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: $759 in Kazakhstan versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,192 in Kazakhstan versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,624 in Kazakhstan versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Kazakhstan is roughly 7% more expensive than China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Kazakhstan 43% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $520 to $1,209, compared to $553–$1,057 in Kazakhstan. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 ₸3,766

$2.81 ¥18.99

175.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.41 ₸14.3K

$23.30 ¥158

26.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 ₸3,150

$5.01 ¥33.89

29.34%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ₸983

$3.01 ¥20.39

-32.89%

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

$0.94 ₸455

$0.45 ¥3.03

108.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₸238

$0.29 ¥1.97

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₸552

$0.95 ¥6.42

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₸1,163

$2.05 ¥13.88

16.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 ₸539

$1.76 ¥11.88

-36.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸214

$1.62 ¥10.98

-72.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ₸680

$0.95 ¥6.45

47.37%

Eggs

$1.60 ₸779

$1.56 ¥10.56

2.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 ₸4,450

$13.06 ¥88.3

-29.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 ₸2,214

$3.28 ¥22.18

39.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.08 ₸3,439

$10.65 ¥72.0

-33.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 ₸626

$1.78 ¥12.04

-27.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 ₸908

$1.24 ¥8.42

50.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ₸941

$1.50 ¥10.12

29.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ₸964

$1.15 ¥7.79

72.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ₸304

$0.75 ¥5.07

-16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸194

$0.86 ¥5.81

-53.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₸540

$0.62 ¥4.17

79.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₸366

$0.56 ¥3.81

33.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.92 ₸934

$3.51 ¥23.77

-45.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 ₸3,865

$11.66 ¥78.9

-31.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸427

$0.80 ¥5.40

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₸862

$1.66 ¥11.25

6.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₸117

$0.43 ¥2.93

-44.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.73 ₸7,154

$20.86 ¥141

-29.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ₸563

$1.37 ¥9.26

-15.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₸322

$0.35 ¥2.38

88.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 ₸2,272

$6.63 ¥44.85

-29.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 ₸222

$1.14 ¥7.70

-59.65%

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

$21.5K ₸10.5M

$19.2K ¥129.8K

12.27%

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

$25.3K ₸12.3M

$16.8K ¥113.4K

50.78%

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

$57.0 ₸27.7K

$51.2 ¥346

11.30%

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

$8.99 ₸4,367

$10.16 ¥68.7

-11.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.13 ₸6,378

$11.51 ¥77.9

14.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.98 ₸20.9K

$40.53 ¥274

6.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 ₸7,357

$15.05 ¥102

0.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.99 ₸2,426

$6.10 ¥41.28

-18.20%

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

$243 ₸118.1K

$402 ¥2,720

-39.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,932 ₸3.4M

$17.7K ¥119.6K

-60.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.6 ₸31.4K

$45.57 ¥308

41.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.14 ₸20.5K

$33.26 ¥225

26.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 ₸44.4K

$72.6 ¥491

25.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 ₸45.6K

$74.5 ¥504

26.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 ₸222.4K

$429 ¥2,905

6.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ₸146.2K

$257 ¥1,740

16.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 ₸431.3K

$895 ¥6,058

-0.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 ₸277.9K

$541 ¥3,662

5.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,399 ₸679.5K

$5,015 ¥33.9K

-72.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$968 ₸470.4K

$2,469 ¥16.7K

-60.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$641 ₸311.3K

$1,055 ¥7,135

-39.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.91

4.06

341.13%

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

Last update for Kazakhstan: June 2, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $333 in Kazakhstan, $286 in China. Capital cities: $478 in Astana vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $510 in Kazakhstan, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 16% higher in Kazakhstan.

Dining out costs 29% more in Kazakhstan.

Public transport is 350% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 69% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $865 per month in China and $805 in Kazakhstan, there's a 7% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Kazakhstan is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 China beats Kazakhstan across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Kazakhstan, $1,500 covers most cities easily. In China, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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