Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Gombak

For one person, living is cheaper in Gombak: $927 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Gombak
Learn more

Gombak Living Index

Jump to prices

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Gombak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Gombak

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $927 in Gombak, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Gombak $927

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,429 in Gombak, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Gombak $1,429

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,931 in Gombak, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Gombak $1,931

Almaty costs about 48% more than Gombak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Gombak is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$3.71 MYR 15.12

254.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$24.58 MYR 100

82.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$4.96 MYR 20.23

79.44%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.98 MYR 12.15

9.06%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.92 MYR 3.74

53.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.42 MYR 1.69

109.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$3.23 MYR 13.16

3.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$5.79 MYR 23.63

-30.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.88 MYR 7.69

-10.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.03 MYR 4.19

-16.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.42 MYR 5.80

42.96%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.85 MYR 7.55

31.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$10.03 MYR 40.93

24.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$3.27 MYR 13.34

105.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$9.82 MYR 40.06

10.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$3.52 MYR 14.37

-48.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.91 MYR 7.81

17.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.64 MYR 10.79

10.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.82 MYR 7.44

51.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$2.08 MYR 8.50

-63.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$1.98 MYR 8.08

-72.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.48 MYR 6.04

9.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.55 MYR 2.24

90.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$4.41 MYR 17.97

-41.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$19.70 MYR 80.4

-43.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$2.64 MYR 10.78

-54.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$4.67 MYR 19.04

-47.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.67 MYR 2.73

-61.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$12.05 MYR 49.15

82.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$1.23 MYR 5.03

9.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.35 MYR 1.44

82.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$8.72 MYR 35.57

27.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$0.80 MYR 3.27

-10.00%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$42.6K MYR 173.6K

-47.09%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$32.0K MYR 130.6K

-5.45%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$49.80 MYR 203

84.36%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$8.34 MYR 34.02

27.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$27.39 MYR 112

-34.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$40.60 MYR 166

73.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$7.17 MYR 29.23

284.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$3.26 MYR 13.29

107.98%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$274 MYR 1,120

63.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$10.4K MYR 42.3K

16.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$50.4 MYR 206

78.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$30.06 MYR 123

56.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$76.4 MYR 312

85.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$86.2 MYR 352

53.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$405 MYR 1,650

98.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$303 MYR 1,235

65.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$682 MYR 2,781

109.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$554 MYR 2,261

63.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$2,059 MYR 8,400

21.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$1,053 MYR 4,295

48.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$538 MYR 2,193

61.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

4.51

357.87%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Gombak: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Gombak

$303 32.7% 39.4% $197

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Gombak

$252 27.1% 0.5% $1.3

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Gombak

$113 12.2% 44.7% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Gombak

$109 11.8% 40.9% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Gombak

$86 9.2% 28.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Gombak

$47 5.1% 43.8% $37

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Gombak

$18 1.9% 35.8% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $405 in Gombak. 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 62% 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 $25.00 in Gombak. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Almaty vs $252 in Gombak – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 Gombak

🕒 Local time

12:00 12:00 PM

14:00 2:00 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

41,699

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Gombak 5,080 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Gombak

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 Gombak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 48%, 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 $1,391 in Gombak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gombak, 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 $25.00 in Gombak. 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 $927 in Gombak. That's a gap of about 48%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Gombak, where all-in costs run around $927, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Gombak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gombak – 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 Gombak. 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.