Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Karratha

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,363 a month against $2,473 in Karratha, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,363
/mo nomad
Karratha
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,473
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Karratha

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

A single person spends $1,363 per month in Almaty vs $2,473 in Karratha, rent included.

  • Almaty $1,363
  • Karratha $2,473

A couple spends around $2,131 per month in Almaty vs $3,581 in Karratha, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,131
  • Karratha $3,581

A family of three spends $2,900 per month in Almaty vs $4,690 in Karratha, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,900
  • Karratha $4,690

Almaty is about 45% cheaper than Karratha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Almaty and Karratha sit above the global median – Almaty by 1%, Karratha by 83%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Almaty
Karratha
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.05 ₸5,899
$17.59 A$25.31
-25.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.44 ₸19.6K
$82.6 A$119
-47.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ₸3,962
$10.31 A$14.84
-15.03%
Cappuccino
$3.32 ₸1,501
$3.88 A$5.59
-14.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 ₸607
$2.83 A$4.07
-52.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 ₸374
$2.19 A$3.15
-62.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.36 ₸1,518
$7.54 A$10.85
-55.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 ₸1,818
$7.58 A$10.91
-46.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Almaty
Karratha
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 ₸747
$1.52 A$2.19
8.55%
White Bread (500g)
$0.93 ₸421
$2.72 A$3.91
-65.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.05 ₸927
$2.26 A$3.25
-9.29%
Eggs
$2.46 ₸1,113
$4.83 A$6.94
-49.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.49 ₸5,646
$9.42 A$13.56
32.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.71 ₸3,035
$9.43 A$13.56
-28.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.85 ₸4,905
$14.89 A$21.42
-27.13%
Apples (1kg)
$1.78 ₸807
$3.97 A$5.72
-55.16%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 ₸1,018
$3.11 A$4.48
-27.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.87 ₸1,299
$3.29 A$4.74
-12.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.71 ₸1,227
$4.75 A$6.84
-42.95%
Potato (1kg)
$0.80 ₸362
$2.81 A$4.04
-71.53%
Onion (1kg)
$0.55 ₸249
$2.39 A$3.44
-76.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 ₸732
$2.33 A$3.35
-30.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 ₸453
$1.47 A$2.12
-31.97%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.58 ₸1,167
$41.46 A$59.7
-93.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.15 ₸5,039
$13.65 A$19.64
-18.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 ₸572
$4.76 A$6.84
-73.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 ₸1,120
$5.35 A$7.70
-53.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Almaty
Karratha
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.28 ₸128
$2.89 A$4.16
-90.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.05 ₸9,970
$82.2 A$118
-73.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.34 ₸607
$3.38 A$4.87
-60.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₸288
$1.58 A$2.27
-59.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.04 ₸4,993
$39.46 A$56.8
-72.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.72 ₸326
$1.36 A$1.96
-47.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K ₸12.7M
$27.0K A$38.8K
4.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.8K ₸14.4M
$29.6K A$42.6K
7.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
Karratha
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.5 ₸40.9K
$202 A$290
-55.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.63 ₸4,805
$27.87 A$40.10
-61.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.12 ₸8,190
$55.4 A$79.7
-67.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
Karratha
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$69.0 ₸31.2K
$56.7 A$81.6
21.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.98 ₸12.2K
$17.66 A$25.42
52.77%
Cinema Ticket
$6.77 ₸3,062
$14.78 A$21.27
-54.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Almaty
Karratha
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$444 ₸200.6K
$2,176 A$3,131
-79.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.0K ₸5.4M
$20.4K A$29.3K
-41.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
Karratha
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.9 ₸41.5K
$77.6 A$112
18.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.80 ₸21.6K
$54.7 A$78.6
-12.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 ₸63.0K
$108 A$155
29.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 ₸59.4K
$120 A$173
9.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Almaty
Karratha
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$777 ₸351.2K
$1,391 A$2,002
-44.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$494 ₸223.4K
$1,176 A$1,692
-57.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,439 ₸650.4K
$2,113 A$3,041
-31.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$905 ₸409.2K
$1,779 A$2,559
-49.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,470 ₸1.1M
$5,861 A$8,434
-57.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,517 ₸685.7K
$4,940 A$7,109
-69.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Almaty
Karratha
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$857 ₸387.2K
-
-
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 18, 2026

Last update for Karratha: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Almaty
$494
Karratha
$1.2K 138% $682
Groceries & Markets
Almaty
$251
Karratha
$368 46.9% $118
Eating Out
Almaty
$204
Karratha
$291 42.7% $87
Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
$185
Karratha
$162 12.2% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
$119
Karratha
$285 139% $166
Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
$83
Karratha
$86 4.5% $3.7
Getting Around
Almaty
$28
Karratha
$105 279% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $777 in Almaty versus $1,391 in Karratha. 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 $83.0 in Karratha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $368 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Almaty
🇦🇺 Karratha
🕒 Local time
04:18 4:18 AM
06:18 6:18 AM
2 h ahead of Almaty
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,475,400
17,013
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Almaty Karratha 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Almaty
  • Karratha

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 Karratha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Karratha cheaper than Almaty?
Yes – Karratha is pricier by about 81%, 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 $2,044 per month in Almaty and $3,710 in Karratha. 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 Karratha?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty and $83.0 in Karratha. 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 Karratha?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,363 in Almaty and $2,473 in Karratha. That's a gap of about 81%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Almaty or in Karratha?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,363, than in Karratha at $2,473. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Karratha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Almaty or Karratha 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 Karratha?
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, Karratha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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