Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua-lien and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Hua-lien: $1,076 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Hua-lien
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Hua-lien Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Hua-lien

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,076

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,076 per month in Hua-lien vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Hua-lien $1,076
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,820 per month in Hua-lien vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Hua-lien $1,820
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $2,563 per month in Hua-lien vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Hua-lien $2,563
Almaty $2,913

Hua-lien is about 22% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hua-lien sits 20% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.99 NT$129

$13.16 ₸5,949

-69.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.74 NT$932

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-35.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.28 NT$139

$8.90 ₸4,022

-51.91%

Cappuccino

$2.78 NT$90.3

$3.25 ₸1,469

-14.46%

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

$0.93 NT$30.01

$1.41 ₸639

-34.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 NT$18.18

$0.88 ₸399

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 NT$43.12

$3.35 ₸1,513

-60.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NT$67.6

$4.04 ₸1,827

-48.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.93 NT$95.1

$1.69 ₸762

73.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 NT$56.9

$0.86 ₸390

104.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 NT$146

$2.03 ₸917

121.67%

Eggs

$1.98 NT$64.1

$2.43 ₸1,100

-18.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.63 NT$636

$12.46 ₸5,632

57.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 NT$201

$6.71 ₸3,033

-7.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.54 NT$828

$10.85 ₸4,905

135.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 NT$86.3

$1.80 ₸813

47.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NT$80.9

$2.25 ₸1,018

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 NT$104

$2.91 ₸1,314

10.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 NT$103

$2.75 ₸1,243

15.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NT$78.7

$0.75 ₸337

224.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 NT$74.6

$0.55 ₸248

318.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 NT$65.5

$1.62 ₸732

24.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 NT$31.72

$1.05 ₸474

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 NT$126

$2.58 ₸1,167

50.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 NT$410

$11.15 ₸5,042

13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NT$62.1

$1.21 ₸547

57.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 NT$76.1

$2.44 ₸1,104

-3.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.64

$0.26 ₸117

134.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.66 NT$1,189

$22.03 ₸9,957

66.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 NT$99.8

$1.35 ₸611

128.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 NT$9.91

$0.64 ₸288

-51.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.36 NT$336

$11.16 ₸5,044

-7.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 NT$28.98

$0.72 ₸324

23.61%

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

$33.7K NT$1.1M

$22.5K ₸10.2M

49.79%

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

$26.6K NT$862.6K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-12.13%

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

$103 NT$3,332

$91.8 ₸41.5K

11.93%

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

$19.48 NT$632

$10.66 ₸4,820

82.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.54 NT$407

$17.86 ₸8,072

-29.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.61 NT$1,187

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-47.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 NT$328

$6.78 ₸3,064

49.26%

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

$767 NT$24.9K

$449 ₸202.9K

70.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K NT$533.1K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

35.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 NT$1,850

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-36.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.07 NT$1,170

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-23.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 NT$2,576

$142 ₸64.1K

-43.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 NT$3,455

$133 ₸60.0K

-19.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 NT$13.1K

$805 ₸363.7K

-49.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 NT$8,204

$500 ₸225.9K

-49.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 NT$31.9K

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-31.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 NT$24.0K

$904 ₸408.8K

-18.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,755 NT$251.5K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

209.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,989 NT$161.8K

$1,559 ₸704.7K

219.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,940 NT$95.3K

$870 ₸393.3K

237.87%

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 Hua-lien: 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

Hua-lien

$368 34.2%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 31.9% $117

Accommodation & Living

Hua-lien

$253 23.5%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 97.5% $247

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hua-lien

$135 12.5%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 10.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Hua-lien

$126 11.7%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 47.4% $60

Eating Out

Hua-lien

$95 8.8%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 116% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Hua-lien

$57 5.3%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 47.5% $27

Getting Around

Hua-lien

$44 4.1%

Almaty

$28 2% 36.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $404 in Hua-lien 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 238% higher in Hua-lien, 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 $29.00 in Hua-lien versus $45.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $368 in Hua-lien vs $250 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Hua-lien

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

08:52 8:52 AM

2 h behind Hua-lien

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,034

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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hua-lien Almaty 4,590 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hua-lien
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

Hua-lien vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,615 per month in Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien, 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 $29.00 in Hua-lien 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 $1,076 in Hua-lien and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 27%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hua-lien, where all-in costs run around $1,076, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Hua-lien it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hua-lien – 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 Hua-lien. 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.