Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chenzhou and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Chenzhou: $721 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chenzhou, China
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Chenzhou
🇨🇳 China
$721
/mo nomad
Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,362
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $721 per month in Chenzhou vs $1,362 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Chenzhou $721
  • Almaty $1,362

A couple spends around $1,197 per month in Chenzhou vs $2,151 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Chenzhou $1,197
  • Almaty $2,151

A family of three spends $1,674 per month in Chenzhou vs $2,940 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Chenzhou $1,674
  • Almaty $2,940

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chenzhou
Almaty
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.03 ¥20.15
$13.32 ₸6,066
-77.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.13 ¥147
$44.80 ₸20.4K
-50.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.86 ¥32.33
$8.94 ₸4,071
-45.64%
Cappuccino
$1.54 ¥10.24
$3.37 ₸1,537
-54.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 ¥3.41
$1.32 ₸602
-61.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 ¥1.80
$0.87 ₸398
-68.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.29 ¥8.58
$3.15 ₸1,434
-59.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 ¥12.59
$3.95 ₸1,801
-52.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chenzhou
Almaty
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.97 ¥13.09
$1.66 ₸756
18.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 ¥15.83
$0.86 ₸393
176.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.79 ¥5.23
$2.01 ₸913
-60.70%
Eggs
$1.72 ¥11.46
$2.47 ₸1,127
-30.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.15 ¥87.5
$12.58 ₸5,728
4.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.13 ¥27.47
$6.57 ₸2,992
-37.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.57 ¥77.0
$10.61 ₸4,832
9.05%
Apples (1kg)
$0.59 ¥3.92
$1.79 ₸816
-67.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.18 ¥7.82
$2.30 ₸1,046
-48.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.73 ¥4.87
$2.96 ₸1,349
-75.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.19 ¥7.89
$2.86 ₸1,301
-58.39%
Potato (1kg)
$0.97 ¥6.49
$0.81 ₸367
19.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.54 ¥10.24
$0.59 ₸268
161.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.61 ¥4.04
$1.58 ₸721
-61.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ¥3.23
$0.99 ₸453
-50.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.02 ¥20.08
$2.74 ₸1,248
10.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.71 ¥84.6
$11.30 ₸5,147
12.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 ¥6.91
$1.22 ₸558
-14.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 ¥10.45
$2.46 ₸1,122
-36.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Chenzhou
Almaty
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 ¥2.05
$0.26 ₸117
19.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.40 ¥103
$21.98 ₸10.0K
-29.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.52 ¥10.09
$1.35 ₸616
12.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 ¥1.93
$0.70 ₸320
-58.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.60 ¥30.59
$11.12 ₸5,065
-58.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 ¥8.59
$0.72 ₸329
79.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.3K ¥128.3K
$28.4K ₸12.9M
-32.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.4K ¥115.6K
$31.8K ₸14.5M
-45.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chenzhou
Almaty
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$56.3 ¥375
$91.3 ₸41.6K
-38.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.94 ¥59.5
$10.60 ₸4,827
-15.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.27 ¥75.0
$17.89 ₸8,147
-37.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chenzhou
Almaty
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.59 ¥283
$65.3 ₸29.7K
-34.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.67 ¥97.6
$27.76 ₸12.6K
-47.15%
Cinema Ticket
$6.48 ¥43.13
$6.47 ₸2,945
0.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chenzhou
Almaty
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$329 ¥2,188
$473 ₸215.3K
-30.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K ¥112.3K
$12.3K ₸5.6M
37.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chenzhou
Almaty
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.2 ¥561
$93.1 ₸42.4K
-9.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.01 ¥233
$47.67 ₸21.7K
-26.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.1 ¥593
$143 ₸65.0K
-37.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.9 ¥392
$134 ₸61.3K
-56.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chenzhou
Almaty
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$310 ¥2,061
$780 ₸355.5K
-60.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$163 ¥1,086
$492 ₸224.1K
-66.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$584 ¥3,885
$1,419 ₸646.5K
-58.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$414 ¥2,753
$934 ₸425.5K
-55.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,531 ¥23.5K
$2,462 ₸1.1M
43.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ¥12.8K
$1,591 ₸724.9K
20.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chenzhou
Almaty
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$873 ₸397.4K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.46
20.65
-83.24%

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

Last update for Chenzhou: October 26, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Chenzhou
$215
Almaty
$250 16.2% $35
Accommodation & Living
Chenzhou
$163
Almaty
$492 202% $329
Clothing & Footwear
Chenzhou
$120
Almaty
$188 56.4% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chenzhou
$77
Almaty
$120 56.5% $43
Eating Out
Chenzhou
$71
Almaty
$206 192% $136
Sport & Entertainment
Chenzhou
$56
Almaty
$78 40.8% $23
Getting Around
Chenzhou
$20
Almaty
$28 42.2% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $310 in Chenzhou versus $780 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 $22 in Chenzhou versus $45 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $250 – making Chenzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Chenzhou
🇰🇿 Almaty
🕒 Local time
21:50 9:50 PM
18:50 6:50 PM
3 h behind Chenzhou
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,667,134
1,475,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 455 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 507 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chenzhou Almaty 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chenzhou
  • 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
Chenzhou vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chenzhou cheaper than Almaty?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 89%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,081 per month in Chenzhou and $2,043 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chenzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $310 there versus $780 in Almaty.
Is eating out cheaper in Chenzhou or in Almaty?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chenzhou and $45 in Almaty. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Chenzhou and in Almaty?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $721 in Chenzhou and $1,362 in Almaty. That’s a gap of about 89%.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Chenzhou or in Almaty?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Chenzhou, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Almaty at $1,362. In Chenzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Chenzhou or Almaty more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Chenzhou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Chenzhou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 89% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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