Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Bayan Lepas

For one person, living is cheaper in Bayan Lepas: $737 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Bayan Lepas
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Bayan Lepas Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Bayan Lepas

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Bayan Lepas

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 Bayan Lepas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $737 in Bayan Lepas, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Bayan Lepas $737

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $1,228 in Bayan Lepas, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Bayan Lepas $1,228

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $1,718 in Bayan Lepas, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Bayan Lepas $1,718

Almaty costs about 88% more than Bayan Lepas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Bayan Lepas is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸6,034

$3.11 MYR 12.69

327.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.7K

$17.08 MYR 69.7

153.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,988

$4.07 MYR 16.61

116.22%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,497

$2.82 MYR 11.53

17.02%

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

$1.37 ₸620

$0.85 MYR 3.46

61.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸409

$0.59 MYR 2.42

52.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,419

$4.76 MYR 19.42

-34.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,860

$4.78 MYR 19.53

-14.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸754

$2.50 MYR 10.20

-33.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸406

$0.95 MYR 3.86

-5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸933

$0.90 MYR 3.67

128.89%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,074

$2.03 MYR 8.28

16.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,730

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸3,000

$3.41 MYR 13.94

94.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,928

$6.75 MYR 27.57

61.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸845

$3.08 MYR 12.57

-39.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,075

$1.60 MYR 6.52

48.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,358

$3.15 MYR 12.86

-5.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,282

$1.19 MYR 4.87

137.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸347

$1.32 MYR 5.38

-41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸264

$1.21 MYR 4.93

-52.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸723

$0.71 MYR 2.89

123.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸449

$0.67 MYR 2.74

47.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,153

$5.08 MYR 20.73

-50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸5,005

$19.89 MYR 81.2

-44.49%

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

$0.67 MYR 2.74

-62.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,901

$14.74 MYR 60.2

48.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸581

$1.61 MYR 6.57

-20.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸291

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,870

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸314

$0.74 MYR 3.03

-6.76%

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

$22.3K ₸10.1M

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

$29.3K ₸13.3M

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

$87.8 ₸39.8K

$24.26 MYR 99.1

261.75%

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

$10.83 ₸4,909

$11.88 MYR 48.49

-8.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,887

$30.77 MYR 126

-43.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.6K

$29.52 MYR 121

136.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.1K

$7.26 MYR 29.64

266.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,031

$4.87 MYR 19.87

37.17%

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

$446 ₸202.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.5K

$39.73 MYR 162

135.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.3K

$26.50 MYR 108

77.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.7K

$65.2 MYR 266

118.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.5K

$82.3 MYR 336

62.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸350.6K

$194 MYR 791

298.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸225.5K

$222 MYR 907

124.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸630.4K

$499 MYR 2,036

178.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸398.9K

$575 MYR 2,347

53.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸683.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸377.9K

$970 MYR 3,960

-14.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

3.5

490.00%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bayan Lepas: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Bayan Lepas

$222 30.1% 55.4% $275

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Bayan Lepas

$184 * 25% 26.7% $67

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Bayan Lepas

$110 14.9% 46.4% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Bayan Lepas

$96 13% 48.7% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Bayan Lepas

$67 9.1% 42.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Bayan Lepas

$39 5.3% 52.7% $44

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Bayan Lepas

$19 * 2.6% 30.4% $8.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $194 in Bayan Lepas. 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 16% higher in Bayan Lepas, 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 $17.00 in Bayan Lepas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $184 – making Bayan Lepas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 Bayan Lepas

🕒 Local time

12:07 12:07 PM

14:07 2:07 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

217,600

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, 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 = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Bayan Lepas 4,800 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Bayan Lepas

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 Bayan Lepas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 88%, 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 $1,106 in Bayan Lepas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bayan Lepas, 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 $1,387 in Almaty and $737 in Bayan Lepas. That's a gap of about 88%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty and $17.00 in Bayan Lepas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bayan Lepas, where all-in costs run around $737, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Bayan Lepas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bayan Lepas – 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 Bayan Lepas. 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.