Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Bandar Seri Begawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandar Seri Begawan: $1,193 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Almaty despite lower rent and utilities.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Seri Begawan
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Bandar Seri Begawan Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Bandar Seri Begawan

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,193

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Bandar Seri Begawan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Almaty and in Bandar Seri Begawan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $1,193 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Bandar Seri Begawan $1,193

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $1,725 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Bandar Seri Begawan $1,725

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $2,257 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Bandar Seri Begawan $2,257

Almaty costs about 16% more than Bandar Seri Begawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Bandar Seri Begawan is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸6,034

$3.84 BND 4.91

246.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.7K

$27.17 BND 34.78

59.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,988

$6.13 BND 7.84

43.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 BND 2.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 BND 2.96

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,497

$3.88 BND 4.97

-14.95%

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

$1.37 ₸620

$0.95 BND 1.22

44.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸409

$0.53 BND 0.68

69.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,419

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,860

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸754

$1.84 BND 2.36

-9.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸406

$1.70 BND 2.18

-47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸933

$1.24 BND 1.58

66.13%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,074

$2.01 BND 2.58

17.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,730

$9.26 BND 11.85

36.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸3,000

$4.39 BND 5.63

50.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,928

$10.63 BND 13.61

2.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸845

$3.19 BND 4.09

-41.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,075

$2.18 BND 2.79

8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,358

$2.86 BND 3.66

4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,282

$2.59 BND 3.31

9.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸347

$1.75 BND 2.24

-56.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸264

$2.08 BND 2.67

-72.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸723

$3.61 BND 4.62

-55.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸449

$0.93 BND 1.19

6.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$23.07 BND 29.54

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 BND 4.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,153

$15.45 BND 19.78

-83.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸5,005

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸550

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,093

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$0.82 BND 1.05

-69.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,901

$0.82 BND 1.05

2563.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸581

$3.82 BND 4.89

-66.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸291

$3.42 BND 4.38

-81.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,870

$11.89 BND 15.22

-9.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸314

$0.39 BND 0.50

76.92%

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

$22.3K ₸10.1M

$43.7K BND 56.0K

-49.08%

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

$29.3K ₸13.3M

$36.2K BND 46.3K

-18.91%

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

$87.8 ₸39.8K

$60.7 BND 77.7

44.70%

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

$10.83 ₸4,909

$21.58 BND 27.63

-49.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,887

$65.4 BND 83.8

-73.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.6K

$45.10 BND 57.7

54.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.1K

$6.96 BND 8.91

281.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,031

$5.34 BND 6.84

25.09%

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

$446 ₸202.2K

$214 BND 273

108.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

$9,857 BND 12.6K

20.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.5K

$75.2 BND 96.3

24.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.3K

$92.5 BND 118

-49.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.7K

$104 BND 133

37.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.5K

$73.3 BND 93.8

82.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸350.6K

$734 BND 939

5.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸225.5K

$469 BND 601

5.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸630.4K

$1,125 BND 1,440

23.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸398.9K

$692 BND 885

27.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.2M

$3,106 BND 3,977

-18.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸683.0K

$2,298 BND 2,942

-34.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸377.9K

$1,755 BND 2,247

-52.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

3.88

432.22%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bandar Seri Begawan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$469 40% 5.6% $28

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$218 18.6% 13.1% $33

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$102 8.7% 50.5% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$155 13.2% 17.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$148 12.6% 27.3% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$56 4.8% 32.8% $27

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Bandar Seri Begawan

$25 2.1% 8.5% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $734 in Bandar Seri Begawan. 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 111% higher in Bandar Seri Begawan, 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 $43.00 in Almaty versus $27.00 in Bandar Seri Begawan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $218 – making Bandar Seri Begawan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇧🇳 Bandar Seri Begawan

🕒 Local time

16:52 4:52 PM

18:52 6:52 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

50,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Brunei Dollar BND $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 BND = 0.781 USD

1 BND = 0.697 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BND, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 BND (1 BND = 0.697 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Bandar Seri Begawan 5,660 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Bandar Seri Begawan

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

Almaty vs Bandar Seri Begawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $1,789 in Bandar Seri Begawan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bandar Seri Begawan, 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 $43.00 in Almaty and $27.00 in Bandar Seri Begawan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $1,193 in Bandar Seri Begawan. That's a gap of about 16%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bandar Seri Begawan, where all-in costs run around $1,193, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Bandar Seri Begawan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bandar Seri Begawan – 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 Bandar Seri Begawan. 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.