Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Labuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Labuan: $1,020 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Labuan
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Labuan Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Labuan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Labuan

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $1,020 in Labuan, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Labuan $1,020

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,487 in Labuan, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Labuan $1,487

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,953 in Labuan, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Labuan $1,953

Almaty costs about 34% more than Labuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Labuan is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$5.52 MYR 22.53

138.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$24.16 MYR 98.6

85.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$6.66 MYR 27.19

33.63%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$3.93 MYR 16.05

-17.30%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$1.06 MYR 4.34

33.02%

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

$3.72 MYR 15.19

-9.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$4.53 MYR 18.48

-10.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.82 MYR 7.43

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.04 MYR 4.26

-17.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.49 MYR 6.07

36.24%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$2.10 MYR 8.58

15.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$16.82 MYR 68.6

-25.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$4.42 MYR 18.03

51.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$9.50 MYR 38.76

14.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$3.17 MYR 12.95

-43.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.83 MYR 7.46

22.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.39 MYR 9.75

21.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.76 MYR 7.17

56.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$1.39 MYR 5.68

-46.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$1.03 MYR 4.20

-46.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.18 MYR 4.81

37.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.54 MYR 2.20

94.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$5.04 MYR 20.57

-48.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$16.29 MYR 66.5

-31.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$3.21 MYR 13.11

-62.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$4.39 MYR 17.90

-44.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.78 MYR 3.17

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$10.66 MYR 43.48

106.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$1.34 MYR 5.47

0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.48 MYR 1.97

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$6.48 MYR 26.43

72.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$0.88 MYR 3.58

-18.18%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$44.0K MYR 179.5K

-48.81%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

-6.95%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$48.90 MYR 199

87.75%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$9.68 MYR 39.49

10.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$27.69 MYR 113

-35.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$41.60 MYR 170

69.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$7.68 MYR 31.32

259.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$4.29 MYR 17.51

58.04%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$208 MYR 849

115.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$7,011 MYR 28.6K

72.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$55.8 MYR 228

61.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$30.07 MYR 123

56.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$87.0 MYR 355

62.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$81.8 MYR 334

62.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$433 MYR 1,768

85.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$342 MYR 1,397

45.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$641 MYR 2,614

122.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$464 MYR 1,892

94.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$2,282 MYR 9,308

9.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$1,136 MYR 4,636

37.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$374 MYR 1,525

132.72%

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 Labuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Labuan

$342 33.6% 31.5% $157

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Labuan

$264 25.9% 5.5% $14

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Labuan

$145 14.2% 29.2% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Labuan

$115 11.2% 38.1% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Labuan

$86 8.5% 28.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Labuan

$50 4.9% 40.2% $34

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Labuan

$18 1.7% 36.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $433 in Labuan. 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 133% higher in Almaty, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty versus $24.00 in Labuan. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Almaty vs $264 in Labuan – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 Labuan

🕒 Local time

10:41 10:41 AM

12:41 12:41 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

95,120

💱 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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Between locations

Almaty Labuan 5,650 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Labuan

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 Labuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty and $1,530 in Labuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Labuan, 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 Labuan. 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 $1,020 in Labuan. That's a gap of about 34%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Labuan, where all-in costs run around $1,020, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Labuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Labuan – 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 Labuan. 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.