Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Miri

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $814 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Miri

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $814 in Miri, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Miri $814

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $1,247 in Miri, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Miri $1,247

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $1,680 in Miri, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Miri $1,680

Almaty costs about 70% more than Miri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Miri is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸6,034

$3.43 MYR 14.02

288.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.7K

$12.16 MYR 49.65

256.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,988

$4.55 MYR 18.58

93.41%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,497

$2.30 MYR 9.40

43.48%

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

$1.37 ₸620

$0.78 MYR 3.17

75.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸409

$0.30 MYR 1.24

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,419

$2.96 MYR 12.10

5.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,860

$3.82 MYR 15.59

7.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸754

$1.40 MYR 5.72

18.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸406

$1.81 MYR 7.40

-50.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸933

$0.94 MYR 3.85

119.15%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,074

$3.50 MYR 14.27

-32.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,730

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸3,000

$4.79 MYR 19.58

38.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,928

$15.10 MYR 61.6

-28.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸845

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,075

$1.96 MYR 8.01

20.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,358

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,282

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸347

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸264

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸723

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸449

$0.36 MYR 1.47

175.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,153

$4.35 MYR 17.77

-41.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸5,005

$19.28 MYR 78.7

-42.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸550

$3.08 MYR 12.59

-60.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,093

$2.41 MYR 9.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$0.51 MYR 2.09

-50.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,901

$14.41 MYR 58.8

51.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸581

$1.19 MYR 4.87

7.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.64 MYR 2.60

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,870

$6.05 MYR 24.71

77.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸314

$0.65 MYR 2.64

6.15%

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

$22.3K ₸10.1M

$51.0K MYR 208.3K

-56.34%

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

$29.3K ₸13.3M

$32.7K MYR 133.3K

-10.16%

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

$87.8 ₸39.8K

$49.79 MYR 203

76.26%

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

$10.83 ₸4,909

$9.53 MYR 38.91

13.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,887

$33.24 MYR 136

-47.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.6K

$29.63 MYR 121

135.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.1K

$6.17 MYR 25.21

330.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,031

$4.45 MYR 18.18

50.11%

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

$446 ₸202.2K

$102 MYR 416

337.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

$6,641 MYR 27.1K

79.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.5K

$44.13 MYR 180

112.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.3K

$22.74 MYR 92.9

106.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.7K

$56.2 MYR 230

153.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.5K

$42.80 MYR 175

211.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸350.6K

$341 MYR 1,390

127.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸225.5K

$280 MYR 1,145

77.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸630.4K

$596 MYR 2,435

133.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸398.9K

$594 MYR 2,425

48.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.2M

$1,219 MYR 4,977

108.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸683.0K

$671 MYR 2,741

124.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸377.9K

$692 MYR 2,826

20.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

4.12

401.21%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Miri: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Miri

$280 35.2% 43.6% $217

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Miri

$194 * 24.4% 22.8% $57

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Miri

$96 12% 53.5% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Miri

$75 9.4% 60.2% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Miri

$93 11.6% 20.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Miri

$39 4.8% 53.6% $45

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Miri

$21 2.6% 23.8% $6.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $341 in Miri. 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 20% 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 $43.00 in Almaty versus $12.00 in Miri. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $194 – making Miri the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 Miri

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

19:18 7:18 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

248,877

💱 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 = 0.219 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Miri 5,650 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Miri

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 Miri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $1,221 in Miri. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Miri, 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 $43.00 in Almaty and $12.00 in Miri. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $814 in Miri. That's a gap of about 70%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Miri, where all-in costs run around $814, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Miri it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Miri – 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 Miri. 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.