Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Kuala Terengganu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Terengganu: $924 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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 Terengganu
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Kuala Terengganu Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Kuala Terengganu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $924 in Kuala Terengganu, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Kuala Terengganu $924

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,372 in Kuala Terengganu, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Kuala Terengganu $1,372

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,821 in Kuala Terengganu, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Kuala Terengganu $1,821

Almaty costs about 49% more than Kuala Terengganu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Kuala Terengganu is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$2.49 MYR 10.15

428.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$23.06 MYR 94.1

94.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$4.72 MYR 19.25

88.56%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.72 MYR 11.08

19.49%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.47 MYR 1.90

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.28 MYR 1.14

214.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$3.56 MYR 14.52

-5.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$4.18 MYR 17.05

-3.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.70 MYR 6.94

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.02 MYR 4.15

-15.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.28 MYR 5.22

58.59%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$2.13 MYR 8.68

14.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$15.66 MYR 63.9

-20.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$4.35 MYR 17.73

54.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$8.41 MYR 34.29

29.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$3.36 MYR 13.73

-46.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.61 MYR 6.59

39.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.10 MYR 8.59

38.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.50 MYR 6.13

83.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$1.47 MYR 6.01

-48.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$1.09 MYR 4.45

-49.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.00 MYR 4.09

62.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.53 MYR 2.17

98.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$4.46 MYR 18.18

-42.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$17.84 MYR 72.8

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$2.92 MYR 11.91

-58.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$4.82 MYR 19.66

-49.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.67 MYR 2.75

-61.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$10.62 MYR 43.31

107.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$1.27 MYR 5.20

6.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.46 MYR 1.89

39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$6.55 MYR 26.73

70.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$0.90 MYR 3.65

-20.00%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$43.8K MYR 178.8K

-48.62%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$32.1K MYR 131.0K

-5.72%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$45.25 MYR 185

102.90%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$8.79 MYR 35.87

21.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$25.10 MYR 102

-28.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$44.04 MYR 180

59.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$7.97 MYR 32.49

246.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$4.81 MYR 19.61

40.96%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$172 MYR 701

161.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$6,936 MYR 28.3K

74.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$57.5 MYR 235

56.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$36.37 MYR 148

29.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$86.5 MYR 353

64.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$68.0 MYR 278

95.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$361 MYR 1,472

123.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$312 MYR 1,275

59.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$722 MYR 2,946

97.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$471 MYR 1,923

91.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$2,073 MYR 8,456

20.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$1,145 MYR 4,669

36.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

4.06

408.62%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kuala Terengganu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Kuala Terengganu

$312 33.8% 37.5% $187

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Kuala Terengganu

$254 27.5% 1.5% $3.8

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Kuala Terengganu

$96 10.4% 53.3% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Kuala Terengganu

$112 12.1% 39.6% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Kuala Terengganu

$79 8.6% 34.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Kuala Terengganu

$54 5.8% 36% $30

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Kuala Terengganu

$17 1.8% 38.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $361 in Kuala Terengganu. 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 $23.00 in Kuala Terengganu. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Almaty vs $254 in Kuala Terengganu – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 Kuala Terengganu

🕒 Local time

12:30 12:30 PM

14:30 2:30 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

375,424

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Terengganu 4,940 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Kuala Terengganu

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 Terengganu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 49%, 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 $1,386 in Kuala Terengganu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Terengganu, 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 $23.00 in Kuala Terengganu. 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 $924 in Kuala Terengganu. That's a gap of about 49%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Terengganu, where all-in costs run around $924, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Kuala Terengganu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Terengganu – 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 Terengganu. 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.