Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhoukou and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhoukou: $735 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Zhoukou
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Zhoukou Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index

Jump to prices

Zhoukou

🇨🇳 China

$735

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $735 per month in Zhoukou vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Zhoukou $735
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,182 per month in Zhoukou vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Zhoukou $1,182
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,628 per month in Zhoukou vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Zhoukou $1,628
Almaty $2,913

Zhoukou is about 46% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Zhoukou sits 46% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.96 ¥26.41

$13.16 ₸5,949

-69.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.25 ¥149

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-50.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ¥32.56

$8.90 ₸4,022

-45.17%

Cappuccino

$3.24 ¥21.65

$3.25 ₸1,469

-0.31%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$1.41 ₸639

-65.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.88 ₸399

-55.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$3.35 ₸1,513

-68.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ¥14.83

$4.04 ₸1,827

-45.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥11.83

$1.69 ₸762

4.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.61

$0.86 ₸390

84.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.35

$2.03 ₸917

-45.81%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.76

$2.43 ₸1,100

-33.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.10 ¥87.5

$12.46 ₸5,632

5.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 ¥23.00

$6.71 ₸3,033

-48.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.31 ¥75.5

$10.85 ₸4,905

4.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.67

$1.80 ₸813

5.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.48

$2.25 ₸1,018

-43.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ¥10.44

$2.91 ₸1,314

-46.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.82

$2.75 ₸1,243

-57.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.13

$0.75 ₸337

2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.37

$0.55 ₸248

72.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$1.62 ₸732

-64.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$1.05 ₸474

-44.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 ¥26.60

$2.58 ₸1,167

54.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 ¥77.5

$11.15 ₸5,042

4.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.82

$1.21 ₸547

-28.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ¥9.03

$2.44 ₸1,104

-44.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.90

$0.26 ₸117

11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$22.03 ₸9,957

-19.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 ¥10.37

$1.35 ₸611

14.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$0.64 ₸288

-43.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 ¥40.97

$11.16 ₸5,044

-44.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$0.72 ₸324

73.61%

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

$17.7K ¥118.4K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

-21.26%

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

$15.5K ¥103.3K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-48.90%

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

$58.1 ¥388

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-36.70%

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

$7.42 ¥49.53

$10.66 ₸4,820

-30.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$17.86 ₸8,072

-41.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.81 ¥246

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-47.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.02 ¥100

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-45.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 ¥39.74

$6.78 ₸3,064

-12.24%

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

$413 ¥2,761

$449 ₸202.9K

-7.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K ¥106.8K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

32.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.61 ¥264

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-55.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.96 ¥240

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-23.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 ¥502

$142 ₸64.1K

-47.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ¥520

$133 ₸60.0K

-41.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$300 ¥2,005

$805 ₸363.7K

-62.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,195

$500 ₸225.9K

-64.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,904

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-59.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ¥2,486

$904 ₸408.8K

-58.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,774 ¥25.2K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

50.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,035 ¥13.6K

$1,559 ₸704.7K

30.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

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 Zhoukou: October 11, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhoukou

$208 28.3%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 20.4% $42

Accommodation & Living

Zhoukou

$179 24.3%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 179% $321

Clothing & Footwear

Zhoukou

$103 14%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 80% $82

Eating Out

Zhoukou

$98 13.4%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 108% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhoukou

$76 10.3%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 58.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Zhoukou

$49 6.6%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 72.2% $35

Getting Around

Zhoukou

$22 3%

Almaty

$28 2% 23.7% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $300 in Zhoukou 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Zhoukou versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $250 – making Zhoukou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhoukou

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

01:40 1:40 AM

23:40 11:40 PM

2 h behind Zhoukou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,953,172

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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 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

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Between locations

Zhoukou Almaty 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Zhoukou
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

Zhoukou vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,103 per month in Zhoukou 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 Zhoukou, 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 $22.00 in Zhoukou 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 $735 in Zhoukou and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 87%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhoukou, where all-in costs run around $735, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Zhoukou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhoukou – 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 Zhoukou. 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.