Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dalian and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Dalian: $895 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Dalian
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Dalian Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Dalian

🇨🇳 China

$895

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $895 per month in Dalian vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Dalian $895
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,433 per month in Dalian vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Dalian $1,433
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $1,970 per month in Dalian vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Dalian $1,970
Almaty $2,883

Dalian is about 35% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dalian sits 33% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 ¥24.25

$13.31 ₸6,034

-72.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.88 ¥166

$43.37 ₸19.7K

-42.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 ¥34.24

$8.80 ₸3,988

-41.82%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ¥22.04

$3.30 ₸1,497

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

$0.49 ¥3.30

$1.37 ₸620

-64.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.67

$0.90 ₸409

-72.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$3.13 ₸1,419

-70.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$4.10 ₸1,860

-62.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥10.63

$1.66 ₸754

-4.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ¥9.52

$0.90 ₸406

57.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$2.06 ₸933

-50.49%

Eggs

$1.59 ¥10.61

$2.37 ₸1,074

-32.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.36 ¥136

$12.64 ₸5,730

61.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 ¥23.10

$6.62 ₸3,000

-47.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ¥87.2

$10.87 ₸4,928

20.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$1.86 ₸845

-29.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.52

$2.37 ₸1,075

-52.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ¥12.90

$2.99 ₸1,358

-35.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.96

$2.83 ₸1,282

-68.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ¥5.50

$0.77 ₸347

6.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.77

$0.58 ₸264

22.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 ¥9.00

$1.59 ₸723

-15.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$0.99 ₸449

-37.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 ¥25.08

$2.54 ₸1,153

47.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 ¥97.2

$11.04 ₸5,005

31.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ¥7.32

$1.21 ₸550

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ¥12.92

$2.41 ₸1,093

-19.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.25 ₸113

24.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.05 ¥201

$21.84 ₸9,901

37.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$1.28 ₸581

19.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.64 ₸291

-32.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 ¥26.60

$10.74 ₸4,870

-62.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.43

$0.69 ₸314

82.61%

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

$19.6K ¥130.8K

$22.3K ₸10.1M

-12.15%

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

$17.5K ¥117.0K

$29.3K ₸13.3M

-40.33%

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

$63.8 ¥426

$87.8 ₸39.8K

-27.36%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$10.83 ₸4,909

-15.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.34 ¥89.1

$17.40 ₸7,887

-23.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.35 ¥270

$69.7 ₸31.6K

-42.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.04 ¥241

$26.58 ₸12.1K

35.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 ¥45.75

$6.68 ₸3,031

2.54%

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

$393 ¥2,627

$446 ₸202.2K

-11.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K ¥137.9K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

73.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.4 ¥504

$93.7 ₸42.5K

-19.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ¥367

$46.91 ₸21.3K

17.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ¥762

$143 ₸64.7K

-20.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ¥784

$133 ₸60.5K

-12.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 ¥2,684

$773 ₸350.6K

-48.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 ¥1,628

$497 ₸225.5K

-51.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$702 ¥4,688

$1,390 ₸630.4K

-49.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ¥2,971

$880 ₸398.9K

-49.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,684 ¥17.9K

$2,546 ₸1.2M

5.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,585 ¥10.6K

$1,506 ₸683.0K

5.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,090 ¥7,287

$834 ₸377.9K

30.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

20.65

-81.16%

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

Last update for Dalian: October 4, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dalian

$244 26.6%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 104% $254

Groceries & Markets

Dalian

$239 26.1%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 5.2% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Dalian

$163 17.8%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 15.2% $25

Eating Out

Dalian

$95 10.3%

Almaty

$205 15% 117% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dalian

$86 9.4%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 34.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Dalian

$54 5.9%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 53.7% $29

Getting Around

Dalian

$35 3.8%

Almaty

$27 2% 21.9% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $402 in Dalian 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 31% higher in Dalian, 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 $25.00 in Dalian versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $251 – making Dalian the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Dalian

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

12:59 12:59 PM

10:59 10:59 AM

2 h behind Dalian

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,450,785

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Dalian Almaty 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dalian
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

Dalian vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,342 per month in Dalian 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 Dalian, 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 $25.00 in Dalian 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 $895 in Dalian and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 55%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dalian, where all-in costs run around $895, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Dalian it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dalian – 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 Dalian. 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.