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Astana vs Xiamen cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฐ๐ฟ Astana
๐จ๐ณ Xiamen
At a glance
- Where Xiamen is clearly cheaper: Laundry (63%โ), Bottled water (41%โ), Scooter rental (41%โ)
- Where Astana is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (73%โ), SIM card (52%โ), Cocktail & wine (32%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Astana is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.6). Biggest gap: payments โ Astana 2 vs Xiamen 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Astana | Xiamen | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โธ 3,000$5.77 | ยฅ 30$4.23 | Xiamen โ27% |
| Street food1 item | โธ 1,500$2.88 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Xiamen โ27% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โธ 7,500$14.4 | ยฅ 100$14.1 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | โธ 1,500$2.88 | ยฅ 28$3.94 | Astana โ27% |
| Beerone bottle | โธ 1,200$2.31 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Xiamen โ8% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โธ 3,000$5.77 | ยฅ 60$8.45 | Astana โ32% |
| Bottled water | โธ 250$0.48 | ยฅ 2$0.28 | Xiamen โ41% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โธ 400$0.77 | ยฅ 3.5$0.49 | Xiamen โ36% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โธ 1,000$1.92 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Astana โ9% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โธ 600$1.15 | ยฅ 10$1.41 | Astana โ18% |
| Transitone ride | โธ 110$0.21 | ยฅ 2$0.28 | Astana โ25% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โธ 5,000$9.62 | ยฅ 40$5.63 | Xiamen โ41% |
| Hotel night3-star | โธ 30,000$57.7 | ยฅ 350$49.3 | Xiamen โ15% |
| Studio rent (month) | โธ 200,000$385 | ยฅ 2,800$394 | similar |
| Laundry | โธ 3,000$5.77 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Xiamen โ63% |
| SIM card1 week data | โธ 3,500$6.73 | ยฅ 100$14.1 | Astana โ52% |
| Haircutcut | โธ 3,000$5.77 | ยฅ 40$5.63 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | โธ 12,000$23.1 | ยฅ 150$21.1 | Xiamen โ8% |
| Half-day tourper person | โธ 15,000$28.8 | ยฅ 150$21.1 | Xiamen โ27% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โธ 700$1.35 | ยฅ 35$4.93 | Astana โ73% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Astana or Xiamen?
Xiamen is 5% cheaper than Astana. Daily budget $102 vs $90.3; a month $1,580 vs $1,590.
Which is easier to travel, Astana or Xiamen?
Astana is easier: Astana 2.4/5 vs Xiamen 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Astana and Xiamen?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Astana is about $1,580 and Xiamen about $1,590 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.