Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhenjiang and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhenjiang: $699 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Zhenjiang
Learn more

Zhenjiang Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index

Jump to prices

Zhenjiang

🇨🇳 China

$699

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $699 per month in Zhenjiang vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Zhenjiang $699
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,189 per month in Zhenjiang vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Zhenjiang $1,189
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,678 per month in Zhenjiang vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Zhenjiang $1,678
Almaty $2,913

Zhenjiang is about 49% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Zhenjiang sits 48% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ¥20.41

$13.16 ₸5,956

-76.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.22 ¥202

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-32.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.41 ¥29.43

$8.90 ₸4,026

-50.45%

Cappuccino

$2.64 ¥17.66

$3.25 ₸1,470

-18.77%

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

$0.61 ¥4.09

$1.41 ₸640

-56.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.37

$0.88 ₸399

-60.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$3.35 ₸1,514

-63.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥14.56

$4.04 ₸1,829

-46.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥11.86

$1.69 ₸763

4.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$0.86 ₸391

68.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$2.03 ₸918

-54.19%

Eggs

$1.66 ¥11.10

$2.43 ₸1,101

-31.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.39 ¥96.1

$12.46 ₸5,639

15.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ¥20.53

$6.71 ₸3,037

-54.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.91 ¥86.2

$10.85 ₸4,910

18.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.08

$1.80 ₸814

0.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.50

$2.25 ₸1,019

-23.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.71

$2.91 ₸1,315

-39.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.28

$2.75 ₸1,245

-38.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.41

$0.75 ₸338

8.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.59

$0.55 ₸248

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ¥3.14

$1.62 ₸733

-70.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$1.05 ₸474

-44.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.70 ¥24.74

$2.58 ₸1,168

43.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.68 ¥71.3

$11.15 ₸5,048

-4.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥5.88

$1.21 ₸547

-27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$2.44 ₸1,105

-33.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 ¥0.98

$0.26 ₸117

-42.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.49 ¥50.0

$22.03 ₸9,968

-66.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.83

$1.35 ₸612

8.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.64 ₸288

-26.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 ¥29.27

$11.16 ₸5,050

-60.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥8.11

$0.72 ₸324

68.06%

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

$17.8K ¥118.9K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

-20.98%

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

$17.9K ¥119.6K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-40.86%

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

$57.4 ¥383

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-37.51%

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

$8.18 ¥54.7

$10.66 ₸4,826

-23.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.65 ¥51.1

$17.86 ₸8,081

-57.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.06 ¥301

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-35.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.32 ¥203

$27.60 ₸12.5K

9.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$6.78 ₸3,067

33.48%

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

$440 ¥2,939

$449 ₸203.1K

-1.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.5K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

131.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.54 ¥298

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-50.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.24 ¥202

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-35.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 ¥456

$142 ₸64.2K

-51.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ¥559

$133 ₸60.1K

-36.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$228 ¥1,526

$805 ₸364.2K

-71.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 ¥990

$500 ₸226.1K

-70.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 ¥3,440

$1,429 ₸646.6K

-63.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 ¥2,461

$904 ₸409.3K

-59.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,037 ¥13.6K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

-18.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$914 ¥6,104

$1,559 ₸705.5K

-41.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$970 ¥6,483

$870 ₸393.7K

11.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

20.65

-83.73%

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

Last update for Zhenjiang: October 12, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhenjiang

$217 31%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 15.4% $33

Accommodation & Living

Zhenjiang

$148 21.2%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 237% $352

Clothing & Footwear

Zhenjiang

$102 14.6%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 81.5% $83

Eating Out

Zhenjiang

$84 12%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 145% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhenjiang

$73 10.5%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 64.4% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Zhenjiang

$63 9%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 32.8% $21

Getting Around

Zhenjiang

$12 1.7%

Almaty

$28 2% 132% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $228 in Zhenjiang versus $805 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 12% higher in Zhenjiang, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Zhenjiang versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $217 vs $250 – making Zhenjiang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhenjiang

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

16:15 4:15 PM

2 h behind Zhenjiang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,210,418

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zhenjiang Almaty 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhenjiang
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

Zhenjiang vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,049 per month in Zhenjiang and $2,058 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhenjiang, 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 $30.00 in Zhenjiang and $45.00 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 $699 in Zhenjiang and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 96%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhenjiang, where all-in costs run around $699, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Zhenjiang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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