Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karaganda and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaganda: $926 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Karaganda
Learn more

Karaganda Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index

Jump to prices

Karaganda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$926

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $926 per month in Karaganda vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Karaganda $926
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,492 per month in Karaganda vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Karaganda $1,492
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $2,058 per month in Karaganda vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Karaganda $2,058
Almaty $2,913

Karaganda is about 33% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Karaganda sits 31% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.85 ₸4,452

$13.16 ₸5,949

-25.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.09 ₸15.9K

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-21.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 ₸2,453

$8.90 ₸4,022

-38.99%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ₸869

$3.25 ₸1,469

-40.92%

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

$0.91 ₸413

$1.41 ₸639

-35.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₸290

$0.88 ₸399

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ₸617

$3.35 ₸1,513

-59.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₸1,267

$4.04 ₸1,827

-30.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 ₸605

$1.69 ₸762

-20.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₸222

$0.86 ₸390

-43.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 ₸597

$2.03 ₸917

-34.98%

Eggs

$1.79 ₸808

$2.43 ₸1,100

-26.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 ₸5,929

$12.46 ₸5,632

5.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 ₸2,442

$6.71 ₸3,033

-19.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ₸5,060

$10.85 ₸4,905

3.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 ₸673

$1.80 ₸813

-17.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₸856

$2.25 ₸1,018

-16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ₸1,299

$2.91 ₸1,314

-1.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 ₸979

$2.75 ₸1,243

-21.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₸301

$0.75 ₸337

-10.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₸267

$0.55 ₸248

7.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₸467

$1.62 ₸732

-36.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₸310

$1.05 ₸474

-34.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 ₸1,016

$2.58 ₸1,167

-12.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.43 ₸3,813

$11.15 ₸5,042

-24.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸610

$1.21 ₸547

11.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₸957

$2.44 ₸1,104

-13.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₸94.9

$0.26 ₸117

-19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.75 ₸7,119

$22.03 ₸9,957

-28.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 ₸568

$1.35 ₸611

-6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ₸541

$0.64 ₸288

87.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ₸1,496

$11.16 ₸5,044

-70.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 ₸254

$0.72 ₸324

-22.22%

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

$22.0K ₸10.0M

$22.5K ₸10.2M

-2.10%

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

$31.9K ₸14.4M

$30.3K ₸13.7M

5.53%

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

$72.2 ₸32.7K

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-21.32%

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

$10.01 ₸4,523

$10.66 ₸4,820

-6.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.86 ₸5,360

$17.86 ₸8,072

-33.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.00 ₸20.8K

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-34.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.82 ₸8,505

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-31.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₸2,416

$6.78 ₸3,064

-21.24%

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

$135 ₸60.8K

$449 ₸202.9K

-70.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₸26.6K

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-34.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 ₸26.1K

$47.02 ₸21.3K

22.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 ₸35.8K

$142 ₸64.1K

-44.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 ₸38.7K

$133 ₸60.0K

-35.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₸178.2K

$805 ₸363.7K

-51.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₸123.2K

$500 ₸225.9K

-45.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ₸333.5K

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-48.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₸242.3K

$904 ₸408.8K

-40.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,053 ₸476.1K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

-57.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$711 ₸321.5K

$1,559 ₸704.7K

-54.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$569 ₸257.3K

$870 ₸393.3K

-34.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.25

20.65

-6.78%

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

Last update for Karaganda: October 11, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Karaganda

$273 29.5%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 83.3% $227

Groceries & Markets

Karaganda

$215 23.2%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 16.3% $35

Eating Out

Karaganda

$137 14.8%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 49.8% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Karaganda

$127 13.7%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 46.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karaganda

$94 10.2%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 27.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Karaganda

$57 6.1%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 48% $27

Getting Around

Karaganda

$24 2.6%

Almaty

$28 2% 15.8% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Karaganda 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 53% higher in Almaty, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Karaganda versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $250 – making Karaganda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Karaganda

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

12:56 12:56 PM

Same time as Karaganda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,486

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karaganda Almaty 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Karaganda
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

Karaganda vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,389 per month in Karaganda 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 Karaganda, 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 $35.00 in Karaganda 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 $926 in Karaganda and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 48%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karaganda, where all-in costs run around $926, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Karaganda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karaganda – 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 Karaganda. 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.