Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Kazakhstan Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Kazakhstan

Name: Kazakhstan
Address: KZ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $759 in Kazakhstan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $1,190 in Kazakhstan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $1,620 in Kazakhstan.

Living in China costs about 6% less than in Kazakhstan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Kazakhstan 43% lower.

China ($532–$1,192) and Kazakhstan ($555–$1,080) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.32

$7.67 ₸3,607

-62.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.44 ¥158

$29.01 ₸13.6K

-19.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 ¥32.70

$6.79 ₸3,192

-28.72%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥21.03

$2.12 ₸998

46.70%

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

$0.44 ¥2.99

$0.87 ₸409

-49.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$0.49 ₸229

-40.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.63

$1.14 ₸537

-14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.86

$2.37 ₸1,116

-13.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.45

$1.15 ₸539

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.92

$0.45 ₸211

260.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.27

$1.41 ₸661

-34.04%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥11.01

$1.65 ₸777

-1.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ¥88.8

$8.95 ₸4,204

46.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ¥22.06

$4.64 ₸2,179

-29.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 ¥71.8

$7.30 ₸3,432

45.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.17

$1.29 ₸604

39.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.76

$1.92 ₸902

-32.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

$1.97 ₸925

-25.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.13

$1.95 ₸919

-38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.13

$0.61 ₸288

24.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.93

$0.43 ₸202

104.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.86

$1.06 ₸498

-46.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.62

$0.71 ₸333

-23.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥23.14

$2.00 ₸942

71.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.75 ¥79.4

$8.10 ₸3,806

45.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.39

$0.89 ₸420

-10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$1.83 ₸859

-11.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.24 ₸113

79.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.47 ¥138

$14.71 ₸6,915

39.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.22

$1.15 ₸541

18.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

$0.72 ₸338

-51.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 ¥43.90

$4.64 ₸2,182

40.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.58

$0.46 ₸217

143.48%

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

$19.5K ¥131.6K

$21.3K ₸10.0M

-8.49%

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

$16.9K ¥113.9K

$25.5K ₸12.0M

-33.90%

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

$51.7 ¥349

$57.4 ₸27.0K

-9.99%

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

$10.17 ¥68.7

$8.73 ₸4,106

16.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.16 ¥75.4

$13.19 ₸6,200

-15.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.62 ¥268

$42.09 ₸19.8K

-5.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ¥98.2

$15.60 ₸7,333

-6.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 ¥43.12

$4.75 ₸2,234

34.32%

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

$407 ¥2,752

$239 ₸112.3K

70.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.5K

$6,936 ₸3.3M

157.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.53 ¥308

$64.6 ₸30.3K

-29.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 ¥218

$42.14 ₸19.8K

-23.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥490

$89.6 ₸42.1K

-19.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ¥503

$95.7 ₸45.0K

-22.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ¥2,992

$455 ₸214.1K

-2.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ¥1,745

$307 ₸144.4K

-15.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ¥6,152

$873 ₸410.4K

4.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ¥3,672

$585 ₸274.8K

-7.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,934 ¥33.3K

$1,458 ₸685.1K

238.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,398 ¥16.2K

$1,003 ₸471.5K

139.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 ¥7,194

$650 ₸305.4K

63.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

17.91

-77.33%

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

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kazakhstan: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $330 in Kazakhstan. Capital cities: $894 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $467 in Astana.

National salary averages: $855 in China, $524 in Kazakhstan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 15% higher in Kazakhstan.

Dining out costs 29% more in Kazakhstan.

Public transport is 350% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 63% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

China vs Kazakhstan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $862 per month in China and $818 in Kazakhstan, there's a 5% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Kazakhstan: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in Kazakhstan across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Kazakhstan, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Kazakhstan wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.