Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Hangzhou: $1,036 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,036

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,036 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,036
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,557 per month in Hangzhou vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,557
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $2,078 per month in Hangzhou vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,078
Almaty $2,883

Hangzhou is about 25% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hangzhou sits 23% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 ¥25.69

$13.31 ₸5,991

-71.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.60 ¥171

$43.37 ₸19.5K

-40.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 ¥30.75

$8.80 ₸3,959

-47.84%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.84

$3.30 ₸1,486

3.33%

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

$0.59 ¥3.95

$1.37 ₸616

-56.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.90 ₸406

-65.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.82

$3.13 ₸1,409

-62.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.22

$4.10 ₸1,847

-44.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.43

$1.66 ₸749

12.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ¥10.70

$0.90 ₸403

77.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.44

$2.06 ₸927

-46.12%

Eggs

$2.06 ¥13.82

$2.37 ₸1,067

-13.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ¥131

$12.64 ₸5,689

54.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ¥24.36

$6.62 ₸2,978

-45.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 ¥67.8

$10.87 ₸4,893

-6.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 ¥15.37

$1.86 ₸839

23.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.10

$2.37 ₸1,067

-42.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 ¥10.12

$2.99 ₸1,348

-49.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ¥10.74

$2.83 ₸1,273

-43.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.74

$0.77 ₸345

11.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.65

$0.58 ₸262

70.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$1.59 ₸718

-57.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.58

$0.99 ₸446

-46.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥26.75

$2.54 ₸1,145

57.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 ¥90.9

$11.04 ₸4,969

23.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥4.99

$1.21 ₸546

-38.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$2.41 ₸1,085

-31.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.94

$0.25 ₸113

136.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.15 ¥121

$21.84 ₸9,831

-16.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ¥12.81

$1.28 ₸577

49.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$0.64 ₸289

-43.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 ¥48.33

$10.74 ₸4,836

-32.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$0.69 ₸312

89.86%

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

$19.5K ¥130.6K

$22.3K ₸10.0M

-12.43%

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

$18.2K ¥121.7K

$29.3K ₸13.2M

-38.02%

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

$48.36 ¥324

$87.8 ₸39.5K

-44.90%

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

$9.79 ¥65.5

$10.83 ₸4,874

-9.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.72 ¥98.5

$17.40 ₸7,831

-15.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ¥349

$69.7 ₸31.4K

-25.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.77 ¥132

$26.58 ₸12.0K

-25.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.30 ¥48.89

$6.68 ₸3,009

9.28%

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

$563 ¥3,771

$446 ₸200.8K

26.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K ¥241.7K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

203.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 ¥398

$93.7 ₸42.2K

-36.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.16 ¥282

$46.91 ₸21.1K

-10.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ¥568

$143 ₸64.3K

-40.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ¥733

$133 ₸60.1K

-17.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,171

$773 ₸348.1K

-19.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,581

$497 ₸223.9K

-22.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 ¥8,085

$1,390 ₸625.9K

-13.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,500

$880 ₸396.0K

-23.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,991 ¥53.5K

$2,546 ₸1.1M

213.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,678 ¥24.6K

$1,506 ₸678.2K

144.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,582 ¥10.6K

$834 ₸375.2K

89.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

20.65

-83.05%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: 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

Hangzhou

$386 37.9%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 29% $112

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$236 23.2%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 6.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$133 13.1%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 40.9% $54

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$99 9.8%

Almaty

$205 15% 107% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$73 7.2%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 59.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$67 6.6%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 24.4% $16

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Almaty

$27 2% 12.9% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $623 in Hangzhou 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 90% higher in Hangzhou, 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 $26.00 in Hangzhou versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $251 – making Hangzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

14:28 2:28 PM

12:28 12:28 PM

2 h behind Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 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 = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 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 CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hangzhou Almaty 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hangzhou
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

Hangzhou vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,555 per month in Hangzhou 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 Hangzhou, 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 $26.00 in Hangzhou 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 $1,036 in Hangzhou and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 34%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Hangzhou, where all-in costs run around $1,036, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Hangzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hangzhou – 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 Hangzhou. 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.