Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taraz and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Taraz: $626 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Taraz
Learn more

Taraz Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index

Jump to prices

Taraz

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$626

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $626 per month in Taraz vs $1,362 in Almaty, rent included.

Taraz $626
Almaty $1,362

A couple spends around $1,001 per month in Taraz vs $2,151 in Almaty, rent included.

Taraz $1,001
Almaty $2,151

A family of three spends $1,375 per month in Taraz vs $2,940 in Almaty, rent included.

Taraz $1,375
Almaty $2,940

Taraz is about 54% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.83 ₸4,023

$13.32 ₸6,066

-33.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.00 ₸10.0K

$44.80 ₸20.4K

-50.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.68 ₸3,043

$8.94 ₸4,071

-25.28%

Cappuccino

$1.56 ₸713

$3.37 ₸1,537

-53.71%

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

$0.92 ₸420

$1.32 ₸602

-30.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₸192

$0.87 ₸398

-51.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₸516

$3.15 ₸1,434

-64.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ₸820

$3.95 ₸1,801

-54.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 ₸493

$1.66 ₸756

-34.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸199

$0.86 ₸393

-48.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ₸615

$2.01 ₸913

-32.84%

Eggs

$1.69 ₸772

$2.47 ₸1,127

-31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 ₸4,634

$12.58 ₸5,728

-19.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 ₸2,349

$6.57 ₸2,992

-21.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.26 ₸3,761

$10.61 ₸4,832

-22.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₸549

$1.79 ₸816

-32.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 ₸989

$2.30 ₸1,046

-5.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 ₸1,179

$2.96 ₸1,349

-12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ₸624

$2.86 ₸1,301

-52.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ₸233

$0.81 ₸367

-37.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 ₸199

$0.59 ₸268

-25.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸403

$1.58 ₸721

-44.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₸365

$0.99 ₸453

-19.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 ₸1,090

$2.74 ₸1,248

-12.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.38 ₸1,993

$11.30 ₸5,147

-61.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 ₸490

$1.22 ₸558

-11.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₸696

$2.46 ₸1,122

-37.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₸96.4

$0.26 ₸117

-19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸10.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 ₸399

$1.35 ₸616

-34.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₸170

$0.70 ₸320

-47.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 ₸1,852

$11.12 ₸5,065

-63.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 ₸298

$0.72 ₸329

-9.72%

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

$27.6K ₸12.6M

$28.4K ₸12.9M

-2.71%

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

$27.5K ₸12.5M

$31.8K ₸14.5M

-13.49%

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

$47.53 ₸21.7K

$91.3 ₸41.6K

-47.94%

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

$8.64 ₸3,936

$10.60 ₸4,827

-18.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.98 ₸4,089

$17.89 ₸8,147

-49.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.00 ₸16.4K

$65.3 ₸29.7K

-44.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 ₸12.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 ₸2,069

$6.47 ₸2,945

-29.83%

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

$58.8 ₸26.8K

$473 ₸215.3K

-87.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ₸5.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.93 ₸12.3K

$93.1 ₸42.4K

-71.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.47 ₸15.7K

$47.67 ₸21.7K

-27.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 ₸50.4K

$143 ₸65.0K

-22.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.0 ₸24.2K

$134 ₸61.3K

-60.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 ₸120.0K

$780 ₸355.5K

-66.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$109 ₸49.8K

$492 ₸224.1K

-77.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ₸198.0K

$1,419 ₸646.5K

-69.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 ₸91.1K

$934 ₸425.5K

-78.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$858 ₸391.0K

$2,462 ₸1.1M

-65.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$600 ₸273.2K

$1,591 ₸724.9K

-62.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$282 ₸128.2K

$873 ₸397.4K

-67.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.83

20.65

-13.66%

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

Last update for Taraz: October 25, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taraz

$177 28.4%

Almaty

$250 18.4% 40.8% $72

Eating Out

Taraz

$124 19.8%

Almaty

$206 15.1% 66.2% $82

Accommodation & Living

Taraz

$109 17.5%

Almaty

$492 36.1% 350% $383

Clothing & Footwear

Taraz

$101 16.2%

Almaty

$188 13.8% 85.7% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taraz

$65 10.4%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 83.8% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Taraz

$45 7.2%

Almaty

$78 5.7% 73.5% $33

Getting Around

Taraz

$3.6 * 0.6%

Almaty

$28 2.1% 676% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $263 in Taraz versus $780 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 in Almaty are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Taraz versus $45 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $177 vs $250 – making Taraz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Taraz

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 AM

Same time as Taraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

431,160

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Taraz Almaty 450 km

From you

Taraz
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

Taraz vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 118%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $939 per month in Taraz and $2,043 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taraz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $263 there versus $780 in Almaty.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $626 in Taraz and $1,362 in Almaty. That makes Taraz about 54% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $59 per month in Taraz and $473 in Almaty. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Taraz, where all-in costs run around $626, than in Almaty at $1,362. In Taraz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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