Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petropavl and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Petropavl: $820 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Petropavl
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Petropavl Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Petropavl

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$820

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $820 per month in Petropavl vs $1,362 in Almaty, rent included.

Petropavl $820
Almaty $1,362

A couple spends around $1,499 per month in Petropavl vs $2,151 in Almaty, rent included.

Petropavl $1,499
Almaty $2,151

A family of three spends $2,178 per month in Petropavl vs $2,940 in Almaty, rent included.

Petropavl $2,178
Almaty $2,940

Petropavl is about 40% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.55 ₸6,599

$13.32 ₸6,039

9.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.74 ₸13.9K

$44.80 ₸20.3K

-31.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 ₸4,197

$8.94 ₸4,054

3.47%

Cappuccino

$2.79 ₸1,263

$3.37 ₸1,530

-17.21%

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

$1.45 ₸655

$1.32 ₸599

9.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₸331

$0.87 ₸397

-16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 ₸718

$3.15 ₸1,428

-49.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₸1,234

$3.95 ₸1,793

-31.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 ₸522

$1.66 ₸752

-30.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 ₸315

$0.86 ₸392

-18.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 ₸960

$2.01 ₸909

5.47%

Eggs

$2.10 ₸954

$2.47 ₸1,122

-14.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.72 ₸4,860

$12.58 ₸5,703

-14.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ₸2,825

$6.57 ₸2,980

-5.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 ₸4,493

$10.61 ₸4,811

-6.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 ₸698

$1.79 ₸812

-13.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ₸1,031

$2.30 ₸1,041

-1.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ₸818

$2.96 ₸1,343

-39.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₸596

$2.86 ₸1,295

-54.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₸317

$0.81 ₸365

-13.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₸312

$0.59 ₸267

16.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 ₸1,180

$1.58 ₸718

64.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₸531

$0.99 ₸451

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 ₸1,067

$2.74 ₸1,242

-14.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.80 ₸3,539

$11.30 ₸5,125

-30.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₸514

$1.22 ₸555

-7.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₸982

$2.46 ₸1,117

-11.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸114

$0.26 ₸117

-3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸9,970

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 ₸292

$1.35 ₸613

-52.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ₸448

$0.70 ₸318

41.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,043

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸298

$0.72 ₸328

-8.33%

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

$21.9K ₸9.9M

$28.4K ₸12.9M

-23.03%

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

$26.2K ₸11.9M

$31.8K ₸14.4M

-17.68%

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

$56.7 ₸25.7K

$91.3 ₸41.4K

-37.93%

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

$17.77 ₸8,058

$10.60 ₸4,806

67.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 ₸8,112

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.73 ₸13.0K

$65.3 ₸29.6K

-56.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 ₸12.6K

Cinema Ticket

$5.11 ₸2,318

$6.47 ₸2,932

-21.02%

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

$89.5 ₸40.6K

$473 ₸214.4K

-81.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ₸5.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.05 ₸20.4K

$93.1 ₸42.2K

-51.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.23 ₸15.1K

$47.67 ₸21.6K

-30.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.8 ₸29.8K

$143 ₸64.7K

-53.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸61.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$344 ₸155.9K

$780 ₸354.0K

-55.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 ₸98.9K

$492 ₸223.2K

-55.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 ₸451.9K

$1,419 ₸643.7K

-29.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₸357.6K

$934 ₸423.6K

-15.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$888 ₸402.9K

$2,462 ₸1.1M

-63.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,010 ₸457.8K

$1,591 ₸721.8K

-36.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$297 ₸134.8K

$873 ₸395.7K

-65.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

-3.15%

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

Last update for Petropavl: October 26, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petropavl

$218 26.6%

Almaty

$492 36.1% 126% $274

Groceries & Markets

Petropavl

$217 26.5%

Almaty

$250 18.4% 15.2% $33

Eating Out

Petropavl

$200 24.4%

Almaty

$206 15.1% 3.3% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petropavl

$74 * 9.1%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 60.9% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Petropavl

$65 * 7.9%

Almaty

$188 13.8% 190% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Petropavl

$39 4.8%

Almaty

$78 5.7% 101% $39

Getting Around

Petropavl

$6.6 * 0.8%

Almaty

$28 2.1% 323% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $344 in Petropavl 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 in Almaty are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Petropavl versus $45 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $217 vs $250 – making Petropavl the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Petropavl

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

00:06 12:06 AM

Same time as Petropavl

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

222,703

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

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Between locations

Petropavl Almaty 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Petropavl
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

Petropavl vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,229 per month in Petropavl 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 Petropavl, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $344 there versus $780 in Almaty.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $820 in Petropavl and $1,362 in Almaty. That makes Petropavl about 40% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $89 per month in Petropavl and $473 in Almaty. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $820 in Petropavl and $1,362 in Almaty. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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