Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Foshan and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Foshan: $777 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Foshan
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Foshan Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

Jump to prices

Foshan

🇨🇳 China

$777

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $777 per month in Foshan vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Foshan $777
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,242 per month in Foshan vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Foshan $1,242
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,708 per month in Foshan vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Foshan $1,708
Almaty $2,913

Foshan is about 43% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Foshan sits 42% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 ¥25.24

$13.16 ₸5,956

-71.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.79 ¥152

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-49.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.16

$8.90 ₸4,026

-42.58%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥20.49

$3.25 ₸1,470

-5.54%

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

$0.52 ¥3.48

$1.41 ₸640

-63.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.88 ₸399

-64.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.16

$3.35 ₸1,514

-63.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.60

$4.04 ₸1,829

-53.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ¥11.10

$1.69 ₸763

-1.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ¥7.47

$0.86 ₸391

30.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.16

$2.03 ₸918

-54.68%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.37

$2.43 ₸1,101

-30.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 ¥111

$12.46 ₸5,639

33.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 ¥26.16

$6.71 ₸3,037

-41.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.69 ¥71.4

$10.85 ₸4,910

-1.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ¥20.14

$1.80 ₸814

67.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.50

$2.25 ₸1,019

-43.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.68

$2.91 ₸1,315

-34.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.91

$2.75 ₸1,245

-40.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.26

$0.75 ₸338

45.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.38

$0.55 ₸248

72.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.25

$1.62 ₸733

-60.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.36

$1.05 ₸474

-52.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 ¥14.88

$2.58 ₸1,168

-13.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 ¥68.4

$11.15 ₸5,048

-8.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.23

$1.21 ₸547

-23.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.12

$2.44 ₸1,105

-38.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.26 ₸117

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.62 ¥71.0

$22.03 ₸9,968

-51.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$1.35 ₸612

12.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.64 ₸288

-26.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 ¥58.9

$11.16 ₸5,050

-21.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.18

$0.72 ₸324

69.44%

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

$21.3K ¥142.2K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

-5.50%

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

$16.2K ¥108.2K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-46.50%

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

$84.5 ¥565

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-7.94%

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

$7.92 ¥52.9

$10.66 ₸4,826

-25.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.69 ¥105

$17.86 ₸8,081

-12.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ¥477

$70.3 ₸31.8K

1.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.83 ¥159

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-13.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 ¥35.48

$6.78 ₸3,067

-21.68%

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

$457 ¥3,052

$449 ₸203.1K

1.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ¥155.6K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

92.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.21 ¥282

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-53.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.76 ¥125

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-60.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.1 ¥415

$142 ₸64.2K

-56.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 ¥613

$133 ₸60.1K

-30.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 ¥2,030

$805 ₸364.2K

-62.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ¥1,060

$500 ₸226.1K

-68.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥3,979

$1,429 ₸646.6K

-58.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 ¥2,277

$904 ₸409.3K

-62.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,329 ¥28.9K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

72.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,864 ¥12.5K

$1,559 ₸705.5K

19.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$802 ¥5,358

$870 ₸393.7K

-7.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

20.65

-81.45%

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

Last update for Foshan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Foshan

$220 28.4%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 13.6% $30

Accommodation & Living

Foshan

$159 20.4%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 215% $341

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Foshan

$108 13.9%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 11.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Foshan

$97 12.4%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 91.5% $88

Eating Out

Foshan

$96 12.3%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 115% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Foshan

$82 10.6%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 2.3% $1.9

Getting Around

Foshan

$16 2%

Almaty

$28 2% 75.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $304 in Foshan versus $805 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 8% 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 $23.00 in Foshan versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $220 vs $250 – making Foshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Foshan

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

13:12 1:12 PM

2 h behind Foshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,498,863

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 507 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Foshan Almaty 4,000 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Foshan
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

Foshan vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 77%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,166 per month in Foshan and $2,058 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Foshan, 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 $23.00 in Foshan and $45.00 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 $777 in Foshan and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 77%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Foshan, where all-in costs run around $777, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Foshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Foshan – 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 Foshan. 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.