Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putian and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Putian: $518 a month against $1,363 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Putian
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Putian Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Putian

🇨🇳 China

$518

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $518 per month in Putian vs $1,363 in Almaty, rent included.

Putian $518
Almaty $1,363

A couple spends around $854 per month in Putian vs $2,131 in Almaty, rent included.

Putian $854
Almaty $2,131

A family of three spends $1,190 per month in Putian vs $2,900 in Almaty, rent included.

Putian $1,190
Almaty $2,900

Putian is about 62% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Putian sits 62% below the global median, while Almaty is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 ¥14.79

$13.05 ₸5,899

-83.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.26 ¥156

$43.44 ₸19.6K

-46.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥34.57

$8.76 ₸3,962

-40.98%

Cappuccino

$2.44 ¥16.32

$3.32 ₸1,501

-26.51%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$1.34 ₸607

-67.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.83 ₸374

-65.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.16

$3.36 ₸1,518

-77.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ¥19.58

$4.02 ₸1,818

-27.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$1.65 ₸747

-10.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$0.93 ₸421

141.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$2.05 ₸927

-54.63%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.58

$2.46 ₸1,113

-35.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$12.49 ₸5,646

-6.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 ¥16.22

$6.71 ₸3,035

-63.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 ¥81.4

$10.85 ₸4,905

12.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 ¥17.03

$1.78 ₸807

43.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.49

$2.25 ₸1,018

-36.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ¥11.34

$2.87 ₸1,299

-40.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ¥13.25

$2.71 ₸1,227

-26.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.79

$0.80 ₸362

27.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.86

$0.55 ₸249

221.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$1.62 ₸732

-42.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.36

$1.00 ₸453

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.31

$2.58 ₸1,167

17.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 ¥74.8

$11.15 ₸5,039

0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.58

$1.26 ₸572

-34.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.44

$2.48 ₸1,120

-31.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 ¥4.92

$0.28 ₸128

164.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.38 ¥150

$22.05 ₸9,970

1.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$1.34 ₸607

13.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.64 ₸288

-54.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.94

$11.04 ₸4,993

-36.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$0.72 ₸326

81.94%

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

$19.4K ¥129.8K

$28.1K ₸12.7M

-31.02%

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

$17.8K ¥118.8K

$31.8K ₸14.4M

-44.13%

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

$44.03 ¥294

$90.5 ₸40.9K

-51.36%

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

$8.87 ¥59.3

$10.63 ₸4,805

-16.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.55 ¥70.6

$18.12 ₸8,190

-41.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₸31.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 ₸12.2K

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 ¥67.4

$6.77 ₸3,062

48.89%

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

$492 ¥3,286

$444 ₸200.6K

10.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.6K

$12.0K ₸5.4M

104.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.10 ¥261

$91.9 ₸41.5K

-57.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 ¥195

$47.80 ₸21.6K

-39.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ¥691

$139 ₸63.0K

-25.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 ¥573

$131 ₸59.4K

-34.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 ₸351.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₸223.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 ₸650.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 ₸409.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 ¥17.6K

$2,470 ₸1.1M

6.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,115 ¥7,452

$1,517 ₸685.7K

-26.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$480 ¥3,211

$857 ₸387.2K

-43.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

20.65

-83.24%

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

Last update for Putian: October 20, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Putian

$215 41.6%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 16.4% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Putian

$116 22.4%

Almaty

$185 13.6% 59.5% $69

Eating Out

Putian

$75 14.5%

Almaty

$204 15% 172% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Putian

$63 12.3%

Almaty

$119 8.8% 87.9% $56

Getting Around

Putian

$28 5.5%

Almaty

$28 2% 2.1% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Putian

$20 * 3.9%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 309% $62

Accommodation & Living

Putian

- * 0%

Almaty

$494 36.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 78% 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 $23.00 in Putian versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $251 – making Putian the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Putian

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

05:24 5:24 AM

03:24 3:24 AM

2 h behind Putian

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,954,000

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 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).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Putian Almaty 4,280 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Putian
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

Putian vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 163%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $777 per month in Putian and $2,044 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Putian and $43.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $518 in Putian and $1,363 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 163%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Putian, where all-in costs run around $518, than in Almaty at $1,363. In Putian it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Putian – 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 Putian. 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.