Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qiqihar and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Qiqihar: $720 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Qiqihar
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Qiqihar Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Qiqihar

🇨🇳 China

$720

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $720 per month in Qiqihar vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Qiqihar $720
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,142 per month in Qiqihar vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Qiqihar $1,142
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $1,564 per month in Qiqihar vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Qiqihar $1,564
Almaty $2,883

Qiqihar is about 48% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Qiqihar sits 46% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.83 ¥18.92

$13.31 ₸6,005

-78.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.69 ¥145

$43.37 ₸19.6K

-49.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥33.29

$8.80 ₸3,969

-43.41%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.88

$3.30 ₸1,490

-10.00%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$1.37 ₸617

-68.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.90 ₸407

-67.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.36

$3.13 ₸1,412

-69.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥13.65

$4.10 ₸1,851

-50.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.66 ₸750

8.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ¥10.42

$0.90 ₸404

73.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.35

$2.06 ₸929

-53.88%

Eggs

$1.52 ¥10.19

$2.37 ₸1,069

-35.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 ¥84.8

$12.64 ₸5,702

0.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ¥21.82

$6.62 ₸2,985

-50.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.05 ¥67.2

$10.87 ₸4,904

-7.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.08

$1.86 ₸841

-2.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.37

$2.37 ₸1,070

-47.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.92

$2.99 ₸1,351

-50.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.63

$2.83 ₸1,276

-59.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$0.77 ₸346

-5.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.35

$0.58 ₸263

63.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$1.59 ₸719

-64.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.99 ₸447

-45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ¥21.52

$2.54 ₸1,147

26.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 ¥71.3

$11.04 ₸4,981

-3.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.27

$1.21 ₸548

-34.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ¥10.57

$2.41 ₸1,087

-34.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.25 ₸113

8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.42 ¥110

$21.84 ₸9,854

-24.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.10

$1.28 ₸578

6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$0.64 ₸290

-43.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.65 ¥44.42

$10.74 ₸4,847

-38.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.85

$0.69 ₸313

69.57%

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

$19.2K ¥128.0K

$22.3K ₸10.1M

-13.99%

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

$17.3K ¥115.8K

$29.3K ₸13.2M

-40.92%

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

$44.64 ¥298

$87.8 ₸39.6K

-49.13%

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

$9.87 ¥66.0

$10.83 ₸4,886

-8.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.75 ¥78.6

$17.40 ₸7,850

-32.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.93 ¥280

$69.7 ₸31.4K

-39.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.09 ¥94.2

$26.58 ₸12.0K

-46.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.84 ¥39.06

$6.68 ₸3,016

-12.57%

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

$341 ¥2,276

$446 ₸201.2K

-23.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ¥111.7K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

40.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.36 ¥290

$93.7 ₸42.3K

-53.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.65 ¥205

$46.91 ₸21.2K

-34.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 ¥489

$143 ₸64.4K

-48.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ¥475

$133 ₸60.2K

-46.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 ¥1,891

$773 ₸349.0K

-63.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 ¥1,299

$497 ₸224.4K

-60.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 ¥4,009

$1,390 ₸627.4K

-56.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ¥2,372

$880 ₸397.0K

-59.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,055 ¥20.4K

$2,546 ₸1.1M

20.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,044 ¥13.7K

$1,506 ₸679.8K

35.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸376.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

20.65

-81.16%

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

Last update for Qiqihar: October 3, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Qiqihar

$198 27.6%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 27.2% $54

Accommodation & Living

Qiqihar

$194 27.2%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 156% $303

Clothing & Footwear

Qiqihar

$98 13.7%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 91% $89

Eating Out

Qiqihar

$85 11.9%

Almaty

$205 15% 142% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qiqihar

$66 9.3%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 75% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Qiqihar

$54 7.5%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 54.9% $29

Getting Around

Qiqihar

$21 2.9%

Almaty

$27 2% 32.5% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $283 in Qiqihar 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Qiqihar versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $251 – making Qiqihar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Qiqihar

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

13:24 1:24 PM

11:24 11:24 AM

2 h behind Qiqihar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,367,003

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Qiqihar Almaty 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Qiqihar
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

Qiqihar vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,080 per month in Qiqihar 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 Qiqihar, 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 Qiqihar 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 $720 in Qiqihar and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 93%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Qiqihar, where all-in costs run around $720, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Qiqihar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qiqihar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Qiqihar. 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.