Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Kulim

For one person, living is cheaper in Kulim: $891 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Kulim
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Kulim Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Kulim

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Kulim

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

A single person spends $1,362 per month in Almaty vs $891 in Kulim, rent included.

Almaty $1,362
Kulim $891

A couple spends around $2,151 per month in Almaty vs $1,374 in Kulim, rent included.

Almaty $2,151
Kulim $1,374

A family of three spends $2,940 per month in Almaty vs $1,857 in Kulim, rent included.

Almaty $2,940
Kulim $1,857

Almaty costs about 53% more than Kulim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.32 ₸6,066

$3.72 MYR 15.17

258.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 ₸20.4K

$19.45 MYR 79.3

130.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 ₸4,071

$4.53 MYR 18.45

97.35%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ₸1,537

$2.89 MYR 11.76

16.61%

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

$1.32 ₸602

$0.78 MYR 3.19

69.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸398

$0.42 MYR 1.70

107.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 ₸1,434

$3.90 MYR 15.90

-19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 ₸1,801

$4.61 MYR 18.76

-14.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸756

$1.96 MYR 7.97

-15.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸393

$1.23 MYR 5.00

-30.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₸913

$1.30 MYR 5.29

54.62%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,127

$2.23 MYR 9.07

10.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 ₸5,728

$12.68 MYR 51.7

-0.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 ₸2,992

$3.85 MYR 15.70

70.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 ₸4,832

$10.72 MYR 43.69

-1.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸816

$3.05 MYR 12.42

-41.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₸1,046

$1.89 MYR 7.68

21.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₸1,349

$2.55 MYR 10.37

16.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 ₸1,301

$1.44 MYR 5.88

98.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₸367

$1.19 MYR 4.83

-31.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₸268

$1.36 MYR 5.54

-56.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ₸721

$1.08 MYR 4.41

46.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸453

$0.53 MYR 2.15

86.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ₸1,248

$4.47 MYR 18.22

-38.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 ₸5,147

$21.05 MYR 85.8

-46.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₸558

$3.07 MYR 12.49

-60.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₸1,122

$3.90 MYR 15.90

-36.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.75 MYR 3.06

-65.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸10.0K

$12.64 MYR 51.5

73.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸616

$1.04 MYR 4.23

29.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 ₸320

$0.56 MYR 2.28

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,065

$8.26 MYR 33.64

34.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸329

$0.74 MYR 3.00

-2.70%

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

$28.4K ₸12.9M

$48.9K MYR 199.1K

-41.89%

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

$31.8K ₸14.5M

$30.9K MYR 125.9K

2.87%

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

$91.3 ₸41.6K

$45.19 MYR 184

102.01%

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

$10.60 ₸4,827

$8.70 MYR 35.44

21.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 ₸8,147

$25.83 MYR 105

-30.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 ₸29.7K

$36.10 MYR 147

80.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 ₸12.6K

$7.37 MYR 30.04

276.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ₸2,945

$4.46 MYR 18.16

45.07%

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

$473 ₸215.3K

$268 MYR 1,091

76.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ₸5.6M

$7,096 MYR 28.9K

72.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 ₸42.4K

$62.2 MYR 253

49.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.67 ₸21.7K

$30.78 MYR 125

54.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸65.0K

$77.2 MYR 314

84.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸61.3K

$70.8 MYR 289

89.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₸355.5K

$419 MYR 1,707

86.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₸224.1K

$265 MYR 1,079

85.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₸646.5K

$763 MYR 3,110

85.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₸425.5K

$497 MYR 2,026

87.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,462 ₸1.1M

$2,141 MYR 8,723

15.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 ₸724.9K

$1,272 MYR 5,184

25.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 ₸397.4K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Kulim: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$492 36.1%

Kulim

$265 29.7% 46.2% $227

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.4%

Kulim

$262 29.4% 4.7% $12

Eating Out

Almaty

$206 15.1%

Kulim

$112 12.5% 45.9% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.8%

Kulim

$108 12.2% 42.3% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Kulim

$80 9% 33.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$78 5.7%

Kulim

$45 5.1% 42.4% $33

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2.1%

Kulim

$19 2.2% 30.1% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $780 in Almaty versus $419 in Kulim. 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 in Almaty versus $19 in Kulim. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Almaty vs $262 in Kulim – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 Kulim

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

21:17 9:17 PM

3 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

319,056

💱 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 = 0.221 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 = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Kulim 4,810 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Kulim

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 Kulim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 53%, 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 $1,336 in Kulim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kulim, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $419 there versus $780 in Almaty.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Almaty and $19 in Kulim. 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 $891 in Kulim. That’s a gap of about 53%.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,362 in Almaty and $891 in Kulim. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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