Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Semey and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Semey
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Semey Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Semey

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$712

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $712 per month in Semey vs $1,362 in Almaty, rent included.

Semey $712
Almaty $1,362

A couple spends around $1,148 per month in Semey vs $2,151 in Almaty, rent included.

Semey $1,148
Almaty $2,151

A family of three spends $1,584 per month in Semey vs $2,940 in Almaty, rent included.

Semey $1,584
Almaty $2,940

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 ₸2,235

$13.32 ₸6,040

-62.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.82 ₸9,898

$44.80 ₸20.3K

-51.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.49 ₸2,491

$8.94 ₸4,054

-38.59%

Cappuccino

$1.70 ₸771

$3.37 ₸1,530

-49.55%

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

$0.76 ₸345

$1.32 ₸599

-42.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₸216

$0.87 ₸397

-44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.91 ₸412

$3.15 ₸1,428

-71.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸614

$3.95 ₸1,794

-65.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 ₸469

$1.66 ₸752

-37.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 ₸167

$0.86 ₸392

-56.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 ₸845

$2.01 ₸910

-7.46%

Eggs

$1.53 ₸693

$2.47 ₸1,122

-38.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.36 ₸2,432

$12.58 ₸5,704

-57.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 ₸1,751

$6.57 ₸2,980

-41.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.43 ₸2,461

$10.61 ₸4,812

-48.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 ₸559

$1.79 ₸812

-31.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₸748

$2.30 ₸1,041

-28.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 ₸781

$2.96 ₸1,344

-41.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 ₸768

$2.86 ₸1,295

-40.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₸176

$0.81 ₸365

-51.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ₸274

$0.59 ₸267

1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₸461

$1.58 ₸718

-35.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸448

$0.99 ₸451

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,116

$2.74 ₸1,243

-10.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 ₸3,282

$11.30 ₸5,125

-35.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₸596

$1.22 ₸555

7.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₸998

$2.46 ₸1,117

-10.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸114

$0.26 ₸117

-3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.69 ₸7,119

$21.98 ₸9,971

-28.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₸586

$1.35 ₸613

-4.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 ₸515

$0.70 ₸318

62.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 ₸2,968

$11.12 ₸5,044

-41.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 ₸293

$0.72 ₸328

-9.72%

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

$32.4K ₸14.7M

$28.4K ₸12.9M

13.98%

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

$26.3K ₸11.9M

$31.8K ₸14.4M

-17.36%

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

$33.66 ₸15.3K

$91.3 ₸41.4K

-63.13%

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

$9.01 ₸4,088

$10.60 ₸4,807

-15.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.84 ₸8,544

$17.89 ₸8,113

5.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.36 ₸19.2K

$65.3 ₸29.6K

-35.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.23 ₸5,095

$27.76 ₸12.6K

-59.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 ₸1,993

$6.47 ₸2,933

-32.15%

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

$132 ₸60.0K

$473 ₸214.4K

-72.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,406 ₸2.0M

$12.3K ₸5.6M

-64.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.90 ₸13.1K

$93.1 ₸42.2K

-68.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.47 ₸11.6K

$47.67 ₸21.6K

-46.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₸45.4K

$143 ₸64.7K

-29.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 ₸34.7K

$134 ₸61.0K

-43.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$339 ₸153.5K

$780 ₸354.0K

-56.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 ₸103.8K

$492 ₸223.2K

-53.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ₸276.9K

$1,419 ₸643.8K

-56.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₸221.6K

$934 ₸423.7K

-47.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,205 ₸546.7K

$2,462 ₸1.1M

-51.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$739 ₸335.4K

$1,591 ₸721.9K

-53.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 ₸395.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.25

20.65

-6.78%

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

Last update for Semey: October 25, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Semey

$229 32.2%

Almaty

$492 36.1% 115% $263

Groceries & Markets

Semey

$154 21.7%

Almaty

$250 18.4% 61.9% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Semey

$104 14.6%

Almaty

$188 13.8% 80.9% $84

Eating Out

Semey

$88 12.4%

Almaty

$206 15.1% 133% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Semey

$62 8.6%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 94.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Semey

$51 7.2%

Almaty

$78 5.7% 52.9% $27

Getting Around

Semey

$24 3.3%

Almaty

$28 2.1% 17.8% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $339 in Semey 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Semey versus $45 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $154 vs $250 – making Semey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Semey

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

11:57 11:57 AM

Same time as Semey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

310,456

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

Semey Almaty 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Semey
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

Semey vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 91%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,068 per month in Semey 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 Semey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $339 there versus $780 in Almaty.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Semey and $45 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 $712 in Semey and $1,362 in Almaty. That makes Semey about 48% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Semey, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Almaty at $1,362. In Semey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Semey is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 48% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.