Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Jerudong

For one person, living is cheaper in Jerudong: $733 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,387
/mo nomad
Jerudong
🇧🇳 Brunei
$733
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Jerudong

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $733 in Jerudong, rent included.

  • Almaty $1,387
  • Jerudong $733

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $1,145 in Jerudong, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,135
  • Jerudong $1,145

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $1,557 in Jerudong, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,883
  • Jerudong $1,557

Almaty costs about 89% more than Jerudong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Jerudong is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Almaty
Jerudong
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.31 ₸6,034
$3.81 BND 4.88
249.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 ₸19.7K
$23.83 BND 30.51
82.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.80 ₸3,988
$6.25 BND 8.01
40.80%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.93 BND 2.48
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.37 BND 3.03
-
Cappuccino
$3.30 ₸1,497
$4.02 BND 5.15
-17.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 ₸620
$0.96 BND 1.23
42.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ₸409
$0.53 BND 0.68
69.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.13 ₸1,419
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.10 ₸1,860
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Almaty
Jerudong
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ₸754
$1.84 BND 2.36
-9.78%
White Bread (500g)
$0.90 ₸406
$1.69 BND 2.16
-46.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.06 ₸933
$1.20 BND 1.53
71.67%
Eggs
$2.37 ₸1,074
$2.08 BND 2.66
13.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.64 ₸5,730
$9.20 BND 11.77
37.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 ₸3,000
$4.62 BND 5.92
43.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.87 ₸4,928
$10.88 BND 13.93
-0.09%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₸845
$3.05 BND 3.91
-39.02%
Banana (1kg)
$2.37 ₸1,075
$2.17 BND 2.77
9.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.99 ₸1,358
$2.94 BND 3.77
1.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.83 ₸1,282
$2.57 BND 3.29
10.12%
Potato (1kg)
$0.77 ₸347
$1.72 BND 2.20
-55.23%
Onion (1kg)
$0.58 ₸264
$2.07 BND 2.65
-71.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.59 ₸723
$3.21 BND 4.11
-50.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 ₸449
$0.92 BND 1.18
7.61%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$23.20 BND 29.70
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$3.37 BND 4.31
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.54 ₸1,153
$15.47 BND 19.81
-83.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.04 ₸5,005
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 ₸550
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 ₸1,093
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Almaty
Jerudong
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₸113
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.84 ₸9,901
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₸581
$3.86 BND 4.95
-66.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₸291
$3.41 BND 4.36
-81.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.74 ₸4,870
$11.52 BND 14.75
-6.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.69 ₸314
$0.42 BND 0.54
64.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.3K ₸10.1M
$42.9K BND 54.9K
-48.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.3K ₸13.3M
$36.3K BND 46.5K
-19.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
Jerudong
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.8 ₸39.8K
$61.2 BND 78.4
43.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.83 ₸4,909
$22.31 BND 28.56
-51.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.40 ₸7,887
$65.6 BND 83.9
-73.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
Jerudong
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$69.7 ₸31.6K
$77.7 BND 99.5
-10.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.58 ₸12.1K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.68 ₸3,031
$3.94 BND 5.04
69.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Almaty
Jerudong
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$446 ₸202.2K
$216 BND 276
106.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₸5.4M
$9,845 BND 12.6K
20.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
Jerudong
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.7 ₸42.5K
$77.6 BND 99.4
20.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.91 ₸21.3K
$92.2 BND 118
-49.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$143 ₸64.7K
$101 BND 129
41.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 ₸60.5K
$73.4 BND 94.0
81.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Almaty
Jerudong
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$773 ₸350.6K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$497 ₸225.5K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,390 ₸630.4K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$880 ₸398.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,546 ₸1.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,506 ₸683.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Almaty
Jerudong
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$834 ₸377.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20.65
3.88
432.22%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Jerudong: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Almaty
$497
Jerudong
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Almaty
$251
Jerudong
$218 13.3% $33
Eating Out
Almaty
$205
Jerudong
$104 49.6% $102
Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
$188
Jerudong
$155 17.4% $33
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
$116
Jerudong
$149 28.5% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
$83
Jerudong
$86 3.1% $2.5
Getting Around
Almaty
$27
Jerudong
$21 * 23.5% $6.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty versus $24.00 in Jerudong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $218 – making Jerudong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Almaty
🇧🇳 Jerudong
🕒 Local time
12:34 12:34 PM
14:34 2:34 PM
2 h ahead of Almaty
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,475,400
11,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BND, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 BND (1 BND = 0.696 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Almaty Jerudong 5,650 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Almaty
  • Jerudong

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 Jerudong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jerudong cheaper than Almaty?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 89%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $1,099 in Jerudong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Almaty and in Jerudong?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $733 in Jerudong. That's a gap of about 89%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $446 per month in Almaty and $216 in Jerudong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Almaty or in Jerudong?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jerudong, where all-in costs run around $733, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Jerudong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Almaty or Jerudong more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Jerudong – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Jerudong. 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.

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