Cost of Living Comparison Between Kazakhstan and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Kazakhstan and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $863 in Kazakhstan versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,372 in Kazakhstan versus $1,145 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,881 in Kazakhstan versus $1,570 in China.

Living in Kazakhstan is roughly 20% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Kazakhstan 37% lower, China 48% lower.

Kazakhstan ($618–$1,364) and China ($458–$1,247) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.94 ₸4,982

$2.90 ¥19.42

277.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.94 ₸17.7K

$22.13 ¥148

75.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 ₸3,482

$5.31 ¥35.57

43.88%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ₸1,133

$2.99 ¥20.04

-16.72%

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

$1.08 ₸490

$0.48 ¥3.21

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₸289

$0.30 ¥2.03

113.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 ₸706

$1.02 ¥6.82

51.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₸1,064

$2.21 ¥14.81

5.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 ₸612

$1.74 ¥11.66

-22.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₸248

$1.68 ¥11.23

-67.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 ₸704

$0.96 ¥6.43

60.42%

Eggs

$1.88 ₸857

$1.54 ¥10.33

22.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.72 ₸4,881

$13.51 ¥90.5

-20.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 ₸2,478

$3.48 ¥23.32

56.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.03 ₸4,115

$11.34 ¥76.0

-20.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 ₸720

$1.88 ¥12.57

-15.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 ₸1,014

$1.29 ¥8.67

72.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 ₸1,119

$1.52 ¥10.17

61.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ₸1,018

$1.27 ¥8.52

76.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₸317

$0.72 ¥4.83

-2.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 ₸227

$0.88 ¥5.89

-43.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ₸585

$0.61 ¥4.06

109.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₸390

$0.55 ¥3.72

56.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 ₸1,101

$3.73 ¥25.01

-35.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 ₸3,636

$11.87 ¥79.5

-32.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₸534

$0.90 ¥6.03

30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₸906

$1.68 ¥11.26

18.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸114

$0.29 ¥1.94

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.48 ₸7,964

$22.23 ¥149

-21.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ₸481

$1.52 ¥10.17

-30.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₸409

$0.37 ¥2.48

143.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 ₸2,954

$7.33 ¥49.10

-11.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 ₸269

$1.22 ¥8.19

-51.64%

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

$24.1K ₸11.0M

$19.3K ¥129.4K

24.86%

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

$29.6K ₸13.5M

$17.1K ¥114.7K

72.61%

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

$68.9 ₸31.4K

$53.8 ¥360

28.08%

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

$10.19 ₸4,641

$8.71 ¥58.4

16.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.86 ₸7,227

$10.93 ¥73.2

45.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 ₸22.3K

$40.74 ¥273

20.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.77 ₸9,916

$14.53 ¥97.3

49.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 ₸2,476

$6.55 ¥43.87

-17.10%

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

$322 ₸146.7K

$457 ¥3,062

-29.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,736 ₸4.4M

$19.5K ¥130.6K

-50.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 ₸29.9K

$45.62 ¥306

43.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.80 ₸20.9K

$35.90 ¥241

27.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₸53.6K

$76.1 ¥510

54.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ₸47.8K

$76.4 ¥512

37.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 ₸228.2K

$385 ¥2,578

30.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 ₸150.5K

$239 ¥1,601

38.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$869 ₸395.8K

$840 ¥5,627

3.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₸265.8K

$484 ¥3,242

20.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,455 ₸662.6K

$4,581 ¥30.7K

-68.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,059 ₸482.5K

$2,266 ¥15.2K

-53.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$660 ₸300.5K

$1,065 ¥7,137

-38.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.19

3.47

453.03%

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

Last update for Kazakhstan: August 31, 2026

Last update for China: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $373 in Kazakhstan, $294 in China. Capital cities: $545 in Astana vs $959 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $540 in Kazakhstan, $864 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 27% higher in Kazakhstan.

Dining out costs 48% more in Kazakhstan.

Public transport is 89% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 60% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

Kazakhstan vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $853 per month in China and $991 in Kazakhstan, there's a 16% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Kazakhstan is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Kazakhstan it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Kazakhstan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.