Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanyang and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanyang: $723 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nanyang
🇨🇳 China
$723
/mo nomad
Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,387
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $723 per month in Nanyang vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Nanyang $723
  • Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,128 per month in Nanyang vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Nanyang $1,128
  • Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $1,534 per month in Nanyang vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Nanyang $1,534
  • Almaty $2,883

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

Nanyang sits 46% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nanyang
Almaty
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.80 ¥18.72
$13.31 ₸6,005
-78.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.22 ¥142
$43.37 ₸19.6K
-51.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.86 ¥32.46
$8.80 ₸3,969
-44.77%
Cappuccino
$2.97 ¥19.86
$3.30 ₸1,490
-10.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 ¥2.90
$1.37 ₸617
-68.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 ¥1.80
$0.90 ₸407
-70.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.93 ¥6.18
$3.13 ₸1,412
-70.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 ¥13.72
$4.10 ₸1,851
-50.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nanyang
Almaty
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.87 ¥12.50
$1.66 ₸750
12.65%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 ¥10.29
$0.90 ₸404
71.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.91 ¥6.07
$2.06 ₸929
-55.83%
Eggs
$1.60 ¥10.71
$2.37 ₸1,069
-32.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.74 ¥85.1
$12.64 ₸5,702
0.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.27 ¥21.83
$6.62 ₸2,985
-50.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.08 ¥67.4
$10.87 ₸4,904
-7.27%
Apples (1kg)
$1.89 ¥12.62
$1.86 ₸841
1.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.20 ¥8.02
$2.37 ₸1,070
-49.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.54 ¥10.30
$2.99 ₸1,351
-48.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.14 ¥7.61
$2.83 ₸1,276
-59.72%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ¥4.99
$0.77 ₸346
-2.60%
Onion (1kg)
$0.96 ¥6.42
$0.58 ₸263
65.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.59 ¥3.95
$1.59 ₸719
-62.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ¥3.45
$0.99 ₸447
-47.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.05 ¥20.38
$2.54 ₸1,147
20.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.48 ¥70.1
$11.04 ₸4,981
-5.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 ¥4.95
$1.21 ₸548
-38.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ¥10.70
$2.41 ₸1,087
-33.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Nanyang
Almaty
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ¥1.95
$0.25 ₸113
16.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.81 ¥112
$21.84 ₸9,854
-23.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.42 ¥9.51
$1.28 ₸578
10.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 ¥2.34
$0.64 ₸290
-45.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.81 ¥45.51
$10.74 ₸4,847
-36.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 ¥7.82
$0.69 ₸313
69.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4K ¥129.6K
$22.3K ₸10.1M
-12.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.9K ¥113.2K
$29.3K ₸13.2M
-42.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nanyang
Almaty
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$45.16 ¥302
$87.8 ₸39.6K
-48.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.66 ¥64.5
$10.83 ₸4,886
-10.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.68 ¥78.1
$17.40 ₸7,850
-32.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nanyang
Almaty
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.08 ¥281
$69.7 ₸31.4K
-39.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.03 ¥93.8
$26.58 ₸12.0K
-47.22%
Cinema Ticket
$5.84 ¥39.02
$6.68 ₸3,016
-12.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nanyang
Almaty
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$329 ¥2,199
$446 ₸201.2K
-26.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ¥110.9K
$11.9K ₸5.4M
39.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nanyang
Almaty
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.65 ¥298
$93.7 ₸42.3K
-52.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.36 ¥203
$46.91 ₸21.2K
-35.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.8 ¥473
$143 ₸64.4K
-50.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.4 ¥477
$133 ₸60.2K
-46.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nanyang
Almaty
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$275 ¥1,837
$773 ₸349.0K
-64.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$190 ¥1,268
$497 ₸224.4K
-61.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$592 ¥3,957
$1,390 ₸627.4K
-57.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$365 ¥2,442
$880 ₸397.0K
-58.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,016 ¥20.2K
$2,546 ₸1.1M
18.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,031 ¥13.6K
$1,506 ₸679.8K
34.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nanyang
Almaty
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$834 ₸376.1K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.89
20.65
-81.16%

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

Last update for Nanyang: October 4, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Nanyang
$198
Almaty
$251 26.9% $53
Accommodation & Living
Nanyang
$190
Almaty
$497 162% $308
Clothing & Footwear
Nanyang
$98
Almaty
$188 91.9% $90
Eating Out
Nanyang
$84
Almaty
$205 144% $121
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nanyang
$67
Almaty
$116 74.4% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Nanyang
$54
Almaty
$83 54.5% $29
Getting Around
Nanyang
$21
Almaty
$27 29.2% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $275 in Nanyang versus $773 in Almaty. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Nanyang versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $251 – making Nanyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Nanyang
🇰🇿 Almaty
🕒 Local time
13:38 1:38 PM
11:38 11:38 AM
2 h behind Nanyang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,085,680
1,475,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nanyang Almaty 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Nanyang
  • 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
Nanyang vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Almaty cheaper than Nanyang?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 92%, 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 $1,084 per month in Nanyang and $2,080 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 Nanyang, 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 Nanyang or in Almaty?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Nanyang and $43.00 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 Nanyang and in Almaty?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $723 in Nanyang and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 92%.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Nanyang or in Almaty?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanyang, where all-in costs run around $723, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Nanyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Nanyang or Almaty more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Nanyang – 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 Nanyang. 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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