Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Almaty

For one person, living costs are similar in Taipei and in Almaty: $1,395 and $1,387 a month, rent and utilities included.

67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,395

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,395 per month in Taipei vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Taipei $1,395
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $2,227 per month in Taipei vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Taipei $2,227
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $3,059 per month in Taipei vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Taipei $3,059
Almaty $2,883

Taipei costs about 1% more than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Taipei and Almaty sit above the global median – Taipei by 4%, Almaty by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.76 NT$152

$13.31 ₸5,991

-64.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.18 NT$1,538

$43.37 ₸19.5K

11.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 NT$184

$8.80 ₸3,959

-34.66%

Cappuccino

$3.49 NT$112

$3.30 ₸1,486

5.76%

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

$0.88 NT$28.04

$1.37 ₸616

-35.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 NT$20.62

$0.90 ₸406

-27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$91.4

$3.13 ₸1,409

-8.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NT$117

$4.10 ₸1,847

-10.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$98.6

$1.66 ₸749

86.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$65.5

$0.90 ₸403

127.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$97.6

$2.06 ₸927

48.54%

Eggs

$2.70 NT$86.1

$2.37 ₸1,067

13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.66 NT$628

$12.64 ₸5,689

55.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 NT$314

$6.62 ₸2,978

48.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.11 NT$674

$10.87 ₸4,893

94.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 NT$162

$1.86 ₸839

173.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 NT$108

$2.37 ₸1,067

43.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$95.9

$2.99 ₸1,348

0.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 NT$146

$2.83 ₸1,273

61.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NT$86.8

$0.77 ₸345

253.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$72.9

$0.58 ₸262

293.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$53.7

$1.59 ₸718

5.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$36.82

$0.99 ₸446

16.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$129

$2.54 ₸1,145

59.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 NT$457

$11.04 ₸4,969

29.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 NT$54.2

$1.21 ₸546

40.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$73.0

$2.41 ₸1,085

-4.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.47

$0.25 ₸113

144.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.47 NT$1,228

$21.84 ₸9,831

76.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$87.0

$1.28 ₸577

113.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$24.03

$0.64 ₸289

17.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 NT$306

$10.74 ₸4,836

-10.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.57

$0.69 ₸312

47.83%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$22.3K ₸10.0M

53.02%

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

$24.2K NT$772.3K

$29.3K ₸13.2M

-17.54%

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

$86.4 NT$2,757

$87.8 ₸39.5K

-1.58%

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

$17.12 NT$547

$10.83 ₸4,874

58.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 NT$864

$17.40 ₸7,831

55.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 NT$1,302

$69.7 ₸31.4K

-41.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 NT$512

$26.58 ₸12.0K

-39.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 NT$307

$6.68 ₸3,009

44.16%

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

$656 NT$20.9K

$446 ₸200.8K

47.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K NT$524.3K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

38.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 NT$2,002

$93.7 ₸42.2K

-33.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.50 NT$1,261

$46.91 ₸21.1K

-15.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 NT$2,678

$143 ₸64.3K

-41.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,393

$133 ₸60.1K

-20.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 NT$32.4K

$773 ₸348.1K

31.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 NT$15.3K

$497 ₸223.9K

-3.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NT$50.1K

$1,390 ₸625.9K

12.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 NT$30.4K

$880 ₸396.0K

8.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NT$389.4K

$2,546 ₸1.1M

379.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,207 NT$230.1K

$1,506 ₸678.2K

378.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,772 NT$56.6K

$834 ₸375.2K

112.56%

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 Taipei: 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

Taipei

$479 34.8%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 3.9% $19

Groceries & Markets

Taipei

$401 29.2%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 37.4% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Taipei

$132 9.6%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 42.5% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipei

$131 9.5%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 11.2% $15

Eating Out

Taipei

$125 9.1%

Almaty

$205 15% 64.3% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Taipei

$60 4.4%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 38.4% $23

Getting Around

Taipei

$47 3.5%

Almaty

$27 2% 42.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,016 in Taipei 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 113% higher in Taipei, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Taipei versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $251 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taipei

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

13:39 1:39 PM

2 h behind Taipei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,635,286 Capital

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 = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 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 = 31.92 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.81 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 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 TWD in detail →

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Between locations

Taipei Almaty 4,510 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Taipei
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

Taipei vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Taipei is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,092 per month in Taipei 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 Almaty, 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 $48.00 in Taipei 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 $1,395 in Taipei and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in Taipei at $1,395. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taipei it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Almaty – 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 Almaty. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Taipei makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.