Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongli City and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongli City: $993 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zhongli City
🇹🇼 Taiwan
$993
/mo nomad
Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,372
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $993 per month in Zhongli City vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Zhongli City $993
  • Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,675 per month in Zhongli City vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Zhongli City $1,675
  • Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $2,357 per month in Zhongli City vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Zhongli City $2,357
  • Almaty $2,913

Zhongli City is about 28% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Zhongli City sits 26% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zhongli City
Almaty
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.62 NT$150
$13.16 ₸5,949
-64.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.29 NT$1,015
$44.86 ₸20.3K
-30.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.77 NT$155
$8.90 ₸4,022
-46.40%
Cappuccino
$2.57 NT$83.4
$3.25 ₸1,469
-20.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 NT$33.52
$1.41 ₸639
-26.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 NT$22.35
$0.88 ₸399
-21.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.61 NT$52.2
$3.35 ₸1,513
-51.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 NT$89.1
$4.04 ₸1,827
-31.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zhongli City
Almaty
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.18 NT$103
$1.69 ₸762
88.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.74 NT$56.3
$0.86 ₸390
102.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.71 NT$87.9
$2.03 ₸917
33.50%
Eggs
$2.60 NT$84.3
$2.43 ₸1,100
7.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.77 NT$414
$12.46 ₸5,632
2.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.09 NT$230
$6.71 ₸3,033
5.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.39 NT$499
$10.85 ₸4,905
41.84%
Apples (1kg)
$3.74 NT$121
$1.80 ₸813
107.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 NT$63.8
$2.25 ₸1,018
-12.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 NT$99.9
$2.91 ₸1,314
5.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.22 NT$72.1
$2.75 ₸1,243
-19.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.23 NT$39.81
$0.75 ₸337
64.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 NT$61.5
$0.55 ₸248
245.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.44 NT$79.0
$1.62 ₸732
50.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 NT$27.52
$1.05 ₸474
-19.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.77 NT$122
$2.58 ₸1,167
46.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.45 NT$501
$11.15 ₸5,042
38.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 NT$50.2
$1.21 ₸547
28.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 NT$82.8
$2.44 ₸1,104
4.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Zhongli City
Almaty
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.61 NT$19.90
$0.26 ₸117
134.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.64 NT$1,221
$22.03 ₸9,957
70.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.68 NT$86.8
$1.35 ₸611
98.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.58 NT$18.72
$0.64 ₸288
-9.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.61 NT$312
$11.16 ₸5,044
-13.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.97 NT$31.60
$0.72 ₸324
34.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1K NT$1.1M
$22.5K ₸10.2M
46.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K NT$754.6K
$30.3K ₸13.7M
-23.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zhongli City
Almaty
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 NT$3,433
$91.8 ₸41.5K
15.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.76 NT$479
$10.66 ₸4,820
38.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 NT$556
$17.86 ₸8,072
-4.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zhongli City
Almaty
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$70.3 ₸31.8K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$27.60 ₸12.5K
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.62 NT$312
$6.78 ₸3,064
41.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zhongli City
Almaty
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$344 NT$11.1K
$449 ₸202.9K
-23.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K NT$546.5K
$12.1K ₸5.5M
39.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zhongli City
Almaty
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.1 NT$2,338
$89.9 ₸40.7K
-19.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.46 NT$1,182
$47.02 ₸21.3K
-22.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$55.0 NT$1,782
$142 ₸64.1K
-61.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 NT$3,505
$133 ₸60.0K
-18.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zhongli City
Almaty
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$448 NT$14.5K
$805 ₸363.7K
-44.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$251 NT$8,125
$500 ₸225.9K
-49.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$874 NT$28.3K
$1,429 ₸645.9K
-38.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$716 NT$23.2K
$904 ₸408.8K
-20.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,503 ₸1.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,559 ₸704.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zhongli City
Almaty
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,288 NT$74.2K
$870 ₸393.3K
163.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.1
20.65
-89.83%

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

Last update for Zhongli City: 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
Zhongli City
$315
Almaty
$250 20.6% $65
Accommodation & Living
Zhongli City
$251
Almaty
$500 99.4% $249
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zhongli City
$138
Almaty
$120 12.7% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Zhongli City
$122
Almaty
$185 51.5% $63
Eating Out
Zhongli City
$103
Almaty
$205 99.8% $102
Getting Around
Zhongli City
$46
Almaty
$28 39.6% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Zhongli City
$19 *
Almaty
$84 336% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $448 in Zhongli City 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 163% higher in Zhongli City, 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 $31.00 in Zhongli City versus $45.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $315 in Zhongli City vs $250 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇼 Zhongli City
🇰🇿 Almaty
🕒 Local time
08:46 8:46 AM
06:46 6:46 AM
2 h behind Zhongli City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
396,453
1,475,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zhongli City Almaty 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Zhongli City
  • 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
Zhongli City vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Almaty cheaper than Zhongli City?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,490 per month in Zhongli City and $2,058 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhongli City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Zhongli City or in Almaty?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Zhongli City and $45.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Zhongli City and in Almaty?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $993 in Zhongli City and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 38%.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Zhongli City or in Almaty?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhongli City, where all-in costs run around $993, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Zhongli City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Zhongli City or Almaty more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Zhongli City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Zhongli City or Almaty?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Zhongli City. 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.

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