Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and George Town

For one person, living is cheaper in George Town: $956 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in George Town

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $956 in George Town, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
George Town $956

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,599 in George Town, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
George Town $1,599

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $2,243 in George Town, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
George Town $2,243

Almaty costs about 44% more than George Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while George Town is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$3.41 MYR 13.92

285.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$15.33 MYR 62.5

192.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$4.55 MYR 18.58

95.60%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.61 MYR 10.66

24.52%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.78 MYR 3.16

80.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.35 MYR 1.43

151.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$2.42 MYR 9.88

38.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$4.46 MYR 18.21

-9.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.85 MYR 7.56

-8.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.05 MYR 4.28

-18.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.68 MYR 6.85

20.83%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$2.21 MYR 9.03

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$13.65 MYR 55.7

-8.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$4.51 MYR 18.38

48.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$8.49 MYR 34.62

27.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$2.43 MYR 9.89

-25.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.43 MYR 5.84

57.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.23 MYR 9.12

30.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.19 MYR 4.86

131.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$0.93 MYR 3.77

-19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$0.85 MYR 3.45

-35.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.70 MYR 2.87

131.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.57 MYR 2.31

84.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$4.42 MYR 18.03

-41.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$18.74 MYR 76.5

-40.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$2.42 MYR 9.89

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$3.59 MYR 14.65

-32.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.47 MYR 1.91

-44.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$10.84 MYR 44.24

103.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$1.24 MYR 5.08

8.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.51 MYR 2.09

25.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$6.87 MYR 28.03

62.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$0.84 MYR 3.43

-14.29%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$42.3K MYR 172.6K

-46.78%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$28.7K MYR 117.0K

5.52%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$36.87 MYR 150

149.01%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$8.21 MYR 33.51

29.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$28.51 MYR 116

-37.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$40.21 MYR 164

74.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$5.04 MYR 20.55

447.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$4.76 MYR 19.43

42.44%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$173 MYR 705

159.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$4,848 MYR 19.8K

149.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$53.1 MYR 216

69.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$34.45 MYR 141

36.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$74.5 MYR 304

90.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$69.8 MYR 285

90.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$505 MYR 2,059

59.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$374 MYR 1,524

33.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$932 MYR 3,804

53.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$992 MYR 4,046

-8.81%

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

$1,094 MYR 4,462

-20.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

4.04

411.14%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for George Town: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

George Town

$374 39.1% 25.2% $126

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

George Town

$240 25.1% 4.1% $10

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

George Town

$98 10.2% 52.3% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

George Town

$104 10.9% 43.7% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

George Town

$74 7.7% 38.8% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

George Town

$50 5.2% 40.7% $34

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

George Town

$17 1.7% 40.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $505 in George Town. 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 26% higher in George Town, 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 $45.00 in Almaty versus $15.00 in George Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $240 – making George Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 George Town

🕒 Local time

00:40 12:40 AM

02:40 2:40 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

794,313

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

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Between locations

Almaty George Town 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
George Town

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 George Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 44%, 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 $1,433 in George Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in George Town, 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 $45.00 in Almaty and $15.00 in George Town. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $956 in George Town. That's a gap of about 44%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in George Town, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Almaty at $1,372. In George Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward George Town – 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 George Town. 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.