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 $960 per month in Ulan Ude vs $954 in Kostanay, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Ulan Ude vs $1,384 in Kostanay, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,967 per month in Ulan Ude vs $1,813 in Kostanay, rent included.

Ulan Ude costs about 1% more than Kostanay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Ulan Ude and Kostanay are more affordable than the global median – Ulan Ude 28% lower, Kostanay 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.28 ₽725

$7.62 ₸3,590

21.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.70 ₽2,945

$24.91 ₸11.7K

51.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.99 ₽468

$6.33 ₸2,978

-5.37%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ₽179

$2.30 ₸1,084

-0.43%

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

$1.19 ₽92.9

$1.03 ₸484

15.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₽37.21

$0.80 ₸378

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 ₽111

$1.72 ₸811

-17.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₽197

$3.26 ₸1,534

-22.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ₽90.9

$0.95 ₸449

22.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₽34.32

$0.44 ₸207

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 ₽107

$1.16 ₸546

18.10%

Eggs

$1.72 ₽135

$1.78 ₸836

-3.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 ₽835

$7.70 ₸3,624

38.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 ₽383

$5.26 ₸2,478

-6.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 ₽694

$8.36 ₸3,937

6.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 ₽136

$1.30 ₸612

33.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₽144

$1.91 ₸900

-3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ₽151

$1.30 ₸613

48.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 ₽208

$1.29 ₸608

106.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ₽61.4

$0.58 ₸275

36.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₽52.7

$0.24 ₸113

183.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₽109

$0.96 ₸452

45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₽53.0

$0.87 ₸408

-21.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₽233

$2.21 ₸1,039

34.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 ₽497

$7.84 ₸3,690

-18.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽78.3

$1.01 ₸475

-0.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₽150

$2.72 ₸1,280

-29.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ₽38.03

$0.28 ₸131

75.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₽146

$1.02 ₸480

83.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ₽25.76

$1.06 ₸498

-68.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 ₽491

$5.76 ₸2,711

9.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 ₽62.3

$0.49 ₸232

63.27%

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

$34.8K ₽2.7M

$29.7K ₸14.0M

17.36%

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

$36.0K ₽2.8M

$26.1K ₸12.3M

37.88%

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

$109 ₽8,545

$72.6 ₸34.2K

50.60%

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

$5.99 ₽468

$9.65 ₸4,545

-37.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.76 ₽607

$10.88 ₸5,121

-28.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.95 ₽2,808

$39.74 ₸18.7K

-9.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.31 ₸8,149

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 ₽398

$3.71 ₸1,746

37.20%

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

$319 ₽24.9K

$186 ₸87.4K

71.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,056 ₽551.3K

$5,680 ₸2.7M

24.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 ₽5,373

$105 ₸49.2K

-34.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 ₽3,474

$56.3 ₸26.5K

-21.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ₽8,872

$114 ₸53.7K

-0.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₽8,473

$102 ₸48.1K

6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₽34.9K

$385 ₸181.2K

16.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 ₽23.9K

$330 ₸155.5K

-7.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 ₽59.3K

$529 ₸249.3K

43.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ₽40.3K

$425 ₸200.1K

21.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,329 ₽182.0K

$1,137 ₸535.4K

104.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,802 ₽140.8K

$899 ₸423.5K

100.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$670 ₽52.4K

$626 ₸294.9K

7.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.33

18.5

-0.92%

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

Last update for Ulan Ude: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kostanay: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $447 in Ulan Ude versus $385 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 7% 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 $38.00 in Ulan Ude versus $25.00 in Kostanay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $172 – making Kostanay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 1% more than Kostanay, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,440 per month in Ulan Ude and $1,432 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 $38.00 in Ulan Ude and $25.00 in Kostanay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Ulan Ude, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kostanay, where all-in costs run around $954, than in Ulan Ude at $960. 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.