Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Kazakhstan

Name: Kazakhstan
Address: KZ

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $793 a month against $1,045 in Kazakhstan, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Kazakhstan
Learn more

Kazakhstan Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,045

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Kazakhstan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in China versus $1,045 in Kazakhstan.

China $793
Kazakhstan $1,045

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,261 in China versus $1,649 in Kazakhstan.

China $1,261
Kazakhstan $1,649

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,730 in China versus $2,252 in Kazakhstan.

China $1,730
Kazakhstan $2,252

China ($466–$1,244) and Kazakhstan ($628–$1,372) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in China costs about 24% less than in Kazakhstan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 41% lower, Kazakhstan 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ¥19.76

$10.93 ₸4,939

-72.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.74 ¥152

$40.15 ₸18.1K

-43.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥35.70

$7.71 ₸3,485

-30.74%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.35

$2.53 ₸1,145

20.16%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$1.16 ₸526

-58.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.85

$0.67 ₸304

-58.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ¥6.92

$1.51 ₸685

-31.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.16

$2.46 ₸1,111

-7.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.02

$1.43 ₸648

25.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥11.28

$0.53 ₸242

218.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.69

$1.62 ₸733

-38.27%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.42

$2.03 ₸916

-23.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 ¥89.8

$11.06 ₸4,998

21.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ¥23.28

$5.65 ₸2,552

-38.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 ¥76.8

$9.39 ₸4,246

22.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥12.00

$1.56 ₸703

14.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.41

$2.20 ₸996

-42.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.92

$2.49 ₸1,125

-40.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$2.21 ₸1,001

-40.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$0.75 ₸339

-4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.24

$0.52 ₸236

78.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.32 ₸597

-53.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$0.95 ₸428

-38.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥25.65

$2.49 ₸1,127

54.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.87 ¥79.4

$8.72 ₸3,941

36.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.72

$1.19 ₸538

-27.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.33

$2.01 ₸907

-15.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.25 ₸114

24.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.36 ¥150

$17.43 ₸7,881

28.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$1.08 ₸490

36.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.53

$0.85 ₸386

-55.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 ¥47.04

$6.56 ₸2,967

7.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.32

$0.63 ₸285

96.83%

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

$19.2K ¥128.5K

$24.0K ₸10.9M

-20.05%

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

$17.3K ¥115.6K

$29.9K ₸13.5M

-42.19%

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

$54.3 ¥363

$68.6 ₸31.0K

-20.91%

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

$8.34 ¥55.7

$10.60 ₸4,790

-21.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.77 ¥72.0

$16.34 ₸7,385

-34.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 ¥270

$49.02 ₸22.2K

-17.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 ¥98.8

$21.34 ₸9,648

-30.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.89 ¥46.08

$5.40 ₸2,442

27.59%

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

$457 ¥3,057

$324 ₸146.5K

41.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K ¥134.2K

$10.3K ₸4.6M

95.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.10 ¥302

$67.0 ₸30.3K

-32.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 ¥238

$48.00 ₸21.7K

-25.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ¥521

$120 ₸54.4K

-35.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 ¥522

$108 ₸48.9K

-27.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 ¥2,615

$502 ₸227.0K

-22.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,549

$337 ₸152.5K

-31.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 ¥5,457

$887 ₸400.9K

-7.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ¥3,070

$593 ₸267.9K

-22.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,585 ¥30.7K

$1,502 ₸679.2K

205.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,309 ¥15.4K

$1,072 ₸484.5K

115.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ¥7,247

$680 ₸307.6K

59.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

19.08

-81.87%

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

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kazakhstan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$232 29.2%

Kazakhstan

$337 32.3% 45.6% $106

Groceries & Markets

China

$211 26.6%

Kazakhstan

$213 20.4% 1% $2

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Kazakhstan

$155 14.8% 45.2% $48

Eating Out

China

$89 11.2%

Kazakhstan

$161 15.4% 80.8% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$73 9.3%

Kazakhstan

$96 9.2% 30.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.8%

Kazakhstan

$60 5.7% 10.4% $5.6

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Kazakhstan

$24 2.3% 11.8% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $385 in Kazakhstan. Capital cities: $940 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $578 in Astana.

National salary averages: $871 in China, $555 in Kazakhstan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 29% higher in Kazakhstan.

Dining out costs 52% more in Kazakhstan.

Public transport is 89% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 57% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

14:41 2:41 PM

2 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

20,139,914

💱 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 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 →

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China Kazakhstan 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Kazakhstan

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

China vs Kazakhstan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $793 per month in China and $1,045 in Kazakhstan, there's a 32% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $385 in Kazakhstan and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Kazakhstan 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: China wins on affordability; Kazakhstan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.