Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jinan and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinan: $637 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Jinan
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Jinan Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Jinan

🇨🇳 China

$637

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $637 per month in Jinan vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Jinan $637
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,058 per month in Jinan vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Jinan $1,058
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,479 per month in Jinan vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Jinan $1,479
Almaty $2,913

Jinan is about 54% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Jinan sits 53% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 ¥17.81

$13.16 ₸5,949

-79.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.21 ¥162

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-46.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥33.32

$8.90 ₸4,022

-44.04%

Cappuccino

$2.45 ¥16.38

$3.25 ₸1,469

-24.62%

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

$0.43 ¥2.86

$1.41 ₸639

-69.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.54

$0.88 ₸399

-73.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.16

$3.35 ₸1,513

-72.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ¥13.47

$4.04 ₸1,827

-50.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥9.99

$1.69 ₸762

-11.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ¥9.90

$0.86 ₸390

72.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.01

$2.03 ₸917

-40.89%

Eggs

$1.11 ¥7.41

$2.43 ₸1,100

-54.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 ¥80.6

$12.46 ₸5,632

-3.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ¥22.44

$6.71 ₸3,033

-49.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.28 ¥75.4

$10.85 ₸4,905

3.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.69

$1.80 ₸813

-19.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$2.25 ₸1,018

-54.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.44

$2.91 ₸1,314

-51.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.59

$2.75 ₸1,243

-58.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.21

$0.75 ₸337

-16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.55

$0.55 ₸248

23.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 ¥3.54

$1.62 ₸732

-67.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$1.05 ₸474

-40.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 ¥25.34

$2.58 ₸1,167

46.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.86 ¥65.9

$11.15 ₸5,042

-11.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ¥4.45

$1.21 ₸547

-44.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ¥9.05

$2.44 ₸1,104

-44.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.26 ₸117

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.02 ¥60.3

$22.03 ₸9,957

-59.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ¥10.59

$1.35 ₸611

17.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.64 ₸288

-57.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 ¥29.06

$11.16 ₸5,044

-61.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$0.72 ₸324

81.94%

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

$19.6K ¥131.1K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

-12.93%

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

$15.1K ¥100.9K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-50.17%

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

$71.2 ¥476

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-22.50%

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

$6.64 ¥44.37

$10.66 ₸4,820

-37.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.01 ¥33.47

$17.86 ₸8,072

-71.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.20 ¥162

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-65.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.63 ¥57.7

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-68.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ¥35.68

$6.78 ₸3,064

-21.24%

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

$216 ¥1,442

$449 ₸202.9K

-51.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K ¥131.8K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

62.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.35 ¥223

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-62.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.83 ¥280

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-11.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.8 ¥467

$142 ₸64.1K

-50.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 ¥459

$133 ₸60.0K

-48.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 ¥1,664

$805 ₸363.7K

-69.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 ¥964

$500 ₸225.9K

-71.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 ¥4,040

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-57.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 ¥2,433

$904 ₸408.8K

-59.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,519 ¥16.8K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

0.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,341 ¥8,965

$1,559 ₸704.7K

-13.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$981 ¥6,558

$870 ₸393.3K

12.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

20.65

-84.84%

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

Last update for Jinan: October 10, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jinan

$189 29.7%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 32.4% $61

Accommodation & Living

Jinan

$144 22.6%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 247% $356

Clothing & Footwear

Jinan

$96 15.1%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 92.6% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jinan

$83 13%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 45.3% $38

Eating Out

Jinan

$77 12.1%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 167% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Jinan

$35 5.5%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 141% $49

Getting Around

Jinan

$13 2.1%

Almaty

$28 2% 109% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $249 in Jinan 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 13% higher in Jinan, 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 $24.00 in Jinan versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $250 – making Jinan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Jinan

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

13:36 1:36 PM

2 h behind Jinan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,202,432

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Jinan Almaty 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Jinan
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

Jinan vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 115%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $956 per month in Jinan 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 Jinan, 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 $24.00 in Jinan 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 $637 in Jinan and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 115%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jinan, where all-in costs run around $637, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Jinan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jinan – 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 Jinan. 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.