Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pavlodar and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Pavlodar: $734 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Pavlodar
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Pavlodar Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Pavlodar

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$734

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $734 per month in Pavlodar vs $1,362 in Almaty, rent included.

Pavlodar $734
Almaty $1,362

A couple spends around $1,147 per month in Pavlodar vs $2,151 in Almaty, rent included.

Pavlodar $1,147
Almaty $2,151

A family of three spends $1,561 per month in Pavlodar vs $2,940 in Almaty, rent included.

Pavlodar $1,561
Almaty $2,940

Pavlodar is about 46% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 ₸2,969

$13.32 ₸6,039

-50.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.12 ₸10.0K

$44.80 ₸20.3K

-50.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 ₸4,083

$8.94 ₸4,054

0.67%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ₸788

$3.37 ₸1,530

-48.37%

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

$1.19 ₸540

$1.32 ₸599

-9.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₸219

$0.87 ₸397

-44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₸490

$3.15 ₸1,428

-65.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₸622

$3.95 ₸1,793

-65.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 ₸469

$1.66 ₸752

-37.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.34 ₸152

$0.86 ₸392

-60.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 ₸618

$2.01 ₸909

-32.34%

Eggs

$1.56 ₸708

$2.47 ₸1,122

-36.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.41 ₸2,455

$12.58 ₸5,703

-57.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₸2,098

$6.57 ₸2,980

-29.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 ₸3,092

$10.61 ₸4,811

-35.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 ₸643

$1.79 ₸812

-20.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₸765

$2.30 ₸1,041

-26.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 ₸782

$2.96 ₸1,343

-41.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 ₸772

$2.86 ₸1,295

-40.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₸415

$0.81 ₸365

12.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₸325

$0.59 ₸267

22.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ₸718

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₸346

$0.99 ₸451

-23.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 ₸1,136

$2.74 ₸1,242

-8.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.06 ₸3,204

$11.30 ₸5,125

-37.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₸590

$1.22 ₸555

6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₸999

$2.46 ₸1,117

-10.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₸162

$0.26 ₸117

38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸9,970

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ₸640

$1.35 ₸613

4.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 ₸539

$0.70 ₸318

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,043

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸311

$0.72 ₸328

-4.17%

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

$28.4K ₸12.9M

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

$26.3K ₸11.9M

$31.8K ₸14.4M

-17.44%

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

$66.4 ₸30.1K

$91.3 ₸41.4K

-27.32%

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

$11.31 ₸5,129

$10.60 ₸4,806

6.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.05 ₸12.3K

$17.89 ₸8,112

51.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.63 ₸14.3K

$65.3 ₸29.6K

-51.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.01 ₸4,994

$27.76 ₸12.6K

-60.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 ₸2,024

$6.47 ₸2,932

-31.07%

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

$133 ₸60.2K

$473 ₸214.4K

-71.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,420 ₸2.0M

$12.3K ₸5.6M

-63.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 ₸42.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.25 ₸11.5K

$47.67 ₸21.6K

-47.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₸34.1K

$143 ₸64.7K

-47.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 ₸44.8K

$134 ₸61.0K

-26.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₸124.2K

$780 ₸354.0K

-64.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 ₸99.5K

$492 ₸223.2K

-55.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 ₸252.3K

$1,419 ₸643.7K

-60.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ₸198.2K

$934 ₸423.6K

-53.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,081 ₸490.1K

$2,462 ₸1.1M

-56.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$872 ₸395.6K

$1,591 ₸721.8K

-45.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$707 ₸320.6K

$873 ₸395.7K

-18.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

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

Last update for Pavlodar: October 24, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pavlodar

$219 29.9%

Almaty

$492 36.1% 124% $273

Groceries & Markets

Pavlodar

$156 * 21.3%

Almaty

$250 18.4% 60% $94

Eating Out

Pavlodar

$115 15.7%

Almaty

$206 15.1% 79.3% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pavlodar

$105 14.3%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 14.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Pavlodar

$90 * 12.2%

Almaty

$188 13.8% 110% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Pavlodar

$41 5.5%

Almaty

$78 5.7% 92.9% $38

Getting Around

Pavlodar

$8.8 * 1.2%

Almaty

$28 2.1% 217% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $274 in Pavlodar versus $780 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 23% 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 $22 in Pavlodar versus $45 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $250 – making Pavlodar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Pavlodar

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

09:55 9:55 AM

Same time as Pavlodar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

334,830

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Pavlodar Almaty 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pavlodar
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

Pavlodar vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,101 per month in Pavlodar and $2,043 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pavlodar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $274 there versus $780 in Almaty.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $734 in Pavlodar and $1,362 in Almaty. That makes Pavlodar about 46% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $133 per month in Pavlodar and $473 in Almaty. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Pavlodar, where all-in costs run around $734, than in Almaty at $1,362. In Pavlodar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pavlodar – 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 Pavlodar. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.