Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qingdao, Shandong and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Qingdao, Shandong: $756 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Qingdao, Shandong
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Qingdao, Shandong Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Qingdao, Shandong

🇨🇳 China

$756

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $756 per month in Qingdao, Shandong vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Qingdao, Shandong $756
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,233 per month in Qingdao, Shandong vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Qingdao, Shandong $1,233
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $1,709 per month in Qingdao, Shandong vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Qingdao, Shandong $1,709
Almaty $2,883

Qingdao, Shandong is about 45% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Qingdao, Shandong sits 44% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.91 ¥19.43

$13.31 ₸6,034

-78.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.98 ¥120

$43.37 ₸19.7K

-58.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ¥29.79

$8.80 ₸3,988

-49.32%

Cappuccino

$2.66 ¥17.78

$3.30 ₸1,497

-19.39%

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

$0.54 ¥3.64

$1.37 ₸620

-60.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ¥2.15

$0.90 ₸409

-64.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 ¥7.42

$3.13 ₸1,419

-64.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ¥17.82

$4.10 ₸1,860

-34.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ¥12.73

$1.66 ₸754

15.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 ¥9.05

$0.90 ₸406

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.50

$2.06 ₸933

-52.91%

Eggs

$1.29 ¥8.63

$2.37 ₸1,074

-45.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.27 ¥109

$12.64 ₸5,730

28.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 ¥29.12

$6.62 ₸3,000

-34.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 ¥64.6

$10.87 ₸4,928

-11.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.43

$1.86 ₸845

-24.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ¥7.99

$2.37 ₸1,075

-49.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$2.99 ₸1,358

-42.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.39

$2.83 ₸1,282

-55.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.53

$0.77 ₸347

-11.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.44

$0.58 ₸264

65.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 ¥6.26

$1.59 ₸723

-40.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$0.99 ₸449

-38.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 ¥25.34

$2.54 ₸1,153

49.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.69 ¥98.2

$11.04 ₸5,005

33.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.75

$1.21 ₸550

-16.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.50

$2.41 ₸1,093

-34.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.25 ₸113

24.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.25 ¥122

$21.84 ₸9,901

-16.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ¥10.03

$1.28 ₸581

17.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.64 ₸291

-35.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.5

$10.74 ₸4,870

-15.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$0.69 ₸314

89.86%

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

$19.1K ¥127.4K

$22.3K ₸10.1M

-14.45%

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

$16.6K ¥110.7K

$29.3K ₸13.3M

-43.55%

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

$69.2 ¥463

$87.8 ₸39.8K

-21.11%

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

$6.73 ¥44.95

$10.83 ₸4,909

-37.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.73 ¥51.7

$17.40 ₸7,887

-55.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.95 ¥140

$69.7 ₸31.6K

-69.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 ¥122

$26.58 ₸12.1K

-31.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 ¥41.79

$6.68 ₸3,031

-6.44%

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

$365 ¥2,439

$446 ₸202.2K

-18.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K ¥117.4K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

47.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 ¥351

$93.7 ₸42.5K

-43.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.25 ¥329

$46.91 ₸21.3K

4.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ¥628

$143 ₸64.7K

-34.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 ¥609

$133 ₸60.5K

-31.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 ¥2,362

$773 ₸350.6K

-54.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ¥1,328

$497 ₸225.5K

-60.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 ¥5,056

$1,390 ₸630.4K

-45.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ¥2,796

$880 ₸398.9K

-52.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,573 ¥23.9K

$2,546 ₸1.2M

40.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,172 ¥14.5K

$1,506 ₸683.0K

44.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,196 ¥7,995

$834 ₸377.9K

43.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

20.65

-83.68%

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

Last update for Qingdao, Shandong: October 6, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Qingdao, Shandong

$221 28.7%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 13.5% $30

Accommodation & Living

Qingdao, Shandong

$199 25.7%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 150% $299

Clothing & Footwear

Qingdao, Shandong

$129 16.7%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 45.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qingdao, Shandong

$84 10.8%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 38.6% $32

Eating Out

Qingdao, Shandong

$83 10.7%

Almaty

$205 15% 148% $122

Sport & Entertainment

Qingdao, Shandong

$33 4.3%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 148% $50

Getting Around

Qingdao, Shandong

$23 3%

Almaty

$27 2% 18.5% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $353 in Qingdao, Shandong 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.

Salaries run about 44% higher in Qingdao, Shandong, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Qingdao, Shandong versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $251 – making Qingdao, Shandong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Qingdao, Shandong

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

16:53 4:53 PM

14:53 2:53 PM

2 h behind Qingdao, Shandong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,071,722

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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Qingdao, Shandong Almaty 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Qingdao, Shandong
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

Qingdao, Shandong vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,134 per month in Qingdao, Shandong and $2,080 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qingdao, Shandong, 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 $18.00 in Qingdao, Shandong 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 $756 in Qingdao, Shandong and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 83%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Qingdao, Shandong, where all-in costs run around $756, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Qingdao, Shandong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qingdao, Shandong – 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 Qingdao, Shandong. 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.