Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Bukit Mertajam

For one person, living is cheaper in Bukit Mertajam: $623 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Bukit Mertajam
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Bukit Mertajam Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Bukit Mertajam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Bukit Mertajam

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $623 in Bukit Mertajam, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Bukit Mertajam $623

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $979 in Bukit Mertajam, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Bukit Mertajam $979

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,335 in Bukit Mertajam, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Bukit Mertajam $1,335

Almaty costs about 120% more than Bukit Mertajam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Bukit Mertajam is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$1.93 MYR 7.87

581.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$20.63 MYR 84.2

117.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$3.93 MYR 16.03

126.46%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$3.14 MYR 12.80

3.50%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.72 MYR 2.93

95.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.47 MYR 1.93

87.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$4.30 MYR 17.52

-22.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$6.05 MYR 24.69

-33.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.74 MYR 7.10

-2.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.12 MYR 4.58

-23.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.94 MYR 7.91

4.64%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$2.52 MYR 10.26

-3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$14.07 MYR 57.4

-11.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$4.34 MYR 17.71

54.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$9.65 MYR 39.35

12.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$3.49 MYR 14.24

-48.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.79 MYR 7.32

25.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.31 MYR 9.42

25.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.53 MYR 6.23

79.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$1.33 MYR 5.42

-43.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$1.41 MYR 5.76

-60.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.12 MYR 4.57

44.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.67 MYR 2.72

56.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$4.32 MYR 17.64

-40.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$19.48 MYR 79.5

-42.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$3.65 MYR 14.91

-66.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$5.05 MYR 20.60

-51.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$1.19 MYR 4.84

13.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$1.25 MYR 5.11

-48.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$5.03 MYR 20.50

121.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$0.87 MYR 3.54

-17.24%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$41.2K MYR 168.3K

-45.40%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$34.4K MYR 140.4K

-12.05%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$62.4 MYR 255

47.04%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$8.54 MYR 34.85

24.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$26.31 MYR 107

-32.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$5.06 MYR 20.65

33.99%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$242 MYR 989

85.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$13.0K MYR 52.9K

-6.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$71.6 MYR 292

25.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$41.95 MYR 171

12.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$87.5 MYR 357

62.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$97.3 MYR 397

36.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$567 MYR 2,312

53.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

4.18

394.02%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bukit Mertajam: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Bukit Mertajam

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Bukit Mertajam

$271 43.5% 8.3% $21

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Bukit Mertajam

$103 16.6% 49.6% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Bukit Mertajam

$134 21.5% 27.5% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Bukit Mertajam

$97 15.6% 19.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Bukit Mertajam

$10 * 1.6% 87.9% $74

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Bukit Mertajam

$7.5 * 1.2% 73% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 54% 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 $45.00 in Almaty versus $21.00 in Bukit Mertajam. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Almaty vs $271 in Bukit Mertajam – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 Bukit Mertajam

🕒 Local time

09:19 9:19 AM

11:19 11:19 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

212,329

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Bukit Mertajam 4,800 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Bukit Mertajam

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 Bukit Mertajam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 120%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty and $935 in Bukit Mertajam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $623 in Bukit Mertajam. That's a gap of about 120%.

Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Almaty and $242 in Bukit Mertajam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bukit Mertajam, where all-in costs run around $623, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Bukit Mertajam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bukit Mertajam – 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 Bukit Mertajam. 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.