Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Taichung: $1,143 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
Learn more

Taichung Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index

Jump to prices

Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,143

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,143 per month in Taichung vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Taichung $1,143
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,887 per month in Taichung vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Taichung $1,887
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $2,631 per month in Taichung vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Taichung $2,631
Almaty $2,883

Taichung is about 18% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.68 NT$149

$13.31 ₸6,034

-64.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.12 NT$1,025

$43.37 ₸19.7K

-25.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 NT$155

$8.80 ₸3,988

-44.89%

Cappuccino

$2.75 NT$87.6

$3.30 ₸1,497

-16.67%

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

$1.03 NT$32.80

$1.37 ₸620

-24.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NT$23.56

$0.90 ₸409

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$49.69

$3.13 ₸1,419

-50.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NT$88.7

$4.10 ₸1,860

-32.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.27 NT$104

$1.66 ₸754

96.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 NT$56.2

$0.90 ₸406

95.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 NT$84.7

$2.06 ₸933

29.13%

Eggs

$2.62 NT$83.7

$2.37 ₸1,074

10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.33 NT$936

$12.64 ₸5,730

132.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.13 NT$259

$6.62 ₸3,000

22.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 NT$547

$10.87 ₸4,928

57.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NT$135

$1.86 ₸845

126.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 NT$61.3

$2.37 ₸1,075

-18.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NT$95.3

$2.99 ₸1,358

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 NT$68.6

$2.83 ₸1,282

-24.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 NT$38.28

$0.77 ₸347

55.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.9

$0.58 ₸264

239.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 NT$76.7

$1.59 ₸723

50.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NT$28.80

$0.99 ₸449

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 NT$120

$2.54 ₸1,153

47.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 NT$495

$11.04 ₸5,005

40.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 NT$52.3

$1.21 ₸550

35.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 NT$78.8

$2.41 ₸1,093

2.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 NT$23.05

$0.25 ₸113

188.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.97 NT$1,020

$21.84 ₸9,901

46.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$86.1

$1.28 ₸581

110.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 NT$29.49

$0.64 ₸291

43.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 NT$307

$10.74 ₸4,870

-10.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.76

$0.69 ₸314

49.28%

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

$33.0K NT$1.1M

$22.3K ₸10.1M

48.30%

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

$22.7K NT$725.9K

$29.3K ₸13.3M

-22.45%

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

$127 NT$4,037

$87.8 ₸39.8K

44.15%

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

$14.84 NT$474

$10.83 ₸4,909

37.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.00 NT$670

$17.40 ₸7,887

20.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 NT$1,052

$69.7 ₸31.6K

-52.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.63 NT$371

$26.58 ₸12.1K

-56.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 NT$320

$6.68 ₸3,031

50.00%

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

$347 NT$11.1K

$446 ₸202.2K

-22.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$537.2K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

41.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 NT$2,314

$93.7 ₸42.5K

-22.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.93 NT$1,147

$46.91 ₸21.3K

-23.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 NT$2,738

$143 ₸64.7K

-39.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NT$3,727

$133 ₸60.5K

-12.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 NT$12.6K

$773 ₸350.6K

-48.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 NT$8,722

$497 ₸225.5K

-45.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 NT$38.8K

$1,390 ₸630.4K

-12.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 NT$24.7K

$880 ₸398.9K

-11.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,642 NT$275.8K

$2,546 ₸1.2M

239.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,368 NT$171.3K

$1,506 ₸683.0K

256.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,432 NT$45.7K

$834 ₸377.9K

71.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

20.65

-89.01%

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

Last update for Taichung: October 4, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taichung

$379 32.8%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 33.7% $128

Accommodation & Living

Taichung

$273 23.7%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 81.9% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taichung

$162 14.1%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 28.6% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Taichung

$140 12.1%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 34% $48

Eating Out

Taichung

$105 9.1%

Almaty

$205 15% 95% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Taichung

$53 4.6%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 56.7% $30

Getting Around

Taichung

$42 3.7%

Almaty

$27 2% 35.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $396 in Taichung 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 72% higher in Taichung, 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 $32.00 in Taichung versus $43.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $379 in Taichung vs $251 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taichung

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

11:29 11:29 AM

09:29 9:29 AM

2 h behind Taichung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,767,239

1,475,400

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.79 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Taichung Almaty 4,500 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Taichung
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

Taichung vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,714 per month in Taichung 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 Taichung, 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 $32.00 in Taichung 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 $1,143 in Taichung and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 21%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taichung, where all-in costs run around $1,143, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Taichung it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taichung – 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 Taichung. 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.