Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tashkent and Karamay

For one person, living is cheaper in Karamay: $736 a month against $1,038 in Tashkent, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Tashkent
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Tashkent Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Karamay
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Karamay Living Index

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Tashkent

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$1,038

/mo nomad

Karamay

🇨🇳 China

$736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tashkent and in Karamay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tashkent and in Karamay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,038 per month in Tashkent vs $736 in Karamay, rent included.

Tashkent $1,038
Karamay $736

A couple spends around $1,636 per month in Tashkent vs $1,182 in Karamay, rent included.

Tashkent $1,636
Karamay $1,182

A family of three spends $2,234 per month in Tashkent vs $1,627 in Karamay, rent included.

Tashkent $2,234
Karamay $1,627

Tashkent costs about 41% more than Karamay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tashkent and Karamay are more affordable than the global median – Tashkent 23% lower, Karamay 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.54 UZS 78.8K

$3.01 ¥20.13

117.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.23 UZS 412.5K

$22.48 ¥150

52.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 UZS 61.7K

$5.12 ¥34.22

Cappuccino

$2.62 UZS 31.6K

$2.73 ¥18.28

-4.03%

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

$0.71 UZS 8,593

$0.48 ¥3.19

47.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 UZS 3,921

$0.29 ¥1.91

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 UZS 26.0K

$1.10 ¥7.36

96.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 UZS 45.7K

$2.14 ¥14.30

77.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 UZS 15.2K

$1.87 ¥12.47

-32.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 UZS 10.4K

$1.60 ¥10.69

-46.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 UZS 19.8K

$0.93 ¥6.22

76.34%

Eggs

$1.78 UZS 21.4K

$1.67 ¥11.15

6.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 UZS 95.5K

$13.36 ¥89.3

-40.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 UZS 50.5K

$3.46 ¥23.11

21.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 UZS 151.8K

$11.37 ¥76.0

10.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 UZS 18.5K

$1.80 ¥12.07

-15.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 UZS 21.7K

$1.28 ¥8.56

40.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 UZS 28.0K

$1.50 ¥10.02

54.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 UZS 20.7K

$1.35 ¥9.03

26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 UZS 6,683

$0.74 ¥4.96

-25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 UZS 4,526

$0.89 ¥5.94

-57.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 UZS 12.4K

$0.59 ¥3.93

74.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 UZS 5,799

$0.58 ¥3.88

-17.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 UZS 24.9K

$4.24 ¥28.35

-51.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 UZS 92.3K

$11.66 ¥78.0

-34.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 UZS 16.4K

$0.87 ¥5.82

56.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 UZS 43.9K

$1.55 ¥10.33

134.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 UZS 1,937

$0.32 ¥2.17

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 UZS 150.8K

$19.57 ¥131

-36.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 UZS 9,790

$1.52 ¥10.16

-46.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 UZS 4,376

$0.33 ¥2.19

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 UZS 39.8K

$7.32 ¥48.92

-54.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 UZS 13.9K

$1.26 ¥8.45

-8.73%

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

$16.6K UZS 200.4M

$18.7K ¥124.8K

-10.90%

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

$24.0K UZS 289.1M

$17.8K ¥119.1K

34.62%

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

$68.1 UZS 821.0K

$57.4 ¥384

18.76%

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

$4.49 UZS 54.1K

$8.90 ¥59.5

-49.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.64 UZS 164.4K

$11.36 ¥75.9

20.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 UZS 754.2K

$40.91 ¥274

52.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.78 UZS 226.3K

$15.31 ¥102

22.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 UZS 72.1K

$6.27 ¥41.92

-4.63%

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

$328 UZS 4.0M

$417 ¥2,788

-21.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,455 UZS 113.9M

$17.5K ¥117.2K

-46.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.10 UZS 591.7K

$42.74 ¥286

14.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 UZS 708.4K

$33.16 ¥222

77.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 UZS 1.4M

$75.5 ¥505

49.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 UZS 1.7M

$76.2 ¥509

83.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 UZS 7.2M

$297 ¥1,982

102.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 UZS 4.6M

$183 ¥1,227

108.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 UZS 14.6M

$628 ¥4,201

92.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 UZS 8.6M

$378 ¥2,529

88.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,585 UZS 19.1M

$3,944 ¥26.4K

-59.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$945 UZS 11.4M

$1,919 ¥12.8K

-50.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$711 UZS 8.6M

$599 ¥4,004

18.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.31

3.36

593.75%

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

Last update for Tashkent: October 12, 2026

Last update for Karamay: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tashkent

$382 36.8%

Karamay

$183 24.9% 52% $199

Groceries & Markets

Tashkent

$195 18.8%

Karamay

$210 28.5% 7.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Tashkent

$162 15.6%

Karamay

$102 13.9% 36.9% $60

Eating Out

Tashkent

$122 11.7%

Karamay

$85 11.6% 30.1% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tashkent

$86 8.3%

Karamay

$78 10.6% 10% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Tashkent

$75 7.2%

Karamay

$53 7.3% 28.3% $21

Getting Around

Tashkent

$16 1.5%

Karamay

$24 3.3% 52.1% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $600 in Tashkent versus $297 in Karamay. 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 19% higher in Tashkent, 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 $34.00 in Tashkent versus $22.00 in Karamay. Groceries tell a different story – $195 in Tashkent vs $210 in Karamay – so Tashkent wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇿 Tashkent

🇨🇳 Karamay

🕒 Local time

13:23 1:23 PM

16:23 4:23 PM

3 h ahead of Tashkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,956,384 Capital

490,348

💱 Currency

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to UZS – Uzbekistani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇿 Uzbekistani Som (soʻm)

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 12,051 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD). 1 EUR = 13,548 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to UZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tashkent Karamay 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tashkent
Karamay

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

Tashkent vs Karamay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tashkent is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,557 per month in Tashkent and $1,104 in Karamay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karamay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Tashkent – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Tashkent and $22.00 in Karamay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Karamay, where all-in costs run around $736, than in Tashkent at $1,038. In Karamay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tashkent it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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