Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Samarinda

For one person, living is cheaper in Samarinda: $647 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Samarinda
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Samarinda Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Samarinda

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Samarinda

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $647 in Samarinda, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Samarinda $647

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,021 in Samarinda, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Samarinda $1,021

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,395 in Samarinda, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Samarinda $1,395

Almaty costs about 112% more than Samarinda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Samarinda is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

674.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$13.69 Rp 246.4K

227.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$3.35 Rp 60.2K

165.67%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

112.42%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.44 Rp 7,903

220.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.25 Rp 4,499

252.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

47.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

17.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

57.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

3.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$0.71 Rp 12.8K

185.92%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.40 Rp 25.3K

73.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$7.21 Rp 129.9K

72.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$3.61 Rp 65.0K

85.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$10.04 Rp 180.7K

8.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$5.14 Rp 92.4K

-64.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

102.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$1.09 Rp 19.5K

166.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.47 Rp 26.5K

87.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

-43.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

-68.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.75 Rp 13.6K

116.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.51 Rp 9,097

105.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$2.08 Rp 37.4K

24.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$21.04 Rp 378.7K

-47.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$1.60 Rp 28.8K

-24.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

-3.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.30 Rp 5,403

-13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$0.50 Rp 8,935

170.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.34 Rp 6,183

88.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$2.67 Rp 48.0K

317.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-11.11%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$26.8K Rp 482.4M

-15.97%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$31.1K Rp 559.1M

-2.55%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$67.2 Rp 1.2M

36.54%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$4.75 Rp 85.5K

124.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$18.78 Rp 338.0K

-4.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$19.72 Rp 354.9K

256.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$8.94 Rp 160.9K

208.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

146.55%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$89.9 Rp 1.6M

399.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$8,095 Rp 145.7M

49.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$47.77 Rp 859.9K

88.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$32.33 Rp 582.0K

45.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$76.9 Rp 1.4M

84.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$74.1 Rp 1.3M

79.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$195 Rp 3.5M

311.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$148 Rp 2.7M

238.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$491 Rp 8.8M

191.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$338 Rp 6.1M

167.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$1,107 Rp 19.9M

126.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$730 Rp 13.1M

113.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$336 Rp 6.0M

158.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

9.46

118.29%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Samarinda: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Samarinda

$148 22.8% 70.5% $352

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Samarinda

$213 32.9% 14.9% $37

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Samarinda

$63 9.7% 69.3% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Samarinda

$104 16.1% 43.8% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Samarinda

$91 14% 24.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Samarinda

$25 3.9% 69.9% $59

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Samarinda

$3.4 * 0.5% 87.6% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $195 in Samarinda. 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 159% 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 $14.00 in Samarinda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $213 – making Samarinda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇮🇩 Samarinda

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

12:06 12:06 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

726,223

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, 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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Almaty Samarinda 6,290 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Samarinda

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 Samarinda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 112%, 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 $970 in Samarinda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samarinda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $647 in Samarinda. That's a gap of about 112%.

Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Almaty and $89.9 in Samarinda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Samarinda, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Samarinda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Samarinda. 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.