Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Tainan: $1,068 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Almaty outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

52

Cost of Living Index in Tainan
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Tainan Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Tainan

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,068

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,068 per month in Tainan vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Tainan $1,068
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,837 per month in Tainan vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Tainan $1,837
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $2,606 per month in Tainan vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Tainan $2,606
Almaty $2,913

Tainan is about 22% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tainan sits 21% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 NT$121

$13.16 ₸5,949

-71.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.62 NT$799

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-45.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 NT$155

$8.90 ₸4,022

-46.18%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NT$106

$3.25 ₸1,469

0.62%

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

$0.95 NT$30.66

$1.41 ₸639

-32.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 NT$20.54

$0.88 ₸399

-28.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$92.6

$3.35 ₸1,513

-14.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 NT$113

$4.04 ₸1,827

-13.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$100

$1.69 ₸762

82.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 NT$57.5

$0.86 ₸390

105.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 NT$102

$2.03 ₸917

55.17%

Eggs

$2.75 NT$89.3

$2.43 ₸1,100

13.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.50 NT$632

$12.46 ₸5,632

56.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 NT$320

$6.71 ₸3,033

47.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.04 NT$682

$10.85 ₸4,905

93.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 NT$161

$1.80 ₸813

175.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NT$92.7

$2.25 ₸1,018

27.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$97.4

$2.91 ₸1,314

3.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 NT$145

$2.75 ₸1,243

62.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 NT$86.4

$0.75 ₸337

254.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NT$73.6

$0.55 ₸248

312.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NT$55.3

$1.62 ₸732

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$37.31

$1.05 ₸474

9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 NT$124

$2.58 ₸1,167

47.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 NT$452

$11.15 ₸5,042

25.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.4

$1.21 ₸547

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NT$70.3

$2.44 ₸1,104

-11.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.68

$0.26 ₸117

134.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.89 NT$1,099

$22.03 ₸9,957

53.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 NT$82.2

$1.35 ₸611

87.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.92

$0.64 ₸288

20.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 NT$186

$11.16 ₸5,044

-48.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.90

$0.72 ₸324

40.28%

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

$22.5K ₸10.2M

45.65%

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

$24.1K NT$780.6K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-20.48%

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

$87.2 NT$2,828

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-5.01%

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

$17.51 NT$568

$10.66 ₸4,820

64.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.30 NT$691

$17.86 ₸8,072

19.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.65 NT$1,480

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-35.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 NT$311

$6.78 ₸3,064

41.59%

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

$433 NT$14.1K

$449 ₸202.9K

-3.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,413 NT$175.5K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

-55.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 NT$2,050

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-29.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.20 NT$1,271

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-16.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 NT$2,716

$142 ₸64.1K

-40.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,353

$133 ₸60.0K

-22.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 NT$9,624

$805 ₸363.7K

-63.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 NT$6,470

$500 ₸225.9K

-60.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 NT$27.4K

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-40.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 NT$22.6K

$904 ₸408.8K

-23.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 NT$133.7K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

64.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,022 NT$98.0K

$1,559 ₸704.7K

93.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,376 NT$44.6K

$870 ₸393.3K

58.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

20.65

-88.38%

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

Last update for Tainan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tainan

$393 36.9%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 36.4% $143

Accommodation & Living

Tainan

$200 18.7%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 151% $300

Clothing & Footwear

Tainan

$130 12.2%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 42.1% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tainan

$126 11.8%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 4.5% $5.7

Eating Out

Tainan

$111 10.4%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 84.5% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Tainan

$65 6.1%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 29.4% $19

Getting Around

Tainan

$43 4%

Almaty

$28 2% 35.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $297 in Tainan versus $805 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 58% higher in Tainan, 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 $25.00 in Tainan versus $45.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $393 in Tainan vs $250 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Tainan

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

07:24 7:24 AM

2 h behind Tainan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,886,033

1,475,400

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tainan Almaty 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Tainan
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

Tainan vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,602 per month in Tainan and $2,058 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tainan, 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 $25.00 in Tainan and $45.00 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 $1,068 in Tainan and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 28%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tainan, where all-in costs run around $1,068, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Tainan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tainan – 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 Tainan. 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.