Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $734 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
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Chengdu Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$734

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $734 per month in Chengdu vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Chengdu $734
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,211 per month in Chengdu vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Chengdu $1,211
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $1,688 per month in Chengdu vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Chengdu $1,688
Almaty $2,883

Chengdu is about 47% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chengdu sits 45% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.11

$13.31 ₸6,034

-78.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.31 ¥149

$43.37 ₸19.7K

-48.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥32.71

$8.80 ₸3,988

-44.43%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥19.96

$3.30 ₸1,497

-9.39%

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

$0.51 ¥3.40

$1.37 ₸620

-62.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.90 ₸409

-68.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ¥9.74

$3.13 ₸1,419

-53.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥14.55

$4.10 ₸1,860

-46.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.28

$1.66 ₸754

10.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.36

$0.90 ₸406

72.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.58

$2.06 ₸933

-52.43%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.47

$2.37 ₸1,074

-33.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 ¥94.7

$12.64 ₸5,730

12.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 ¥24.76

$6.62 ₸3,000

-43.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.12 ¥74.3

$10.87 ₸4,928

2.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.52

$1.86 ₸845

0.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.73

$2.37 ₸1,075

-44.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.34

$2.99 ₸1,358

-63.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$2.83 ₸1,282

-59.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.03

$0.77 ₸347

-2.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$0.58 ₸264

17.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.59 ₸723

-60.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.66

$0.99 ₸449

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.59

$2.54 ₸1,153

50.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.60 ¥30.71

$11.04 ₸5,005

-58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.45

$1.21 ₸550

-32.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ¥9.77

$2.41 ₸1,093

-39.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.93

$0.25 ₸113

76.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.70 ¥165

$21.84 ₸9,901

13.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.09

$1.28 ₸581

6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.64 ₸291

-51.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 ¥29.26

$10.74 ₸4,870

-59.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.69

$0.69 ₸314

88.41%

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

$19.5K ¥130.6K

$22.3K ₸10.1M

-12.28%

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

$17.1K ¥114.1K

$29.3K ₸13.3M

-41.82%

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

$47.43 ¥317

$87.8 ₸39.8K

-45.95%

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

$9.39 ¥62.8

$10.83 ₸4,909

-13.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.51 ¥83.6

$17.40 ₸7,887

-28.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.41 ¥183

$69.7 ₸31.6K

-60.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 ¥75.5

$26.58 ₸12.1K

-57.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.14 ¥41.05

$6.68 ₸3,031

-8.08%

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

$376 ¥2,516

$446 ₸202.2K

-15.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ¥99.8K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

25.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.02 ¥167

$93.7 ₸42.5K

-73.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.00 ¥187

$46.91 ₸21.3K

-40.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.3 ¥383

$143 ₸64.7K

-59.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 ¥352

$133 ₸60.5K

-60.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,145

$773 ₸350.6K

-39.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,716

$497 ₸225.5K

-48.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ¥5,472

$1,390 ₸630.4K

-41.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 ¥3,580

$880 ₸398.9K

-39.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,708 ¥24.8K

$2,546 ₸1.2M

45.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,928 ¥12.9K

$1,506 ₸683.0K

28.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,277 ¥8,531

$834 ₸377.9K

53.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

20.65

-83.63%

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

Last update for Chengdu: 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

Chengdu

$257 34.2%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 93.7% $241

Groceries & Markets

Chengdu

$195 25.9%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 29.1% $57

Eating Out

Chengdu

$88 11.7%

Almaty

$205 15% 133% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Chengdu

$73 9.8%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 156% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chengdu

$69 9.2%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 67.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chengdu

$40 5.3%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 109% $43

Getting Around

Chengdu

$29 3.9%

Almaty

$27 2% 7% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $471 in Chengdu 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 53% 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 $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $251 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

13:11 1:11 PM

11:11 11:11 AM

2 h behind Chengdu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,937,757

1,475,400

💱 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Chengdu Almaty 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 89%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,101 per month in Chengdu 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 Chengdu, 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 $22.00 in Chengdu 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 $734 in Chengdu and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 89%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chengdu, where all-in costs run around $734, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Chengdu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.