Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kazakhstan and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $793 a month against $1,045 in Kazakhstan, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Kazakhstan
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Kazakhstan Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

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🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,045

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kazakhstan and in China

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kazakhstan and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,045 in Kazakhstan versus $793 in China.

Kazakhstan $1,045
China $793

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,649 in Kazakhstan versus $1,261 in China.

Kazakhstan $1,649
China $1,261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,252 in Kazakhstan versus $1,730 in China.

Kazakhstan $2,252
China $1,730

Kazakhstan ($628–$1,372) and China ($466–$1,244) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Kazakhstan is roughly 32% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Kazakhstan 23% lower, China 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.93 ₸4,939

$2.96 ¥19.76

269.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.15 ₸18.1K

$22.74 ¥152

76.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 ₸3,485

$5.34 ¥35.70

44.38%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₸1,145

$3.04 ¥20.35

-16.78%

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

$1.16 ₸526

$0.48 ¥3.22

141.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₸304

$0.28 ¥1.85

139.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ₸685

$1.03 ¥6.92

46.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₸1,111

$2.27 ¥15.16

8.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ₸648

$1.80 ¥12.02

-20.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₸242

$1.69 ¥11.28

-68.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₸733

$1.00 ¥6.69

62.00%

Eggs

$2.03 ₸916

$1.56 ¥10.42

30.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 ₸4,998

$13.44 ¥89.8

-17.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₸2,552

$3.48 ¥23.28

62.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.39 ₸4,246

$11.49 ¥76.8

-18.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 ₸703

$1.79 ¥12.00

-12.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ₸996

$1.26 ¥8.41

74.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 ₸1,125

$1.48 ¥9.92

68.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 ₸1,001

$1.31 ¥8.76

68.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸339

$0.72 ¥4.84

4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 ₸236

$0.93 ¥6.24

-44.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ₸597

$0.61 ¥4.11

116.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₸428

$0.58 ¥3.89

63.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 ₸1,127

$3.84 ¥25.65

-35.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.72 ₸3,941

$11.87 ¥79.4

-26.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₸538

$0.86 ¥5.72

38.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₸907

$1.69 ¥11.33

18.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸114

$0.31 ¥2.07

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.43 ₸7,881

$22.36 ¥150

-22.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₸490

$1.47 ¥9.82

-26.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₸386

$0.38 ¥2.53

123.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 ₸2,967

$7.03 ¥47.04

-6.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 ₸285

$1.24 ¥8.32

-49.19%

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

$24.0K ₸10.9M

$19.2K ¥128.5K

25.07%

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

$29.9K ₸13.5M

$17.3K ¥115.6K

72.98%

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

$68.6 ₸31.0K

$54.3 ¥363

26.43%

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

$10.60 ₸4,790

$8.34 ¥55.7

27.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.34 ₸7,385

$10.77 ¥72.0

51.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.02 ₸22.2K

$40.39 ¥270

21.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.34 ₸9,648

$14.77 ¥98.8

44.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₸2,442

$6.89 ¥46.08

-21.63%

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

$324 ₸146.5K

$457 ¥3,057

-29.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K ₸4.6M

$20.1K ¥134.2K

-48.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 ₸30.3K

$45.10 ¥302

48.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.00 ₸21.7K

$35.65 ¥238

34.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₸54.4K

$77.9 ¥521

54.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₸48.9K

$78.0 ¥522

38.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 ₸227.0K

$391 ¥2,615

28.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ₸152.5K

$232 ¥1,549

45.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$887 ₸400.9K

$816 ¥5,457

8.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ₸267.9K

$459 ¥3,070

29.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,502 ₸679.2K

$4,585 ¥30.7K

-67.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 ₸484.5K

$2,309 ¥15.4K

-53.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₸307.6K

$1,084 ¥7,247

-37.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.08

3.46

451.45%

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

Last update for Kazakhstan: October 10, 2026

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kazakhstan

$337 32.3%

China

$232 29.2% 31.3% $106

Groceries & Markets

Kazakhstan

$213 20.4%

China

$211 26.6% 1% $2

Eating Out

Kazakhstan

$161 15.4%

China

$89 11.2% 44.7% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Kazakhstan

$155 14.8%

China

$107 13.4% 31.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kazakhstan

$96 9.2%

China

$73 9.3% 23.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Kazakhstan

$60 5.7%

China

$54 6.8% 9.4% $5.6

Getting Around

Kazakhstan

$24 2.3%

China

$27 3.4% 13.3% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $385 in Kazakhstan, $298 in China. Capital cities: $578 in Astana vs $940 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $555 in Kazakhstan, $871 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 29% higher in Kazakhstan.

Dining out costs 52% more in Kazakhstan.

Public transport is 89% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 57% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

13:39 1:39 PM

15:39 3:39 PM

2 h ahead of Kazakhstan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,139,914

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

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).

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).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kazakhstan China 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Kazakhstan
China

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

Kazakhstan vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $793 per month in China and $1,045 in Kazakhstan, there's a 32% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $385 in Kazakhstan and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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.