Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hohhot and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Hohhot: $725 a month against $1,363 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Hohhot
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Hohhot Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Hohhot

🇨🇳 China

$725

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $725 per month in Hohhot vs $1,363 in Almaty, rent included.

Hohhot $725
Almaty $1,363

A couple spends around $1,133 per month in Hohhot vs $2,131 in Almaty, rent included.

Hohhot $1,133
Almaty $2,131

A family of three spends $1,542 per month in Hohhot vs $2,900 in Almaty, rent included.

Hohhot $1,542
Almaty $2,900

Hohhot is about 47% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hohhot sits 47% below the global median, while Almaty is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 ¥22.90

$13.05 ₸5,899

-73.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.14 ¥148

$43.44 ₸19.6K

-49.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.61 ¥57.5

$8.76 ₸3,962

-1.71%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ¥24.57

$3.32 ₸1,501

10.54%

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

$0.46 ¥3.05

$1.34 ₸607

-65.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.83 ₸374

-63.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$3.36 ₸1,518

-63.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ¥13.82

$4.02 ₸1,818

-48.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ¥15.41

$1.65 ₸747

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ¥8.59

$0.93 ₸421

37.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.81

$2.05 ₸927

-42.93%

Eggs

$1.46 ¥9.79

$2.46 ₸1,113

-40.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 ¥89.8

$12.49 ₸5,646

7.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.13 ¥20.91

$6.71 ₸3,035

-53.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ¥85.6

$10.85 ₸4,905

18.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.52

$1.78 ₸807

13.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.18

$2.25 ₸1,018

-45.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.67

$2.87 ₸1,299

-39.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.97

$2.71 ₸1,227

-72.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.80 ₸362

-32.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.89

$0.55 ₸249

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.94

$1.62 ₸732

-63.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ¥3.04

$1.00 ₸453

-54.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.56 ¥37.17

$2.58 ₸1,167

115.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 ¥51.4

$11.15 ₸5,039

-31.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.30

$1.26 ₸572

-25.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.24

$2.48 ₸1,120

-26.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 ¥1.15

$0.28 ₸128

-39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.58 ¥118

$22.05 ₸9,970

-20.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ¥7.80

$1.34 ₸607

-12.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ¥1.54

$0.64 ₸288

-64.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 ¥21.39

$11.04 ₸4,993

-71.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.42

$0.72 ₸326

75.00%

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

$15.7K ¥105.3K

$28.1K ₸12.7M

-44.04%

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

$15.9K ¥106.6K

$31.8K ₸14.4M

-49.88%

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

$54.9 ¥367

$90.5 ₸40.9K

-39.32%

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

$6.29 ¥42.08

$10.63 ₸4,805

-40.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥74.0

$18.12 ₸8,190

-38.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.07 ¥228

$69.0 ₸31.2K

-50.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.17 ¥115

$26.98 ₸12.2K

-36.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 ¥34.21

$6.77 ₸3,062

-24.37%

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

$409 ¥2,735

$444 ₸200.6K

-7.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.4K

$12.0K ₸5.4M

102.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.7 ¥406

$91.9 ₸41.5K

-33.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ¥175

$47.80 ₸21.6K

-45.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 ¥556

$139 ₸63.0K

-40.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.1 ¥496

$131 ₸59.4K

-43.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$205 ¥1,371

$777 ₸351.2K

-73.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ¥1,090

$494 ₸223.4K

-67.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 ¥2,225

$1,439 ₸650.4K

-76.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 ¥1,788

$905 ₸409.2K

-70.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,696 ¥11.3K

$2,470 ₸1.1M

-31.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,105 ¥7,386

$1,517 ₸685.7K

-27.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$933 ¥6,235

$857 ₸387.2K

8.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

20.65

-81.84%

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

Last update for Hohhot: October 18, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hohhot

$204 28.1%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 22.9% $47

Accommodation & Living

Hohhot

$163 22.5%

Almaty

$494 36.3% 203% $331

Eating Out

Hohhot

$111 15.3%

Almaty

$204 15% 84.5% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Hohhot

$110 15.2%

Almaty

$185 13.6% 68% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hohhot

$72 10%

Almaty

$119 8.8% 65% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Hohhot

$44 6.1%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 86.3% $38

Getting Around

Hohhot

$21 2.8%

Almaty

$28 2% 34.6% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $205 in Hohhot versus $777 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 9% higher in Hohhot, 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 $22.00 in Hohhot versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $251 – making Hohhot the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hohhot

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

23:16 11:16 PM

2 h behind Hohhot

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,446,100

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 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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Between locations

Hohhot Almaty 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Hohhot
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

Hohhot vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,087 per month in Hohhot and $2,044 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hohhot, 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 $22.00 in Hohhot 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 $725 in Hohhot and $1,363 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 88%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hohhot, where all-in costs run around $725, than in Almaty at $1,363. In Hohhot it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hohhot – 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 Hohhot. 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.