Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenzhen: $1,134 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,134

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,134 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,134
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,734 per month in Shenzhen vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,734
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $2,333 per month in Shenzhen vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,333
Almaty $2,883

Shenzhen is about 18% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Shenzhen sits 15% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 ¥24.37

$13.31 ₸5,991

-72.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.70 ¥199

$43.37 ₸19.5K

-31.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 ¥34.24

$8.80 ₸3,959

-41.82%

Cappuccino

$3.21 ¥21.50

$3.30 ₸1,486

-2.73%

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

$0.59 ¥3.92

$1.37 ₸616

-56.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.90 ₸406

-63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.90

$3.13 ₸1,409

-52.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$4.10 ₸1,847

-45.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥10.40

$1.66 ₸749

-6.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥10.98

$0.90 ₸403

82.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.30

$2.06 ₸927

-47.09%

Eggs

$1.76 ¥11.80

$2.37 ₸1,067

-25.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.95 ¥140

$12.64 ₸5,689

65.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 ¥22.65

$6.62 ₸2,978

-48.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.38 ¥96.2

$10.87 ₸4,893

32.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ¥15.49

$1.86 ₸839

24.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ¥10.72

$2.37 ₸1,067

-32.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.63

$2.99 ₸1,348

-36.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.45

$2.83 ₸1,273

-50.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$0.77 ₸345

38.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.29

$0.58 ₸262

113.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.96

$1.59 ₸718

-62.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.99 ₸446

-40.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 ¥30.40

$2.54 ₸1,145

78.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 ¥79.1

$11.04 ₸4,969

7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$1.21 ₸546

-23.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥11.78

$2.41 ₸1,085

-26.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.93

$0.25 ₸113

136.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 ¥147

$21.84 ₸9,831

0.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.76

$1.28 ₸577

14.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.64 ₸289

-40.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.13 ¥47.75

$10.74 ₸4,836

-33.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.07

$0.69 ₸312

95.65%

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

$19.3K ¥129.5K

$22.3K ₸10.0M

-13.14%

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)

$63.8 ¥427

$87.8 ₸39.5K

-27.31%

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

$10.04 ¥67.2

$10.83 ₸4,874

-7.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.28 ¥109

$17.40 ₸7,831

-6.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 ¥336

$69.7 ₸31.4K

-27.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 ¥114

$26.58 ₸12.0K

-35.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.71

$6.68 ₸3,009

8.98%

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

$523 ¥3,502

$446 ₸200.8K

17.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K ¥159.4K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

100.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ¥369

$93.7 ₸42.2K

-41.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 ¥271

$46.91 ₸21.1K

-13.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 ¥482

$143 ₸64.3K

-49.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 ¥618

$133 ₸60.1K

-30.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 ¥5,111

$773 ₸348.1K

-1.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 ¥3,243

$497 ₸223.9K

-2.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 ¥13.0K

$1,390 ₸625.9K

39.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 ¥5,659

$880 ₸396.0K

-3.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥93.8K

$2,546 ₸1.1M

450.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 ¥41.1K

$1,506 ₸678.2K

307.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,693 ¥11.3K

$834 ₸375.2K

103.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

20.65

-83.78%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 6, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$484 42.8%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 2.6% $13

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 0.9% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 60.2% $70

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$99 8.7%

Almaty

$205 15% 108% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$90 8%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 28.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$65 5.7%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 28.1% $18

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.4%

Almaty

$27 2% 1.2% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $764 in Shenzhen 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 103% higher in Shenzhen, 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 Shenzhen versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $251 – making Shenzhen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

09:28 9:28 AM

2 h behind Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

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 →

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Between locations

Shenzhen Almaty 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
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

Shenzhen vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,701 per month in Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen, 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 Shenzhen 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 $1,134 in Shenzhen and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 22%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shenzhen, where all-in costs run around $1,134, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Shenzhen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shenzhen – 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 Shenzhen. 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.