Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hsinchu and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Hsinchu: $1,154 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Almaty outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

56

Cost of Living Index in Hsinchu
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Hsinchu Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Hsinchu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,154

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,154 per month in Hsinchu vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Hsinchu $1,154
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,937 per month in Hsinchu vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Hsinchu $1,937
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $2,719 per month in Hsinchu vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Hsinchu $2,719
Almaty $2,913

Hsinchu is about 16% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hsinchu sits 15% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 NT$119

$13.16 ₸5,949

-72.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.02 NT$909

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-37.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.64 NT$151

$8.90 ₸4,022

-47.87%

Cappuccino

$2.95 NT$95.7

$3.25 ₸1,469

-9.23%

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

$0.97 NT$31.52

$1.41 ₸639

-31.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$21.26

$0.88 ₸399

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 NT$59.2

$3.35 ₸1,513

-45.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 NT$73.2

$4.04 ₸1,827

-44.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 NT$90.1

$1.69 ₸762

64.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 NT$53.5

$0.86 ₸390

91.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.61 NT$150

$2.03 ₸917

127.09%

Eggs

$2.75 NT$89.3

$2.43 ₸1,100

13.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$36.03 NT$1,168

$12.46 ₸5,632

189.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 NT$217

$6.71 ₸3,033

-0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.15 NT$686

$10.85 ₸4,905

94.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 NT$84.2

$1.80 ₸813

44.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 NT$83.4

$2.25 ₸1,018

14.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 NT$108

$2.91 ₸1,314

14.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 NT$97.3

$2.75 ₸1,243

9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 NT$74.4

$0.75 ₸337

206.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 NT$74.2

$0.55 ₸248

316.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 NT$65.4

$1.62 ₸732

24.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 NT$44.08

$1.05 ₸474

29.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 NT$130

$2.58 ₸1,167

55.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.55 NT$407

$11.15 ₸5,042

12.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 NT$62.5

$1.21 ₸547

59.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$77.8

$2.44 ₸1,104

-1.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.78

$0.26 ₸117

134.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 NT$1,324

$22.03 ₸9,957

85.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 NT$100

$1.35 ₸611

128.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 NT$9.63

$0.64 ₸288

-53.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NT$325

$11.16 ₸5,044

-10.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$32.34

$0.72 ₸324

38.89%

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

$33.8K NT$1.1M

$22.5K ₸10.2M

50.09%

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

$26.4K NT$857.3K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-12.66%

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

$103 NT$3,337

$91.8 ₸41.5K

12.08%

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

$18.95 NT$614

$10.66 ₸4,820

77.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.99 NT$681

$17.86 ₸8,072

17.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 NT$1,649

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-27.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$10.21 NT$331

$6.78 ₸3,064

50.59%

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

$750 NT$24.3K

$449 ₸202.9K

67.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K NT$533.0K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

35.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 NT$1,846

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-36.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 NT$1,156

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-24.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 NT$2,579

$142 ₸64.1K

-43.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,449

$133 ₸60.0K

-19.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 NT$14.3K

$805 ₸363.7K

-45.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 NT$8,335

$500 ₸225.9K

-48.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NT$37.0K

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-20.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 NT$24.5K

$904 ₸408.8K

-16.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,071 NT$261.7K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

222.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,095 NT$197.6K

$1,559 ₸704.7K

290.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,506 NT$81.3K

$870 ₸393.3K

188.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.13

20.65

-89.69%

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

Last update for Hsinchu: 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

Hsinchu

$411 35.6%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 39.1% $160

Accommodation & Living

Hsinchu

$257 22.3%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 94.4% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hsinchu

$143 12.4%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 15.8% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Hsinchu

$125 10.9%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 47.8% $60

Eating Out

Hsinchu

$99 8.6%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 108% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Hsinchu

$71 6.2%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 17.7% $13

Getting Around

Hsinchu

$48 4.2%

Almaty

$28 2% 42.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $440 in Hsinchu 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 188% higher in Hsinchu, 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 $28.00 in Hsinchu versus $45.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $411 in Hsinchu vs $250 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Hsinchu

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

18:27 6:27 PM

2 h behind Hsinchu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

453,120

1,475,400

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hsinchu Almaty 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hsinchu
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

Hsinchu vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,731 per month in Hsinchu 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 Hsinchu, 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 $28.00 in Hsinchu 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 $1,154 in Hsinchu and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 19%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hsinchu, where all-in costs run around $1,154, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Hsinchu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hsinchu – 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 Hsinchu. 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.