilities.

36

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
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Chengdu Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Aktobe
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Aktobe Living Index

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Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Aktobe

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chengdu and in Aktobe

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

A single person spends $741 per month in Chengdu vs $881 in Aktobe, rent included.

Chengdu $741
Aktobe $881

A couple spends around $1,204 per month in Chengdu vs $1,386 in Aktobe, rent included.

Chengdu $1,204
Aktobe $1,386

A family of three spends $1,667 per month in Chengdu vs $1,891 in Aktobe, rent included.

Chengdu $1,667
Aktobe $1,891

Chengdu is about 16% cheaper than Aktobe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chengdu and Aktobe are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 45% lower, Aktobe 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 ¥18.69

$8.74 ₸3,951

-67.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.37 ¥149

$40.63 ₸18.4K

-44.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 ¥32.81

$7.01 ₸3,170

-29.96%

Cappuccino

$2.88 ¥19.26

$2.47 ₸1,115

16.60%

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

$0.50 ¥3.37

$1.26 ₸567

-60.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.61 ₸275

-54.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.84 ₸831

-16.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ¥14.59

$2.95 ₸1,335

-25.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ¥12.71

$1.42 ₸641

33.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ¥10.01

$0.41 ₸184

265.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.61

$0.93 ₸421

6.45%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.40

$1.77 ₸799

-11.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.54 ¥97.1

$7.82 ₸3,535

85.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ¥24.45

$5.68 ₸2,569

-35.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ¥74.7

$9.10 ₸4,115

22.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 ¥12.38

$1.62 ₸733

14.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ¥9.18

$2.13 ₸964

-35.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$2.34 ₸1,058

-53.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.73

$1.94 ₸878

-40.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.70

$0.84 ₸378

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.83

$0.40 ₸181

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$1.09 ₸494

-43.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.69 ₸312

-21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 ¥24.86

$2.53 ₸1,142

47.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.58 ¥30.57

$5.95 ₸2,689

-23.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.48

$1.08 ₸489

-24.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.85

$1.81 ₸818

-18.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.20 ₸90.8

115.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.50 ¥164

$17.62 ₸7,966

39.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ¥8.69

$1.08 ₸487

20.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$1.13 ₸511

-74.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ¥29.81

$5.53 ₸2,499

-19.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.80

$0.65 ₸294

103.08%

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

$19.6K ¥130.7K

$23.1K ₸10.4M

-15.26%

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

$17.4K ¥115.9K

$30.6K ₸13.8M

-43.32%

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

$47.19 ¥315

$55.8 ₸25.2K

-15.35%

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

$9.21 ¥61.5

$10.35 ₸4,680

-11.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.45 ¥83.1

$20.93 ₸9,463

-40.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.80 ¥179

$48.08 ₸21.7K

-44.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.39 ¥76.1

$12.14 ₸5,490

-6.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 ¥40.57

$5.44 ₸2,458

11.76%

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

$379 ¥2,531

$220 ₸99.6K

72.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥98.9K

$3,286 ₸1.5M

350.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.28 ¥169

$54.4 ₸24.6K

-53.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.77 ¥185

$55.8 ₸25.2K

-50.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.9 ¥380

$118 ₸53.3K

-51.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 ¥351

$100 ₸45.3K

-47.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ¥3,099

$307 ₸138.8K

51.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 ¥1,657

$233 ₸105.5K

6.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$813 ¥5,429

$453 ₸204.8K

79.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 ¥3,560

$359 ₸162.3K

48.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,762 ¥25.1K

$846 ₸382.4K

344.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,902 ¥12.7K

$546 ₸247.0K

248.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,252 ¥8,356

$548 ₸247.8K

128.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

-80.12%

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

Last update for Chengdu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Aktobe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chengdu

$248 33.5%

Aktobe

$234 26.5% 5.9% $15

Groceries & Markets

Chengdu

$196 26.5%

Aktobe

$185 21% 5.6% $11

Eating Out

Chengdu

$87 11.7%

Aktobe

$143 16.3% 64.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Chengdu

$73 9.9%

Aktobe

$148 16.8% 102% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chengdu

$69 9.3%

Aktobe

$87 9.9% 26.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Chengdu

$39 5.3%

Aktobe

$59 6.7% 51.4% $20

Getting Around

Chengdu

$29 3.9%

Aktobe

$25 2.9% 13.2% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chengdu versus $307 in Aktobe. 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 128% higher in Chengdu, 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 Chengdu versus $41.00 in Aktobe. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Chengdu vs $185 in Aktobe – so Aktobe wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🇰🇿 Aktobe

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

13:26 1:26 PM

3 h behind Chengdu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,937,757

570,452

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

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).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chengdu Aktobe 4,430 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chengdu
Aktobe

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

Chengdu vs Aktobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Aktobe is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,112 per month in Chengdu and $1,321 in Aktobe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Aktobe – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Chengdu and $41.00 in Aktobe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $741 in Chengdu and $881 in Aktobe, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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