Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Almaty despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Shanghai vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Shanghai $1,250
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $2,019 per month in Shanghai vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Shanghai $2,019
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $2,789 per month in Shanghai vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Shanghai $2,789
Almaty $2,883

Shanghai is about 10% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Shanghai sits 7% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.45

$13.31 ₸5,991

-65.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥198

$43.37 ₸19.5K

-31.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.13

$8.80 ₸3,959

-42.05%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.92

$3.30 ₸1,486

3.64%

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

$0.61 ¥4.12

$1.37 ₸616

-55.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$0.90 ₸406

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.08

$3.13 ₸1,409

-61.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.33

$4.10 ₸1,847

-44.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.48

$1.66 ₸749

12.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.47

$0.90 ₸403

123.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.84

$2.06 ₸927

-50.49%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.48

$2.37 ₸1,067

-27.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

$12.64 ₸5,689

36.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.43

$6.62 ₸2,978

-49.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.7

$10.87 ₸4,893

17.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.54

$1.86 ₸839

16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.67

$2.37 ₸1,067

-26.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.99

$2.99 ₸1,348

-35.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$2.83 ₸1,273

-40.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.18

$0.77 ₸345

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$0.58 ₸262

60.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$1.59 ₸718

-61.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.99 ₸446

-41.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.64

$2.54 ₸1,145

50.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.2

$11.04 ₸4,969

-0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.60

$1.21 ₸546

-30.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.73

$2.41 ₸1,085

-33.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.25 ₸113

136.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥203

$21.84 ₸9,831

38.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$1.28 ₸577

60.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.64 ₸289

-26.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.9

$10.74 ₸4,836

-18.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.53

$0.69 ₸312

84.06%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$22.3K ₸10.0M

-12.02%

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

$18.6K ¥124.4K

$29.3K ₸13.2M

-36.67%

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

$57.2 ¥383

$87.8 ₸39.5K

-34.79%

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

$8.06 ¥53.9

$10.83 ₸4,874

-25.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.4

$17.40 ₸7,831

-39.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥433

$69.7 ₸31.4K

-7.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

$26.58 ₸12.0K

-33.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

$6.68 ₸3,009

32.34%

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

$1,437 ¥9,620

$446 ₸200.8K

222.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.9K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

136.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥366

$93.7 ₸42.2K

-41.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥244

$46.91 ₸21.1K

-22.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$143 ₸64.3K

-47.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥696

$133 ₸60.1K

-22.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,956

$773 ₸348.1K

34.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,940

$497 ₸223.9K

18.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

$1,390 ₸625.9K

78.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,282

$880 ₸396.0K

40.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.9K

$2,546 ₸1.1M

433.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

$1,506 ₸678.2K

310.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$834 ₸375.2K

105.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

20.65

-83.73%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 15.5% $91

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 6.1% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 54.1% $66

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Almaty

$205 15% 91.4% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 0.9% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 53% $40

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Almaty

$27 2% 26.2% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,039 in Shanghai 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 106% higher in Shanghai, 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 $30.00 in Shanghai versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $251 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

09:18 9:18 AM

07:18 7:18 AM

2 h behind Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Almaty 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
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

Shanghai vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,874 per month in Shanghai 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 Shanghai, 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 $30.00 in Shanghai 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 $1,250 in Shanghai and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 11%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shanghai – 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 Shanghai. 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.