Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kostanay and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Kostanay: $962 a month against $1,363 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Kostanay
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Kostanay Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Kostanay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$962

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $962 per month in Kostanay vs $1,363 in Almaty, rent included.

Kostanay $962
Almaty $1,363

A couple spends around $1,452 per month in Kostanay vs $2,131 in Almaty, rent included.

Kostanay $1,452
Almaty $2,131

A family of three spends $1,943 per month in Kostanay vs $2,900 in Almaty, rent included.

Kostanay $1,943
Almaty $2,900

Kostanay is about 29% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kostanay sits 29% below the global median, while Almaty is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.60 ₸2,532

$13.05 ₸5,899

-57.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.73 ₸13.0K

$43.44 ₸19.6K

-33.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.05 ₸3,186

$8.76 ₸3,962

-19.52%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ₸988

$3.32 ₸1,501

-34.34%

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

$1.12 ₸506

$1.34 ₸607

-16.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₸389

$0.83 ₸374

3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 ₸656

$3.36 ₸1,518

-56.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₸1,181

$4.02 ₸1,818

-35.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ₸550

$1.65 ₸747

-26.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₸235

$0.93 ₸421

-44.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₸474

$2.05 ₸927

-48.78%

Eggs

$2.27 ₸1,026

$2.46 ₸1,113

-7.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 ₸4,614

$12.49 ₸5,646

-18.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 ₸2,585

$6.71 ₸3,035

-14.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.33 ₸3,767

$10.85 ₸4,905

-23.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 ₸730

$1.78 ₸807

-9.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,071

$2.25 ₸1,018

5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 ₸831

$2.87 ₸1,299

-35.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₸1,047

$2.71 ₸1,227

-14.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₸264

$0.80 ₸362

-27.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₸308

$0.55 ₸249

23.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ₸548

$1.62 ₸732

-25.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$1.00 ₸453

-12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 ₸1,135

$2.58 ₸1,167

-2.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.47 ₸3,827

$11.15 ₸5,039

-24.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₸495

$1.26 ₸572

-12.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₸1,071

$2.48 ₸1,120

-4.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ₸142

$0.28 ₸128

10.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.05 ₸9,970

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 ₸430

$1.34 ₸607

-29.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 ₸516

$0.64 ₸288

78.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.09 ₸2,755

$11.04 ₸4,993

-44.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 ₸263

$0.72 ₸326

-19.44%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$28.1K ₸12.7M

7.62%

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

$30.5K ₸13.8M

$31.8K ₸14.4M

-4.03%

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

$76.8 ₸34.7K

$90.5 ₸40.9K

-15.13%

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

$10.97 ₸4,961

$10.63 ₸4,805

3.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.99 ₸7,229

$18.12 ₸8,190

-11.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.26 ₸21.8K

$69.0 ₸31.2K

-30.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.11 ₸9,091

$26.98 ₸12.2K

-25.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 ₸1,989

$6.77 ₸3,062

-35.01%

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

$209 ₸94.5K

$444 ₸200.6K

-52.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,498 ₸2.9M

$12.0K ₸5.4M

-45.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.3 ₸43.5K

$91.9 ₸41.5K

4.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 ₸24.3K

$47.80 ₸21.6K

12.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ₸48.6K

$139 ₸63.0K

-22.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.7 ₸42.3K

$131 ₸59.4K

-28.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 ₸181.7K

$777 ₸351.2K

-48.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 ₸144.9K

$494 ₸223.4K

-35.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ₸270.1K

$1,439 ₸650.4K

-58.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₸223.4K

$905 ₸409.2K

-45.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,218 ₸550.5K

$2,470 ₸1.1M

-50.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$925 ₸418.0K

$1,517 ₸685.7K

-39.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 ₸297.0K

$857 ₸387.2K

-23.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

20.65

-10.41%

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

Last update for Kostanay: October 20, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kostanay

$321 33.4%

Almaty

$494 36.3% 54.1% $174

Groceries & Markets

Kostanay

$202 21%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 24.2% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Kostanay

$158 16.4%

Almaty

$185 13.6% 16.9% $27

Eating Out

Kostanay

$113 11.7%

Almaty

$204 15% 81.3% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kostanay

$104 10.8%

Almaty

$119 8.8% 14.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Kostanay

$57 5.9%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 44.7% $25

Getting Around

Kostanay

$7.9 * 0.8%

Almaty

$28 2% 250% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $402 in Kostanay versus $777 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 30% 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 $29.00 in Kostanay versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $251 – making Kostanay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Kostanay

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

Same time as Kostanay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

264,446

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

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Highest

Between locations

Kostanay Almaty 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kostanay
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

Kostanay vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,443 per month in Kostanay and $2,044 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kostanay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $962 in Kostanay and $1,363 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 42%.

Kindergarten costs $209 per month in Kostanay and $444 in Almaty. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kostanay, where all-in costs run around $962, than in Almaty at $1,363. In Kostanay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kostanay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kostanay. 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.