Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Karaganda

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaganda: $926 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $36,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Karaganda
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$926
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Karaganda

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $926 in Karaganda, rent included.

  • London $3,986
  • Karaganda $926

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $1,492 in Karaganda, rent included.

  • London $5,791
  • Karaganda $1,492

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $2,058 in Karaganda, rent included.

  • London $7,595
  • Karaganda $2,058

London costs about 331% more than Karaganda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

London sits 195% above the global median, while Karaganda is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Karaganda
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.93 £19.45
$9.85 ₸4,452
163.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107 £79.9
$35.09 ₸15.9K
203.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.03
$5.43 ₸2,453
97.24%
Cappuccino
$5.47 £4.11
$1.92 ₸869
184.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.23
$0.91 ₸413
226.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 £1.65
$0.64 ₸290
243.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.13 £6.85
$1.36 ₸617
571.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94 £5.96
$2.80 ₸1,267
183.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Karaganda
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.40
$1.34 ₸605
38.81%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 £1.55
$0.49 ₸222
322.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 £1.81
$1.32 ₸597
83.33%
Eggs
$5.09 £3.82
$1.79 ₸808
184.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 £9.66
$13.12 ₸5,929
-1.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 £7.82
$5.40 ₸2,442
93.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 £12.66
$11.19 ₸5,060
50.76%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 £2.33
$1.49 ₸673
108.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.89 ₸856
-25.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 £2.31
$2.87 ₸1,299
7.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 £2.45
$2.17 ₸979
50.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$0.67 ₸301
135.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 £1.31
$0.59 ₸267
194.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.03 ₸467
35.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$0.69 ₸310
160.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28 £17.46
$2.25 ₸1,016
934.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 £9.77
$8.43 ₸3,813
54.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.38
$1.35 ₸610
134.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 £3.32
$2.12 ₸957
108.49%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Karaganda
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.05
$0.21 ₸94.9
1838.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$247 £185
$15.75 ₸7,119
1466.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.18
$1.26 ₸568
342.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.36 £2.52
$1.20 ₸541
180.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.8 £42.58
$3.31 ₸1,496
1614.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 £1.60
$0.56 ₸254
280.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.6K
$22.0K ₸10.0M
73.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.7K
$31.9K ₸14.4M
28.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Karaganda
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £279
$72.2 ₸32.7K
415.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.82 £13.37
$10.01 ₸4,523
78.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.37 £30.29
$11.86 ₸5,360
240.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Karaganda
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 £44.99
$46.00 ₸20.8K
30.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.29 £15.97
$18.82 ₸8,505
13.12%
Cinema Ticket
$17.74 £13.31
$5.34 ₸2,416
232.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Karaganda
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,864 £2,149
$135 ₸60.8K
2028.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.5K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Karaganda
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £85.5
$58.9 ₸26.6K
93.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 £40.71
$57.8 ₸26.1K
-6.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 £93.2
$79.1 ₸35.8K
57.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 £122
$85.6 ₸38.7K
90.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Karaganda
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,869 £2,152
$394 ₸178.2K
627.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,233 £1,675
$273 ₸123.2K
719.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,266 £3,951
$738 ₸333.5K
613.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,778 £2,835
$536 ₸242.3K
605.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.3K £13.8K
$1,053 ₸476.1K
1640.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,024 £6,020
$711 ₸321.5K
1028.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Karaganda
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,037 £3,779
$569 ₸257.3K
784.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
19.25
-75.38%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Karaganda: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.2K
Karaganda
$273 87.8% $2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$430
Karaganda
$94 78.1% $336
Eating Out
London
$388
Karaganda
$137 64.7% $251
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Karaganda
$215 38.4% $134
Getting Around
London
$285
Karaganda
$24 91.7% $262
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Karaganda
$127 38.2% $78
Sport & Entertainment
London
$95
Karaganda
$57 40.6% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $394 in Karaganda. 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 785% higher in London, 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 $107 in London versus $35.00 in Karaganda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $215 – making Karaganda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇰🇿 Karaganda
🕒 Local time
03:28 3:28 AM
08:28 8:28 AM
5 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
520,486
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Karaganda 4,940 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Karaganda

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
London vs Karaganda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in London and in Karaganda compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,986 in London, $926 in Karaganda – roughly 331% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in London compared to Karaganda?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $1,389 in Karaganda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between London and Karaganda?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Karaganda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in London and in Karaganda?
Public transport costs about 1467% less in Karaganda. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between London and Karaganda?
Kindergarten costs $2,864 per month in London and $135 in Karaganda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karaganda, where all-in costs run around $926, than in London at $3,986. In Karaganda it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between London and Karaganda?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $926 in Karaganda to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between London and Karaganda?
If budget matters most, go with Karaganda. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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