Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulan Ude and Kostanay Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulan Ude and Kostanay

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $997 per month in Ulan Ude vs $936 in Kostanay, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,528 per month in Ulan Ude vs $1,435 in Kostanay, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,060 per month in Ulan Ude vs $1,933 in Kostanay, rent included.

Ulan Ude costs about 6% more than Kostanay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ulan Ude and Kostanay are more affordable than the global median – Ulan Ude 27% lower, Kostanay 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 ₽590

$5.45 ₸2,480

24.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.14 ₽4,023

$28.71 ₸13.1K

60.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.99 ₽522

$7.19 ₸3,272

-16.69%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ₽258

$2.13 ₸971

38.50%

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

$1.52 ₽133

$1.15 ₸521

32.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 ₽103

$0.83 ₸377

42.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 ₽191

$1.39 ₸633

57.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₽320

$2.53 ₸1,149

45.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₽110

$1.24 ₸564

1.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 ₽62.5

$0.48 ₸219

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ₽72.9

$1.03 ₸468

-18.45%

Eggs

$1.43 ₽125

$2.20 ₸1,001

-35.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 ₽825

$10.03 ₸4,562

-5.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 ₽425

$5.70 ₸2,596

-14.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.12 ₽795

$8.59 ₸3,908

6.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 ₽112

$1.58 ₸721

-18.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₽119

$2.26 ₸1,030

-39.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 ₽103

$1.88 ₸853

-36.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ₽181

$2.27 ₸1,032

-8.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 ₽47.30

$0.54 ₸246

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽52.9

$0.62 ₸281

-1.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₽190

$1.19 ₸540

83.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₽57.6

$0.92 ₸417

-28.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 ₽197

$2.41 ₸1,095

-6.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 ₽590

$8.05 ₸3,664

-16.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₽77.7

$1.10 ₸499

-19.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₽128

$2.30 ₸1,046

-36.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ₽41.42

$0.32 ₸144

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.61 ₽1,797

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ₽105

$0.94 ₸427

28.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₽19.23

$1.06 ₸483

-79.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 ₽446

$5.85 ₸2,661

-12.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 ₽65.8

$0.54 ₸245

38.89%

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

$33.3K ₽2.9M

$30.6K ₸13.9M

8.67%

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

$28.4K ₽2.5M

$29.1K ₸13.3M

-2.59%

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

$118 ₽10.3K

$75.3 ₸34.3K

56.37%

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

$3.54 ₽308

$10.72 ₸4,876

-66.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.92 ₽690

$15.65 ₸7,119

-49.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.92 ₽1,998

$46.28 ₸21.1K

-50.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.03 ₽2,706

$19.86 ₸9,036

56.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.84 ₽596

$4.20 ₸1,910

62.86%

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

$235 ₽20.5K

$207 ₸94.2K

13.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,658 ₽406.1K

$6,436 ₸2.9M

-27.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 ₽5,950

$92.3 ₸42.0K

-26.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.24 ₽3,770

$52.7 ₸24.0K

-17.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 ₽9,597

$106 ₸48.4K

3.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ₽8,756

$89.3 ₸40.6K

12.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₽42.9K

$388 ₸176.7K

26.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₽32.2K

$304 ₸138.2K

21.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 ₽66.7K

$580 ₸264.0K

31.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 ₽50.4K

$471 ₸214.5K

22.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,881 ₽164.0K

$1,190 ₸541.2K

58.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,517 ₽132.2K

$910 ₸414.1K

66.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$828 ₽72.2K

$646 ₸294.1K

28.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.67

18.5

17.14%

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

Last update for Ulan Ude: August 29, 2026

Last update for Kostanay: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $492 in Ulan Ude versus $388 in Kostanay. 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 28% higher in Ulan Ude, 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 $46.00 in Ulan Ude versus $29.00 in Kostanay. Groceries tell a different story – $179 in Ulan Ude vs $200 in Kostanay – so Ulan Ude wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ulan Ude vs Kostanay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulan Ude costs about 6% more than Kostanay, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,495 per month in Ulan Ude and $1,404 in Kostanay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kostanay, 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 $46.00 in Ulan Ude and $29.00 in Kostanay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Ulan Ude – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kostanay, where all-in costs run around $936, than in Ulan Ude at $997. In Kostanay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ulan Ude it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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