Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Semey and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $39,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Semey
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$712
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Semey and in London

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 London actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $712 per month in Semey vs $3,986 in London, rent included.

  • Semey $712
  • London $3,986

A couple spends around $1,147 per month in Semey vs $5,791 in London, rent included.

  • Semey $1,147
  • London $5,791

A family of three spends $1,581 per month in Semey vs $7,595 in London, rent included.

  • Semey $1,581
  • London $7,595

Semey is about 82% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Semey sits 47% below the global median, while London is 195% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Semey
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.00 ₸2,261
$25.93 £19.45
-80.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.88 ₸9,891
$107 £79.9
-79.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.48 ₸2,477
$10.71 £8.03
-48.83%
Cappuccino
$1.69 ₸764
$5.47 £4.11
-69.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 ₸357
$2.97 £2.23
-73.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ₸216
$2.20 £1.65
-78.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.85 ₸384
$9.13 £6.85
-90.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 ₸621
$7.94 £5.96
-82.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Semey
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.99 ₸449
$1.86 £1.40
-46.77%
White Bread (500g)
$0.37 ₸165
$2.07 £1.55
-82.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.86 ₸839
$2.42 £1.81
-23.14%
Eggs
$1.51 ₸681
$5.09 £3.82
-70.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.36 ₸2,424
$12.87 £9.66
-58.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.74 ₸1,691
$10.43 £7.82
-64.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.28 ₸2,388
$16.87 £12.66
-68.70%
Apples (1kg)
$1.21 ₸547
$3.11 £2.33
-61.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 ₸782
$1.40 £1.05
23.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 ₸821
$3.08 £2.31
-40.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.67 ₸756
$3.27 £2.45
-48.93%
Potato (1kg)
$0.42 ₸189
$1.58 £1.19
-73.42%
Onion (1kg)
$0.56 ₸255
$1.74 £1.31
-67.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 ₸595
$1.40 £1.05
-5.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 ₸445
$1.80 £1.35
-45.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.51 ₸1,134
$23.28 £17.46
-89.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.13 ₸3,221
$13.03 £9.77
-45.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 ₸617
$3.17 £2.38
-56.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 ₸993
$4.42 £3.32
-50.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Semey
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 ₸104
$4.07 £3.05
-94.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$17.26 ₸7,802
$247 £185
-93.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.30 ₸588
$5.58 £4.18
-76.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.15 ₸519
$3.36 £2.52
-65.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.52 ₸2,949
$56.8 £42.57
-88.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.68 ₸305
$2.13 £1.60
-68.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.4K ₸11.5M
$38.2K £28.6K
-33.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K ₸11.7M
$40.9K £30.7K
-36.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Semey
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$32.84 ₸14.8K
$372 £279
-91.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.06 ₸4,095
$17.82 £13.37
-49.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.03 ₸8,604
$40.37 £30.29
-52.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Semey
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.09 ₸19.0K
$60.0 £44.99
-29.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.97 ₸4,959
$21.29 £15.97
-48.47%
Cinema Ticket
$4.55 ₸2,058
$17.74 £13.31
-74.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Semey
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$135 ₸61.1K
$2,864 £2,149
-95.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,484 ₸2.0M
$35.3K £26.5K
-87.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Semey
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.65 ₸13.0K
$114 £85.5
-74.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.32 ₸11.4K
$54.3 £40.71
-53.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.0 ₸44.3K
$124 £93.2
-21.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.0 ₸33.5K
$163 £122
-54.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Semey
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$340 ₸153.6K
$2,869 £2,152
-88.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$230 ₸103.8K
$2,233 £1,675
-89.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₸278.1K
$5,266 £3,950
-88.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$487 ₸220.1K
$3,778 £2,834
-87.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,094 ₸494.4K
$18.3K £13.8K
-94.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$869 ₸392.9K
$8,024 £6,019
-89.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Semey
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$5,037 £3,778
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.25
4.74
306.12%

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

Last update for Semey: October 12, 2026

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Semey
$230
London
$2.2K 872% $2K
Groceries & Markets
Semey
$155
London
$349 126% $195
Clothing & Footwear
Semey
$102
London
$205 102% $103
Eating Out
Semey
$89
London
$388 336% $299
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Semey
$61
London
$430 606% $369
Sport & Entertainment
Semey
$51
London
$95 86.4% $44
Getting Around
Semey
$25
London
$285 1032% $260

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $340 in Semey versus $2,869 in London. 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 Semey versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $349 – making Semey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Semey
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
12:27 12:27 PM
07:27 7:27 AM
5 h behind Semey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
310,456
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Semey London 5,330 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Semey
  • London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Semey and in London compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $712 in Semey, $3,986 in London – roughly 460% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Semey compared to London?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,068 per month in Semey and $5,979 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Semey and London?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Semey, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 126% more in London, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Semey and $107 in London. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Semey, where all-in costs run around $712, than in London at $3,986. In Semey it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Semey and London?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $712 in Semey to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Semey and London?
If budget matters most, go with Semey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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