Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erdenet and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Erdenet: $377 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Erdenet
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Erdenet Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Erdenet

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$377

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $377 per month in Erdenet vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Erdenet $377
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $617 per month in Erdenet vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Erdenet $617
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $858 per month in Erdenet vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Erdenet $858
Almaty $2,883

Erdenet is about 73% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Erdenet sits 72% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

$13.31 ₸5,991

-69.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.28 MNT 98.0K

$43.37 ₸19.5K

-37.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

$8.80 ₸3,959

-53.64%

Cappuccino

$2.29 MNT 8,214

$3.30 ₸1,486

-30.61%

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

$0.66 MNT 2,373

$1.37 ₸616

-51.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MNT 1,454

$0.90 ₸406

-55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 MNT 6,100

$3.13 ₸1,409

-45.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 MNT 5,840

$4.10 ₸1,847

-60.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 MNT 3,627

$1.66 ₸749

-39.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 MNT 3,281

$0.90 ₸403

1.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 MNT 10.3K

$2.06 ₸927

38.35%

Eggs

$2.02 MNT 7,270

$2.37 ₸1,067

-14.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.05 MNT 25.3K

$12.64 ₸5,689

-44.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 MNT 24.4K

$6.62 ₸2,978

2.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.54 MNT 16.3K

$10.87 ₸4,893

-58.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 MNT 8,038

$1.86 ₸839

20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MNT 6,054

$2.37 ₸1,067

-29.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 MNT 5,857

$2.99 ₸1,348

-45.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 MNT 4,925

$2.83 ₸1,273

-51.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 MNT 5,136

$0.77 ₸345

85.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 MNT 3,040

$0.58 ₸262

46.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 MNT 5,071

$1.59 ₸718

-11.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MNT 3,539

$0.99 ₸446

-1.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 MNT 10.2K

$2.54 ₸1,145

11.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 MNT 20.4K

$11.04 ₸4,969

-48.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MNT 5,830

$1.21 ₸546

33.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 MNT 5,938

$2.41 ₸1,085

-31.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 MNT 549

$0.25 ₸113

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.59 MNT 70.4K

$21.84 ₸9,831

-10.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 MNT 2,209

$1.28 ₸577

-52.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 MNT 1,546

$0.64 ₸289

-32.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,836

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 MNT 2,689

$0.69 ₸312

8.70%

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

$22.3K ₸10.0M

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

$29.3K ₸13.2M

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

$57.7 MNT 207.4K

$87.8 ₸39.5K

-34.22%

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

$2.86 MNT 10.3K

$10.83 ₸4,874

-73.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.06 MNT 50.5K

$17.40 ₸7,831

-19.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,009

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

$281 MNT 1.0M

$446 ₸200.8K

-37.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,474 MNT 8.9M

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-79.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸348.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸223.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸625.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸396.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸678.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$218 MNT 782.9K

$834 ₸375.2K

-73.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

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

Last update for Erdenet: October 6, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Erdenet

$188 50.3%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 33.4% $63

Eating Out

Erdenet

$88 23.6%

Almaty

$205 15% 133% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erdenet

$75 20%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 55.4% $41

Getting Around

Erdenet

$23 6.1%

Almaty

$27 2% 19% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Erdenet

- * 0%

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Erdenet

- * 0%

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Accommodation & Living

Erdenet

- * 0%

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 283% higher in Almaty, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Erdenet versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $251 – making Erdenet the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Erdenet

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

11:17 11:17 AM

2 h behind Erdenet

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,866

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to MNT – Mongolian Tögrög Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇳 Mongolian Tögrög (₮)

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MNT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Erdenet Almaty 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Erdenet
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

Erdenet vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 268%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $565 per month in Erdenet and $2,080 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Erdenet 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 $377 in Erdenet and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 268%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Erdenet, where all-in costs run around $377, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Erdenet it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Erdenet – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Erdenet. 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.