Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhubei City and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhubei City: $1,055 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Zhubei City
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Zhubei City Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Zhubei City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,055

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,055 per month in Zhubei City vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Zhubei City $1,055
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Zhubei City vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Zhubei City $1,841
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $2,627 per month in Zhubei City vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Zhubei City $2,627
Almaty $2,913

Zhubei City is about 23% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Zhubei City sits 22% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.83 NT$157

$13.16 ₸5,949

-63.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.00 NT$908

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-37.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 NT$164

$8.90 ₸4,022

-43.03%

Cappuccino

$2.89 NT$93.8

$3.25 ₸1,469

-11.08%

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

$0.91 NT$29.41

$1.41 ₸639

-35.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 NT$19.02

$0.88 ₸399

-32.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 NT$62.5

$3.35 ₸1,513

-42.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 NT$75.6

$4.04 ₸1,827

-42.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.79 NT$90.4

$1.69 ₸762

65.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 NT$60.7

$0.86 ₸390

117.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 NT$149

$2.03 ₸917

126.11%

Eggs

$2.85 NT$92.5

$2.43 ₸1,100

17.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.76 NT$803

$12.46 ₸5,632

98.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 NT$271

$6.71 ₸3,033

24.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.93 NT$841

$10.85 ₸4,905

138.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 NT$131

$1.80 ₸813

124.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 NT$78.5

$2.25 ₸1,018

7.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 NT$87.3

$2.91 ₸1,314

-7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 NT$106

$2.75 ₸1,243

18.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 NT$97.9

$0.75 ₸337

302.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 NT$65.5

$0.55 ₸248

267.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 NT$66.9

$1.62 ₸732

27.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NT$43.25

$1.05 ₸474

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 NT$126

$2.58 ₸1,167

50.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.23 NT$299

$11.15 ₸5,042

-17.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 NT$46.36

$1.21 ₸547

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 NT$75.4

$2.44 ₸1,104

-4.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.85

$0.26 ₸117

134.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 NT$101

$1.35 ₸611

129.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 NT$20.76

$0.64 ₸288

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.25 NT$300

$11.16 ₸5,044

-17.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 NT$32.17

$0.72 ₸324

37.50%

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

$33.5K NT$1.1M

$22.5K ₸10.2M

48.61%

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

$24.8K NT$805.7K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-17.92%

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

$103 NT$3,331

$91.8 ₸41.5K

11.87%

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

$18.96 NT$615

$10.66 ₸4,820

77.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.80 NT$739

$17.86 ₸8,072

27.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.40 NT$1,018

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-55.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 NT$324

$6.78 ₸3,064

47.35%

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

$646 NT$20.9K

$449 ₸202.9K

43.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K NT$533.8K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

35.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 NT$1,870

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-35.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.13 NT$1,010

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-33.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 NT$2,946

$142 ₸64.1K

-35.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 NT$3,209

$133 ₸60.0K

-25.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 NT$16.2K

$805 ₸363.7K

-37.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 NT$7,032

$500 ₸225.9K

-56.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NT$35.7K

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-23.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 NT$24.9K

$904 ₸408.8K

-15.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K NT$525.9K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

547.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,751 NT$316.2K

$1,559 ₸704.7K

525.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 NT$77.5K

$870 ₸393.3K

174.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

20.65

-88.38%

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

Last update for Zhubei City: October 13, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhubei City

$400 37.9%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 37.4% $149

Accommodation & Living

Zhubei City

$217 20.6%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 130% $283

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhubei City

$144 13.7%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 16.7% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Zhubei City

$125 11.9%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 47.7% $60

Eating Out

Zhubei City

$109 10.3%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 88.4% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Zhubei City

$51 4.9%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 63.3% $33

Getting Around

Zhubei City

$8.8 * 0.8%

Almaty

$28 2% 215% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $501 in Zhubei 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 175% higher in Zhubei 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 $28.00 in Zhubei City versus $45.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $400 in Zhubei City vs $250 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Zhubei City

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

06:35 6:35 AM

04:35 4:35 AM

2 h behind Zhubei City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,746

1,475,400

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Zhubei City Almaty 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhubei 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

Zhubei City vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,583 per month in Zhubei City 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 Zhubei City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,055 in Zhubei City and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 30%.

Kindergarten costs $646 per month in Zhubei City and $449 in Almaty. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhubei City, where all-in costs run around $1,055, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Zhubei City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhubei City – 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 Zhubei 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.