Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaohsiung: $1,108 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Kaohsiung
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Kaohsiung Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,108

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,108 per month in Kaohsiung vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Kaohsiung $1,108
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,821 per month in Kaohsiung vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Kaohsiung $1,821
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $2,535 per month in Kaohsiung vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Kaohsiung $2,535
Almaty $2,883

Kaohsiung is about 20% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kaohsiung sits 17% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 NT$174

$13.31 ₸6,034

-58.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.96 NT$1,020

$43.37 ₸19.7K

-26.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 NT$155

$8.80 ₸3,988

-44.66%

Cappuccino

$2.83 NT$90.4

$3.30 ₸1,497

-14.24%

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

$1.14 NT$36.40

$1.37 ₸620

-16.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.76

$0.90 ₸409

-21.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 NT$48.85

$3.13 ₸1,419

-51.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$81.5

$4.10 ₸1,860

-37.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$104

$1.66 ₸754

95.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 NT$69.7

$0.90 ₸406

143.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 NT$98.1

$2.06 ₸933

49.03%

Eggs

$2.67 NT$85.2

$2.37 ₸1,074

12.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 NT$515

$12.64 ₸5,730

27.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 NT$258

$6.62 ₸3,000

22.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 NT$486

$10.87 ₸4,928

40.20%

Apples (1kg)

$6.80 NT$217

$1.86 ₸845

265.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 NT$90.1

$2.37 ₸1,075

18.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 NT$82.0

$2.99 ₸1,358

-14.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 NT$98.4

$2.83 ₸1,282

8.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 NT$90.7

$0.77 ₸347

268.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 NT$65.8

$0.58 ₸264

255.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 NT$78.2

$1.59 ₸723

54.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NT$33.18

$0.99 ₸449

5.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 NT$145

$2.54 ₸1,153

78.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 NT$502

$11.04 ₸5,005

42.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$53.4

$1.21 ₸550

38.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NT$71.7

$2.41 ₸1,093

-6.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 NT$21.68

$0.25 ₸113

172.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.67 NT$404

$21.84 ₸9,901

-41.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NT$88.0

$1.28 ₸581

115.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$23.98

$0.64 ₸291

17.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 NT$176

$10.74 ₸4,870

-48.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.50

$0.69 ₸314

47.83%

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

$33.6K NT$1.1M

$22.3K ₸10.1M

51.04%

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

$23.0K NT$735.3K

$29.3K ₸13.3M

-21.45%

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

$84.8 NT$2,705

$87.8 ₸39.8K

-3.40%

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

$17.34 NT$553

$10.83 ₸4,909

60.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.77 NT$822

$17.40 ₸7,887

48.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.21 NT$1,315

$69.7 ₸31.6K

-40.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.41 NT$332

$26.58 ₸12.1K

-60.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.96 NT$350

$6.68 ₸3,031

64.07%

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

$462 NT$14.7K

$446 ₸202.2K

3.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K NT$449.2K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

18.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 NT$2,982

$93.7 ₸42.5K

-0.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.88 NT$1,017

$46.91 ₸21.3K

-32.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 NT$2,740

$143 ₸64.7K

-39.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,314

$133 ₸60.5K

-22.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 NT$13.2K

$773 ₸350.6K

-46.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 NT$8,808

$497 ₸225.5K

-44.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 NT$31.2K

$1,390 ₸630.4K

-29.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 NT$21.3K

$880 ₸398.9K

-24.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,588 NT$146.4K

$2,546 ₸1.2M

80.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,154 NT$100.7K

$1,506 ₸683.0K

109.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,462 NT$46.7K

$834 ₸377.9K

75.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

20.65

-87.60%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: October 3, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kaohsiung

$368 33.1%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 31.7% $116

Accommodation & Living

Kaohsiung

$276 24.9%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 80.2% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Kaohsiung

$142 12.8%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 32.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kaohsiung

$128 11.5%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 9.3% $12

Eating Out

Kaohsiung

$112 10.1%

Almaty

$205 15% 82.7% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Kaohsiung

$63 5.7%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 31.6% $20

Getting Around

Kaohsiung

$22 2%

Almaty

$27 2% 24.8% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $415 in Kaohsiung 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 75% higher in Kaohsiung, 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 $32.00 in Kaohsiung versus $43.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $368 in Kaohsiung vs $251 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Kaohsiung

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

18:32 6:32 PM

16:32 4:32 PM

2 h behind Kaohsiung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,777,873

1,475,400

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.8 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.76 TWD (100 TWD = 2.8 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 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

Kaohsiung Almaty 4,580 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kaohsiung
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

Kaohsiung vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,661 per month in Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung, 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 $32.00 in Kaohsiung 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 $1,108 in Kaohsiung and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 25%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kaohsiung, where all-in costs run around $1,108, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Kaohsiung it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kaohsiung – 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 Kaohsiung. 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.