Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maoming and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Maoming: $709 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Maoming
🇨🇳 China
$709
/mo nomad
Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,372
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $709 per month in Maoming vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Maoming $709
  • Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,137 per month in Maoming vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Maoming $1,137
  • Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,566 per month in Maoming vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Maoming $1,566
  • Almaty $2,913

Maoming is about 48% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Maoming sits 47% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Maoming
Almaty
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.62 ¥17.53
$13.16 ₸5,949
-80.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.74 ¥159
$44.86 ₸20.3K
-47.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.01 ¥26.83
$8.90 ₸4,022
-54.94%
Cappuccino
$2.75 ¥18.36
$3.25 ₸1,469
-15.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ¥3.35
$1.41 ₸639
-64.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ¥1.93
$0.88 ₸399
-67.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.95 ¥6.35
$3.35 ₸1,513
-71.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 ¥15.32
$4.04 ₸1,827
-43.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Maoming
Almaty
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ¥11.65
$1.69 ₸762
2.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.77 ¥11.81
$0.86 ₸390
105.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.00 ¥6.67
$2.03 ₸917
-50.74%
Eggs
$1.66 ¥11.09
$2.43 ₸1,100
-31.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.96 ¥93.4
$12.46 ₸5,632
12.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.47 ¥23.17
$6.71 ₸3,033
-48.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.04 ¥73.9
$10.85 ₸4,905
1.75%
Apples (1kg)
$1.93 ¥12.90
$1.80 ₸813
7.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.34 ¥8.99
$2.25 ₸1,018
-40.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.55 ¥10.36
$2.91 ₸1,314
-46.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.25 ¥8.34
$2.75 ₸1,243
-54.55%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ¥4.64
$0.75 ₸337
-8.00%
Onion (1kg)
$0.95 ¥6.33
$0.55 ₸248
72.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.66 ¥4.43
$1.62 ₸732
-59.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ¥3.66
$1.05 ₸474
-47.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.37 ¥22.55
$2.58 ₸1,167
30.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.67 ¥78.0
$11.15 ₸5,042
4.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 ¥5.59
$1.21 ₸547
-30.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ¥10.26
$2.44 ₸1,104
-36.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Maoming
Almaty
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ¥1.92
$0.26 ₸117
11.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$17.23 ¥115
$22.03 ₸9,957
-21.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ¥10.09
$1.35 ₸611
11.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.36 ¥2.39
$0.64 ₸288
-43.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.12 ¥47.62
$11.16 ₸5,044
-36.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 ¥8.64
$0.72 ₸324
79.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4K ¥129.5K
$22.5K ₸10.2M
-13.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.5K ¥117.2K
$30.3K ₸13.7M
-42.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maoming
Almaty
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.6 ¥385
$91.8 ₸41.5K
-37.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.78 ¥58.7
$10.66 ₸4,820
-17.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.99 ¥80.2
$17.86 ₸8,072
-32.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Maoming
Almaty
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.74 ¥226
$70.3 ₸31.8K
-52.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.10 ¥101
$27.60 ₸12.5K
-45.29%
Cinema Ticket
$6.18 ¥41.32
$6.78 ₸3,064
-8.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Maoming
Almaty
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$463 ¥3,098
$449 ₸202.9K
3.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.2K ¥115.0K
$12.1K ₸5.5M
42.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Maoming
Almaty
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.17 ¥295
$89.9 ₸40.7K
-50.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.79 ¥226
$47.02 ₸21.3K
-28.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.7 ¥540
$142 ₸64.1K
-43.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$67.8 ¥453
$133 ₸60.0K
-48.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Maoming
Almaty
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$257 ¥1,715
$805 ₸363.7K
-68.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$171 ¥1,140
$500 ₸225.9K
-65.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$601 ¥4,017
$1,429 ₸645.9K
-57.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$339 ¥2,267
$904 ₸408.8K
-62.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,926 ¥26.2K
$2,503 ₸1.1M
56.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,723 ¥11.5K
$1,559 ₸704.7K
10.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Maoming
Almaty
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,026 ¥6,857
$870 ₸393.3K
17.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.36
20.65
-83.73%

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

Last update for Maoming: October 13, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Maoming
$212
Almaty
$250 18.1% $38
Accommodation & Living
Maoming
$171
Almaty
$500 193% $329
Clothing & Footwear
Maoming
$102
Almaty
$185 81.7% $83
Eating Out
Maoming
$78
Almaty
$205 161% $127
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maoming
$78
Almaty
$120 53.5% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Maoming
$46
Almaty
$84 81.9% $38
Getting Around
Maoming
$22
Almaty
$28 27.4% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $257 in Maoming versus $805 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 18% higher in Maoming, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Maoming versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $250 – making Maoming the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Maoming
🇰🇿 Almaty
🕒 Local time
17:09 5:09 PM
15:09 3:09 PM
2 h behind Maoming
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,217,000
1,475,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Maoming Almaty 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Maoming
  • 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
Maoming vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Almaty cheaper than Maoming?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,064 per month in Maoming and $2,058 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Maoming, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Maoming or in Almaty?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Maoming and $45.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Maoming and in Almaty?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $709 in Maoming and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 93%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Maoming or in Almaty?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Maoming, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Maoming it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Maoming or Almaty more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Maoming – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Maoming. 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.

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