Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Derby

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,372 a month against $2,318 in Derby, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,372
/mo nomad
Derby
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,318
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Derby

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $2,318 in Derby, rent included.

  • Almaty $1,372
  • Derby $2,318

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $3,507 in Derby, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,142
  • Derby $3,507

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $4,696 in Derby, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,913
  • Derby $4,696

Almaty is about 41% cheaper than Derby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Almaty and Derby sit above the global median – Almaty by 2%, Derby by 72%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Almaty
Derby
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.16 ₸5,915
$18.32 A$26.25
-28.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.86 ₸20.2K
$77.8 A$111
-42.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.90 ₸3,998
$10.79 A$15.45
-17.52%
Cappuccino
$3.25 ₸1,460
$3.96 A$5.67
-17.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 ₸636
$3.03 A$4.35
-53.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 ₸396
$1.91 A$2.74
-53.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.35 ₸1,504
$7.31 A$10.47
-54.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.04 ₸1,816
$7.47 A$10.71
-45.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Almaty
Derby
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 ₸758
$1.75 A$2.50
-3.43%
White Bread (500g)
$0.86 ₸388
$2.86 A$4.10
-69.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.03 ₸912
$2.08 A$2.98
-2.40%
Eggs
$2.43 ₸1,094
$4.62 A$6.62
-47.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.46 ₸5,599
$9.77 A$13.99
27.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.71 ₸3,015
$8.94 A$12.80
-24.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.85 ₸4,876
$13.60 A$19.48
-20.22%
Apples (1kg)
$1.80 ₸808
$3.48 A$4.98
-48.28%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 ₸1,012
$2.98 A$4.28
-24.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.91 ₸1,306
$3.36 A$4.81
-13.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.75 ₸1,236
$4.69 A$6.72
-41.36%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ₸335
$2.48 A$3.56
-69.76%
Onion (1kg)
$0.55 ₸247
$2.46 A$3.53
-77.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 ₸728
$2.35 A$3.37
-31.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 ₸471
$1.73 A$2.48
-39.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.58 ₸1,160
$40.51 A$58.0
-93.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.15 ₸5,013
$15.55 A$22.27
-28.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 ₸543
$4.83 A$6.93
-74.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 ₸1,097
$5.65 A$8.09
-56.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Almaty
Derby
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₸116
$2.54 A$3.64
-89.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.03 ₸9,899
$87.6 A$125
-74.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.35 ₸607
$3.03 A$4.35
-55.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₸286
$1.55 A$2.22
-58.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.16 ₸5,015
$37.67 A$54.0
-70.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.72 ₸322
$1.16 A$1.67
-37.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.5K ₸10.1M
$24.0K A$34.4K
-6.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.3K ₸13.6M
$30.8K A$44.1K
-1.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
Derby
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$91.8 ₸41.3K
$177 A$253
-48.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.66 ₸4,792
$24.66 A$35.32
-56.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.86 ₸8,025
$59.9 A$85.9
-70.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
Derby
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.3 ₸31.6K
$48.44 A$69.4
45.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.60 ₸12.4K
$15.35 A$21.98
79.80%
Cinema Ticket
$6.78 ₸3,046
$13.46 A$19.27
-49.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Almaty
Derby
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$449 ₸201.7K
$2,070 A$2,965
-78.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.1K ₸5.4M
$18.4K A$26.4K
-34.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
Derby
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.9 ₸40.4K
$67.0 A$96.0
34.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.02 ₸21.1K
$62.2 A$89.1
-24.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$142 ₸63.7K
$91.0 A$130
55.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 ₸59.7K
$131 A$188
0.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Almaty
Derby
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$805 ₸361.6K
$1,518 A$2,174
-46.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₸224.6K
$1,048 A$1,501
-52.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 ₸642.1K
$2,154 A$3,086
-33.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$904 ₸406.5K
$1,853 A$2,654
-51.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,503 ₸1.1M
$5,285 A$7,571
-52.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,559 ₸700.6K
$4,699 A$6,731
-66.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Almaty
Derby
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$870 ₸391.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20.65
5.84
253.60%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Derby: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Almaty
$500
Derby
$1K 110% $548
Groceries & Markets
Almaty
$250
Derby
$369 47.4% $119
Eating Out
Almaty
$205
Derby
$298 45.2% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
$185
Derby
$158 14.5% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
$120
Derby
$261 117% $141
Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
$84
Derby
$75 10.2% $8.5
Getting Around
Almaty
$28
Derby
$109 293% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $1,518 in Derby. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty versus $78.0 in Derby. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $369 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Almaty
🇦🇺 Derby
🕒 Local time
00:09 12:09 AM
02:09 2:09 AM
2 h ahead of Almaty
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,475,400
3,300
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 449 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 502 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.99 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Almaty Derby 8,240 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Almaty
  • Derby

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 Derby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Derby cheaper than Almaty?
Yes – Derby is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty and $3,477 in Derby. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Almaty, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Almaty or in Derby?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty and $78.0 in Derby. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Almaty and in Derby?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $2,318 in Derby. That's a gap of about 69%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Almaty or in Derby?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,372, than in Derby at $2,318. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Derby it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Almaty or Derby more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Almaty – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Almaty or Derby?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Almaty. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Derby makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Almaty vs other spots: cost of living compared

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