Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Kedah

For one person, living is cheaper in Kedah: $877 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Kedah
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Kedah Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Kedah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Kedah

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

A single person spends $1,362 per month in Almaty vs $877 in Kedah, rent included.

Almaty $1,362
Kedah $877

A couple spends around $2,151 per month in Almaty vs $1,399 in Kedah, rent included.

Almaty $2,151
Kedah $1,399

A family of three spends $2,940 per month in Almaty vs $1,920 in Kedah, rent included.

Almaty $2,940
Kedah $1,920

Almaty costs about 55% more than Kedah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.32 ₸6,066

$3.72 MYR 15.14

258.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 ₸20.4K

$12.32 MYR 50.2

263.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 ₸4,071

$4.56 MYR 18.59

96.05%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ₸1,537

$2.91 MYR 11.87

15.81%

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

$1.32 ₸602

$0.77 MYR 3.14

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸398

$0.39 MYR 1.59

123.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 ₸1,434

$4.24 MYR 17.26

-25.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 ₸1,801

$4.36 MYR 17.75

-9.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸756

$1.88 MYR 7.66

-11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸393

$1.06 MYR 4.32

-18.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₸913

$1.72 MYR 6.99

16.86%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,127

$2.19 MYR 8.91

12.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 ₸5,728

$13.55 MYR 55.2

-7.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 ₸2,992

$4.34 MYR 17.69

51.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 ₸4,832

$8.84 MYR 36.02

20.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸816

$2.94 MYR 11.98

-39.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₸1,046

$1.63 MYR 6.65

41.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₸1,349

$2.75 MYR 11.20

7.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 ₸1,301

$1.45 MYR 5.92

97.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₸367

$1.10 MYR 4.48

-26.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₸268

$1.09 MYR 4.43

-45.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ₸721

$1.13 MYR 4.61

39.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸453

$0.57 MYR 2.34

73.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ₸1,248

$4.62 MYR 18.83

-40.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 ₸5,147

$18.76 MYR 76.5

-39.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₸558

$2.98 MYR 12.15

-59.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₸1,122

$5.33 MYR 21.72

-53.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.76 MYR 3.10

-65.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸10.0K

$12.85 MYR 52.4

71.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸616

$1.66 MYR 6.76

-18.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 ₸320

$0.38 MYR 1.54

84.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,065

$7.29 MYR 29.70

52.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸329

$0.60 MYR 2.46

20.00%

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

$28.4K ₸12.9M

$45.6K MYR 185.9K

-37.77%

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

$31.8K ₸14.5M

$35.8K MYR 146.1K

-11.30%

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

$91.3 ₸41.6K

$36.47 MYR 149

150.32%

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

$10.60 ₸4,827

$9.66 MYR 39.35

9.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 ₸8,147

$29.48 MYR 120

-39.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 ₸29.7K

$34.63 MYR 141

88.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 ₸12.6K

$6.85 MYR 27.92

305.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ₸2,945

$4.79 MYR 19.53

35.07%

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

$473 ₸215.3K

$388 MYR 1,579

21.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ₸5.6M

$10.7K MYR 43.4K

14.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 ₸42.4K

$58.9 MYR 240

58.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.67 ₸21.7K

$34.76 MYR 142

37.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸65.0K

$81.6 MYR 333

74.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸61.3K

$70.7 MYR 288

90.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₸355.5K

$358 MYR 1,458

118.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₸224.1K

$258 MYR 1,051

90.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₸646.5K

$712 MYR 2,902

99.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₸425.5K

$607 MYR 2,472

53.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,462 ₸1.1M

$1,930 MYR 7,865

27.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 ₸724.9K

$1,258 MYR 5,124

26.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 ₸397.4K

$1,339 MYR 5,456

-34.85%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Kedah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$492 36.1%

Kedah

$258 29.4% 47.6% $234

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.4%

Kedah

$257 29.3% 2.7% $6.7

Eating Out

Almaty

$206 15.1%

Kedah

$113 12.9% 45.3% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.8%

Kedah

$111 12.6% 41.2% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Kedah

$76 8.6% 36.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$78 5.7%

Kedah

$44 5% 43.5% $34

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2.1%

Kedah

$19 2.2% 30.2% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $780 in Almaty versus $358 in Kedah. 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 53% higher in Kedah, 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 in Almaty versus $12 in Kedah. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Almaty vs $257 in Kedah – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 Kedah

🕒 Local time

22:35 10:35 PM

01:35 1:35 AM

3 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

417,800

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 455 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 507 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Almaty Kedah 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Kedah

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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,043 per month in Almaty and $1,316 in Kedah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kedah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $358 there versus $780 in Almaty.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Almaty and $12 in Kedah. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,362 in Almaty and $877 in Kedah. That’s a gap of about 55%.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kedah, where all-in costs run around $877, than in Almaty at $1,362. In Kedah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kedah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.