Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Gili Air

For one person, living is cheaper in Gili Air: $812 a month against $1,363 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Gili Air
Learn more

Gili Air Living Index

Jump to prices

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Gili Air

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$812

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Gili Air

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

A single person spends $1,363 per month in Almaty vs $812 in Gili Air, rent included.

Almaty $1,363
Gili Air $812

A couple spends around $2,131 per month in Almaty vs $1,337 in Gili Air, rent included.

Almaty $2,131
Gili Air $1,337

A family of three spends $2,900 per month in Almaty vs $1,861 in Gili Air, rent included.

Almaty $2,900
Gili Air $1,861

Almaty costs about 68% more than Gili Air, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 1% above the global median, while Gili Air is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 ₸5,899

$1.84 Rp 33.2K

609.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 ₸19.6K

$19.34 Rp 348.1K

124.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ₸3,962

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

192.98%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ₸1,501

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

132.17%

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

$1.34 ₸607

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

54.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸374

$0.44 Rp 7,928

88.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₸1,518

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

130.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 ₸1,818

$2.44 Rp 43.9K

64.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₸747

$1.13 Rp 20.4K

46.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₸421

$1.60 Rp 28.7K

-41.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ₸927

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

153.09%

Eggs

$2.46 ₸1,113

$1.47 Rp 26.4K

67.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 ₸5,646

$12.29 Rp 221.3K

1.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,035

$2.82 Rp 50.7K

137.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$8.56 Rp 154.0K

26.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ₸807

$2.49 Rp 44.9K

-28.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.14 Rp 20.5K

97.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ₸1,299

$1.68 Rp 30.2K

70.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 ₸1,227

$1.37 Rp 24.7K

97.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ₸362

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

-40.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸249

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

-67.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

121.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₸453

$0.38 Rp 6,869

163.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$1.59 Rp 28.7K

62.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,039

$15.78 Rp 284.0K

-29.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₸572

$1.69 Rp 30.5K

-25.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₸1,120

$2.06 Rp 37.2K

20.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₸128

$0.18 Rp 3,182

55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.05 ₸9,970

$6.64 Rp 119.6K

232.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 ₸607

$0.38 Rp 6,851

252.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.34 Rp 6,206

88.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.04 ₸4,993

$5.04 Rp 90.6K

119.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸326

$0.71 Rp 12.8K

1.41%

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

$28.1K ₸12.7M

$19.0K Rp 342.1M

48.09%

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

$31.8K ₸14.4M

$25.7K Rp 461.8M

23.97%

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

$90.5 ₸40.9K

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

40.41%

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

$10.63 ₸4,805

$5.21 Rp 93.7K

104.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.12 ₸8,190

$14.68 Rp 264.3K

23.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₸31.2K

$32.16 Rp 578.8K

114.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 ₸12.2K

$10.43 Rp 187.8K

158.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 ₸3,062

$2.51 Rp 45.1K

169.72%

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

$444 ₸200.6K

$336 Rp 6.0M

32.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

$3,931 Rp 70.8M

204.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 ₸41.5K

$37.54 Rp 675.7K

144.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.80 ₸21.6K

$28.70 Rp 516.5K

66.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 ₸63.0K

$63.6 Rp 1.1M

118.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₸59.4K

$63.0 Rp 1.1M

108.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 ₸351.2K

$543 Rp 9.8M

43.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₸223.4K

$331 Rp 6.0M

49.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 ₸650.4K

$1,705 Rp 30.7M

-15.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 ₸409.2K

$807 Rp 14.5M

12.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 ₸1.1M

$1,306 Rp 23.5M

89.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,517 ₸685.7K

$1,074 Rp 19.3M

41.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 ₸387.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

13.78

49.85%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Last update for Gili Air: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$494 36.3%

Gili Air

$331 40.8% 33% $163

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Gili Air

$205 25.2% 18.2% $46

Eating Out

Almaty

$204 15%

Gili Air

$58 7.2% 71.5% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.6%

Gili Air

$87 10.7% 53% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$119 8.8%

Gili Air

$84 10.4% 29.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Gili Air

$37 4.6% 55% $45

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Gili Air

$9.5 1.2% 65.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $777 in Almaty versus $543 in Gili Air. 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 $43.00 in Almaty versus $19.00 in Gili Air. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $205 – making Gili Air the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇮🇩 Gili Air

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

05:14 5:14 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

1,800

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Gili Air 6,970 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Gili Air

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 Gili Air: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,044 per month in Almaty and $1,218 in Gili Air. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gili Air, 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 $19.00 in Gili Air. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,363 in Almaty and $812 in Gili Air. That's a gap of about 68%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gili Air, where all-in costs run around $812, than in Almaty at $1,363. In Gili Air it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gili Air – 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 Gili Air. 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.