Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Bintulu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bintulu: $849 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Bintulu
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Bintulu Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Bintulu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Bintulu

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $849 in Bintulu, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Bintulu $849

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $1,312 in Bintulu, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Bintulu $1,312

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $1,775 in Bintulu, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Bintulu $1,775

Almaty costs about 63% more than Bintulu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Bintulu is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸6,034

$3.95 MYR 16.13

236.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.7K

$18.43 MYR 75.3

135.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,988

$5.79 MYR 23.63

51.99%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,497

$2.99 MYR 12.20

10.37%

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

$1.37 ₸620

$0.63 MYR 2.59

117.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸409

$0.38 MYR 1.54

136.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,419

$2.98 MYR 12.17

5.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,860

$5.17 MYR 21.12

-20.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸754

$2.15 MYR 8.77

-22.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸406

$1.37 MYR 5.59

-34.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸933

$1.32 MYR 5.41

56.06%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,074

$2.16 MYR 8.83

9.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,730

$16.81 MYR 68.6

-24.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸3,000

$3.48 MYR 14.19

90.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,928

$5.90 MYR 24.11

84.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸845

$1.76 MYR 7.19

5.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,075

$1.02 MYR 4.18

132.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,358

$1.76 MYR 7.17

69.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,282

$1.13 MYR 4.60

150.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸347

$0.51 MYR 2.08

50.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸264

$1.19 MYR 4.85

-51.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸723

$0.69 MYR 2.84

130.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸449

$0.42 MYR 1.71

135.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,153

$4.18 MYR 17.08

-39.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸5,005

$19.74 MYR 80.6

-44.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸550

$3.01 MYR 12.29

-59.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,093

$2.00 MYR 8.17

20.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$1.20 MYR 4.91

-79.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,901

$16.62 MYR 67.9

31.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸581

$1.02 MYR 4.18

25.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.83 MYR 3.39

-22.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,870

$2.50 MYR 10.21

329.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸314

$0.63 MYR 2.57

9.52%

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

$22.3K ₸10.1M

$44.5K MYR 181.7K

-49.94%

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

$29.3K ₸13.3M

$38.5K MYR 157.0K

-23.73%

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

$87.8 ₸39.8K

$59.2 MYR 242

48.19%

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

$10.83 ₸4,909

$31.51 MYR 129

-65.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,887

$29.98 MYR 122

-41.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.6K

$66.4 MYR 271

4.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.1K

$12.43 MYR 50.8

113.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,031

$4.33 MYR 17.67

54.27%

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

$446 ₸202.2K

$124 MYR 508

258.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

$7,230 MYR 29.5K

64.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.5K

$64.2 MYR 262

45.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.3K

$36.02 MYR 147

30.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.7K

$80.5 MYR 329

77.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.5K

$90.8 MYR 371

46.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸350.6K

$220 MYR 898

251.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸225.5K

$157 MYR 642

216.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸630.4K

$485 MYR 1,979

186.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸398.9K

$333 MYR 1,361

164.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.2M

$1,730 MYR 7,062

47.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸683.0K

$1,137 MYR 4,644

32.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸377.9K

$598 MYR 2,441

39.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

4.5

358.89%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Bintulu

$157 18.5% 68.4% $340

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Bintulu

$232 27.4% 7.5% $19

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Bintulu

$114 13.5% 44.4% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Bintulu

$122 14.4% 34.8% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Bintulu

$121 14.2% 4.1% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Bintulu

$75 8.9% 9.6% $8

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Bintulu

$27 3.1% 2.6% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $220 in Bintulu. 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 39% higher in Almaty, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty versus $18.00 in Bintulu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $232 – making Bintulu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 Bintulu

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

19:20 7:20 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

240,172

💱 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 = 0.219 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 = 508 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 = 0.219 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Almaty Bintulu 5,700 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Bintulu

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 Bintulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 63%, 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 $1,273 in Bintulu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bintulu, 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 $18.00 in Bintulu. 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 $849 in Bintulu. That's a gap of about 63%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bintulu, where all-in costs run around $849, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Bintulu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bintulu – 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 Bintulu. 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.