Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qapshaghay and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Qapshaghay: $1,077 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Qapshaghay
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Qapshaghay Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,077

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,077 per month in Qapshaghay vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Qapshaghay $1,077
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,621 per month in Qapshaghay vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Qapshaghay $1,621
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $2,166 per month in Qapshaghay vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Qapshaghay $2,166
Almaty $2,913

Qapshaghay is about 22% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Qapshaghay sits 20% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.99 ₸4,967

$13.16 ₸5,949

-16.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.25 ₸10.1K

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-50.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 ₸3,002

$8.90 ₸4,022

-25.39%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ₸827

$3.25 ₸1,469

-43.69%

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

$1.03 ₸464

$1.41 ₸639

-26.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₸292

$0.88 ₸399

-26.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₸583

$3.35 ₸1,513

-61.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₸594

$4.04 ₸1,827

-67.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₸760

$1.69 ₸762

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 ₸203

$0.86 ₸390

-47.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 ₸952

$2.03 ₸917

3.94%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,118

$2.43 ₸1,100

1.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 ₸5,546

$12.46 ₸5,632

-1.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 ₸2,955

$6.71 ₸3,033

-2.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,913

$10.85 ₸4,905

0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸811

$1.80 ₸813

-0.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₸1,033

$2.25 ₸1,018

1.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 ₸1,305

$2.91 ₸1,314

-0.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 ₸1,289

$2.75 ₸1,243

3.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸339

$0.75 ₸337

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸263

$0.55 ₸248

5.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸731

$1.62 ₸732

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸449

$1.05 ₸474

-5.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.59 ₸720

$2.58 ₸1,167

-38.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 ₸5,070

$11.15 ₸5,042

0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₸570

$1.21 ₸547

4.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,088

$2.44 ₸1,104

-1.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 ₸85.5

$0.26 ₸117

-26.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.82 ₸7,606

$22.03 ₸9,957

-23.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₸365

$1.35 ₸611

-40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸290

$0.64 ₸288

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ₸1,789

$11.16 ₸5,044

-64.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 ₸260

$0.72 ₸324

-20.83%

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

$21.9K ₸9.9M

$22.5K ₸10.2M

-2.88%

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

$29.7K ₸13.4M

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-2.03%

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

$90.4 ₸40.9K

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-1.54%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.21 ₸8,233

$17.86 ₸8,072

1.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 ₸18.9K

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-40.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ₸2,935

$6.78 ₸3,064

-4.28%

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

$145 ₸65.7K

$449 ₸202.9K

-67.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,498 ₸2.0M

$12.1K ₸5.5M

-62.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 ₸41.0K

$89.9 ₸40.7K

0.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.03 ₸20.8K

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-2.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 ₸63.8K

$142 ₸64.1K

-0.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸60.5K

$133 ₸60.0K

0.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 ₸199.5K

$805 ₸363.7K

-45.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₸137.7K

$500 ₸225.9K

-39.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$718 ₸324.4K

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-49.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₸223.8K

$904 ₸408.8K

-45.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 ₸538.3K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

-52.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 ₸347.4K

$1,559 ₸704.7K

-50.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

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 Qapshaghay: October 10, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Qapshaghay

$305 28.3%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 64% $195

Groceries & Markets

Qapshaghay

$246 22.8%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 1.9% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Qapshaghay

$185 17.2%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 0.1% $0.1

Eating Out

Qapshaghay

$146 13.5%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 40.8% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qapshaghay

$119 11.1%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 0.9% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Qapshaghay

$55 5.1%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 53% $29

Getting Around

Qapshaghay

$22 2%

Almaty

$28 2% 27.8% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $441 in Qapshaghay 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Qapshaghay versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $250 – making Qapshaghay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

14:42 2:42 PM

Same time as Qapshaghay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,167

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Qapshaghay Almaty 71 km

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Qapshaghay
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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

Qapshaghay vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,615 per month in Qapshaghay 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 Qapshaghay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Qapshaghay and $45.00 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 $1,077 in Qapshaghay and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 27%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Qapshaghay, where all-in costs run around $1,077, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Qapshaghay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qapshaghay – 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 Qapshaghay. 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.