Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Kuala Lipis

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lipis: $939 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lipis
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Kuala Lipis Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Kuala Lipis

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$939

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Kuala Lipis

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $939 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Kuala Lipis $939

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,395 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Kuala Lipis $1,395

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,852 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Kuala Lipis $1,852

Almaty costs about 46% more than Kuala Lipis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Kuala Lipis is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$3.72 MYR 15.17

253.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$24.25 MYR 98.9

84.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$4.97 MYR 20.26

79.07%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$3.12 MYR 12.74

4.17%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.85 MYR 3.47

65.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.45 MYR 1.83

95.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$3.37 MYR 13.76

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$5.84 MYR 23.84

-30.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.93 MYR 7.86

-12.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.07 MYR 4.36

-19.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.47 MYR 6.00

38.10%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.86 MYR 7.57

30.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$9.63 MYR 39.28

29.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$3.30 MYR 13.45

103.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$9.46 MYR 38.59

14.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$3.47 MYR 14.16

-48.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.87 MYR 7.64

20.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.63 MYR 10.75

10.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.74 MYR 7.09

58.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$2.10 MYR 8.59

-64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$1.95 MYR 7.95

-71.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.44 MYR 5.89

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.51 MYR 2.09

105.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$4.55 MYR 18.56

-43.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$19.95 MYR 81.4

-44.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$2.76 MYR 11.28

-56.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$4.68 MYR 19.11

-47.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.70 MYR 2.86

-62.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$14.01 MYR 57.1

57.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$1.21 MYR 4.93

11.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.38 MYR 1.57

68.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$8.96 MYR 36.55

24.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$0.86 MYR 3.52

-16.28%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$42.4K MYR 172.9K

-46.88%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$32.6K MYR 133.1K

-7.22%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$50.1 MYR 205

83.11%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$8.01 MYR 32.68

33.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$26.76 MYR 109

-33.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$38.90 MYR 159

80.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$6.94 MYR 28.30

297.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$4.91 MYR 20.05

38.09%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$274 MYR 1,119

63.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$10.5K MYR 42.6K

15.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$52.2 MYR 213

72.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$29.64 MYR 121

58.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$77.9 MYR 318

82.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$85.9 MYR 350

54.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$433 MYR 1,767

85.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$309 MYR 1,260

61.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$777 MYR 3,171

83.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$467 MYR 1,907

93.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$1,798 MYR 7,336

39.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$1,129 MYR 4,606

38.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

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 Kuala Lipis: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Kuala Lipis

$309 32.9% 38.2% $191

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Kuala Lipis

$250 26.6% 0.1% $0.3

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Kuala Lipis

$116 12.3% 43.5% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Kuala Lipis

$111 11.8% 40.3% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Kuala Lipis

$85 9% 29.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Kuala Lipis

$49 5.2% 41.9% $35

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Kuala Lipis

$20 2.1% 27.8% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $433 in Kuala Lipis. 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 $45.00 in Almaty versus $24.00 in Kuala Lipis. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Almaty vs $250 in Kuala Lipis – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 Kuala Lipis

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

10:35 10:35 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

20,000

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Almaty Kuala Lipis 5,000 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Kuala Lipis

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 Kuala Lipis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 46%, 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 $1,408 in Kuala Lipis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Lipis, 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 $24.00 in Kuala Lipis. 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 $939 in Kuala Lipis. That's a gap of about 46%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Lipis, where all-in costs run around $939, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Kuala Lipis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Lipis – 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 Kuala Lipis. 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.