Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mianyang, Sichuan and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan: $646 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Mianyang, Sichuan
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Mianyang, Sichuan Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Mianyang, Sichuan

🇨🇳 China

$646

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $646 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $646
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $998 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $998
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,350 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $1,350
Almaty $2,913

Mianyang, Sichuan is about 53% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mianyang, Sichuan sits 52% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.51

$13.16 ₸5,956

-77.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.81 ¥119

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-60.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥32.70

$8.90 ₸4,026

-45.06%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.86

$3.25 ₸1,470

-8.62%

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

$0.43 ¥2.89

$1.41 ₸640

-69.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.88 ₸399

-68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ¥9.74

$3.35 ₸1,514

-56.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.09

$4.04 ₸1,829

-44.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥10.13

$1.69 ₸763

-10.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.33

$0.86 ₸391

80.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$2.03 ₸918

-51.23%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.83

$2.43 ₸1,101

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.56 ¥97.3

$12.46 ₸5,639

16.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ¥24.42

$6.71 ₸3,037

-45.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.95 ¥73.2

$10.85 ₸4,910

0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.93

$1.80 ₸814

-0.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.77

$2.25 ₸1,019

-41.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.07

$2.91 ₸1,315

-63.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.66

$2.75 ₸1,245

-58.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$0.75 ₸338

-5.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.83

$0.55 ₸248

30.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$1.62 ₸733

-64.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$1.05 ₸474

-44.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ¥24.76

$2.58 ₸1,168

43.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.56 ¥30.46

$11.15 ₸5,048

-59.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.57

$1.21 ₸547

-31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 ¥8.68

$2.44 ₸1,105

-46.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.26 ₸117

11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,968

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ¥7.14

$1.35 ₸612

-20.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.74

$0.64 ₸288

-59.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 ¥30.57

$11.16 ₸5,050

-58.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$0.72 ₸324

73.61%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

-12.82%

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

$17.4K ¥116.3K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-42.50%

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

$47.71 ¥319

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-48.03%

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

$6.41 ¥42.80

$10.66 ₸4,826

-39.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.51 ¥83.6

$17.86 ₸8,081

-29.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.89 ¥120

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-74.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 ¥38.89

$6.78 ₸3,067

-14.16%

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

$366 ¥2,446

$449 ₸203.1K

-18.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥98.9K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

22.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.80 ¥166

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-72.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.86 ¥186

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-40.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.0 ¥388

$142 ₸64.2K

-59.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.2 ¥356

$133 ₸60.1K

-59.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$226 ¥1,508

$805 ₸364.2K

-71.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 ¥1,291

$500 ₸226.1K

-61.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥2,747

$1,429 ₸646.6K

-71.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ¥2,226

$904 ₸409.3K

-63.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,710 ¥18.1K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

8.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,816 ¥12.1K

$1,559 ₸705.5K

16.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 ¥4,890

$870 ₸393.7K

-15.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

20.65

-84.99%

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

Last update for Mianyang, Sichuan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mianyang, Sichuan

$193 29.9%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 159% $307

Groceries & Markets

Mianyang, Sichuan

$191 29.6%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 30.8% $59

Eating Out

Mianyang, Sichuan

$88 13.7%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 132% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Mianyang, Sichuan

$74 11.4%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 151% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mianyang, Sichuan

$67 10.3%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 80.6% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Mianyang, Sichuan

$30 4.6%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 184% $54

Getting Around

Mianyang, Sichuan

$3.5 * 0.5%

Almaty

$28 2% 686% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $226 in Mianyang, Sichuan 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 19% 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 $18.00 in Mianyang, Sichuan versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $250 – making Mianyang, Sichuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Mianyang, Sichuan

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

19:32 7:32 PM

17:32 5:32 PM

2 h behind Mianyang, Sichuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,868,243

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Mianyang, Sichuan Almaty 2,760 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Mianyang, Sichuan
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

Mianyang, Sichuan vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 112%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $970 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan and $2,058 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan, 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 $646 in Mianyang, Sichuan and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 112%.

Kindergarten costs $366 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan and $449 in Almaty. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mianyang, Sichuan, where all-in costs run around $646, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Mianyang, Sichuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Mianyang, Sichuan. 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.