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: $1,190 in Kazakhstan versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,620 in Kazakhstan versus $1,550 in China.

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

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

Kazakhstan ($555–$1,080) and China ($532–$1,192) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.67 ₸3,607

$2.86 ¥19.32

168.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.01 ₸13.6K

$23.44 ¥158

23.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.79 ₸3,192

$4.84 ¥32.70

40.29%

Cappuccino

$2.12 ₸998

$3.11 ¥21.03

-31.83%

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

$0.87 ₸409

$0.44 ¥2.99

97.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₸229

$0.29 ¥1.99

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₸537

$0.98 ¥6.63

16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₸1,116

$2.05 ¥13.86

15.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 ₸539

$1.84 ¥12.45

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 ₸211

$1.62 ¥10.92

-72.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ₸661

$0.93 ¥6.27

51.61%

Eggs

$1.65 ₸777

$1.63 ¥11.01

1.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 ₸4,204

$13.15 ¥88.8

-31.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.64 ₸2,179

$3.26 ¥22.06

42.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 ₸3,432

$10.62 ¥71.8

-31.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 ₸604

$1.80 ¥12.17

-28.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ₸902

$1.30 ¥8.76

47.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₸925

$1.46 ¥9.88

34.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 ₸919

$1.20 ¥8.13

62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ₸288

$0.76 ¥5.13

-19.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 ₸202

$0.88 ¥5.93

-51.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₸498

$0.57 ¥3.86

85.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₸333

$0.54 ¥3.62

31.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 ₸942

$3.42 ¥23.14

-41.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.10 ₸3,806

$11.75 ¥79.4

-31.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₸420

$0.80 ¥5.39

11.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₸859

$1.62 ¥10.94

12.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₸113

$0.43 ¥2.93

-44.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.71 ₸6,915

$20.47 ¥138

-28.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 ₸541

$1.36 ¥9.22

-15.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 ₸338

$0.35 ¥2.39

105.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 ₸2,182

$6.50 ¥43.90

-28.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 ₸217

$1.12 ¥7.58

-58.93%

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

$21.3K ₸10.0M

$19.5K ¥131.6K

9.28%

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

$25.5K ₸12.0M

$16.9K ¥113.9K

51.29%

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

$57.4 ₸27.0K

$51.7 ¥349

11.10%

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

$8.73 ₸4,106

$10.17 ¥68.7

-14.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.19 ₸6,200

$11.16 ¥75.4

18.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.09 ₸19.8K

$39.62 ¥268

6.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.60 ₸7,333

$14.53 ¥98.2

7.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 ₸2,234

$6.38 ¥43.12

-25.55%

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

$239 ₸112.3K

$407 ¥2,752

-41.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,936 ₸3.3M

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-61.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.6 ₸30.3K

$45.53 ¥308

41.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.14 ₸19.8K

$32.31 ¥218

30.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 ₸42.1K

$72.6 ¥490

23.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ₸45.0K

$74.4 ¥503

28.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ₸214.1K

$443 ¥2,992

2.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 ₸144.4K

$258 ¥1,745

18.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 ₸410.4K

$910 ¥6,152

-4.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ₸274.8K

$543 ¥3,672

7.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,458 ₸685.1K

$4,934 ¥33.3K

-70.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,003 ₸471.5K

$2,398 ¥16.2K

-58.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 ₸305.4K

$1,065 ¥7,194

-38.97%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $330 in Kazakhstan, $287 in China. Capital cities: $467 in Astana vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $524 in Kazakhstan, $855 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 15% higher in Kazakhstan.

Dining out costs 29% more in Kazakhstan.

Public transport is 350% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 63% 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 $862 per month in China and $818 in Kazakhstan, there's a 5% 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 Kazakhstan: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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: Kazakhstan wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.