Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Sandakan, Sabah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah: $934 a month against $1,363 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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 Sandakan, Sabah
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Sandakan, Sabah Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Sandakan, Sabah

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

A single person spends $1,363 per month in Almaty vs $934 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Almaty $1,363
Sandakan, Sabah $934

A couple spends around $2,131 per month in Almaty vs $1,397 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Almaty $2,131
Sandakan, Sabah $1,397

A family of three spends $2,900 per month in Almaty vs $1,860 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Almaty $2,900
Sandakan, Sabah $1,860

Almaty costs about 46% more than Sandakan, Sabah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 1% above the global median, while Sandakan, Sabah is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 ₸5,899

$3.75 MYR 15.28

248.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 ₸19.6K

$19.24 MYR 78.5

125.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ₸3,962

$4.77 MYR 19.45

83.65%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ₸1,501

$2.83 MYR 11.53

17.31%

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

$1.34 ₸607

$0.79 MYR 3.23

69.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸374

$0.40 MYR 1.63

107.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₸1,518

$3.77 MYR 15.39

-10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 ₸1,818

$4.48 MYR 18.27

-10.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₸747

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-9.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₸421

$1.04 MYR 4.26

-10.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ₸927

$1.49 MYR 6.09

37.58%

Eggs

$2.46 ₸1,113

$2.05 MYR 8.37

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 ₸5,646

$13.38 MYR 54.6

-6.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,035

$4.36 MYR 17.77

53.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$9.69 MYR 39.54

11.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ₸807

$3.28 MYR 13.39

-45.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.67 MYR 6.83

34.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ₸1,299

$2.42 MYR 9.85

18.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 ₸1,227

$1.53 MYR 6.25

77.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ₸362

$1.31 MYR 5.35

-38.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸249

$1.18 MYR 4.82

-53.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.12 MYR 4.57

44.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₸453

$0.53 MYR 2.15

88.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$4.50 MYR 18.35

-42.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,039

$19.33 MYR 78.9

-42.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₸572

$3.02 MYR 12.30

-58.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₸1,120

$4.55 MYR 18.55

-45.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₸128

$0.72 MYR 2.92

-61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.05 ₸9,970

$12.43 MYR 50.7

77.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 ₸607

$1.19 MYR 4.85

12.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.50 MYR 2.05

28.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.04 ₸4,993

$7.51 MYR 30.63

47.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸326

$0.80 MYR 3.28

-10.00%

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

$28.1K ₸12.7M

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

-31.85%

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

$31.8K ₸14.4M

$34.3K MYR 140.0K

-7.31%

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

$90.5 ₸40.9K

$48.48 MYR 198

86.72%

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

$10.63 ₸4,805

$9.82 MYR 40.07

8.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.12 ₸8,190

$27.45 MYR 112

-33.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₸31.2K

$39.94 MYR 163

72.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 ₸12.2K

$7.11 MYR 29.01

279.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 ₸3,062

$4.94 MYR 20.14

37.04%

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

$444 ₸200.6K

$190 MYR 776

133.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

$7,001 MYR 28.6K

70.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 ₸41.5K

$56.6 MYR 231

62.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.80 ₸21.6K

$34.71 MYR 142

37.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 ₸63.0K

$81.6 MYR 333

70.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₸59.4K

$75.7 MYR 309

73.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 ₸351.2K

$403 MYR 1,644

92.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₸223.4K

$299 MYR 1,221

65.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 ₸650.4K

$681 MYR 2,779

111.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 ₸409.2K

$489 MYR 1,994

85.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 ₸1.1M

$2,002 MYR 8,167

23.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,517 ₸685.7K

$1,079 MYR 4,402

40.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 ₸387.2K

$1,220 MYR 4,976

-29.78%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$494 36.3%

Sandakan, Sabah

$299 32.1% 39.4% $195

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 27.6% 2.8% $7

Eating Out

Almaty

$204 15%

Sandakan, Sabah

$111 11.9% 45.7% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.6%

Sandakan, Sabah

$112 12% 39.4% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$119 8.8%

Sandakan, Sabah

$86 9.2% 28.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Sandakan, Sabah

$50 5.3% 39.6% $33

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Sandakan, Sabah

$19 2% 31.5% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $777 in Almaty versus $403 in Sandakan, Sabah. 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 42% higher in Sandakan, Sabah, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty versus $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Almaty vs $258 in Sandakan, Sabah – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

04:48 4:48 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

439,050

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Sandakan, Sabah 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Sandakan, Sabah

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 Sandakan, Sabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,044 per month in Almaty and $1,401 in Sandakan, Sabah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah, 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 $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,363 in Almaty and $934 in Sandakan, Sabah. That's a gap of about 46%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sandakan, Sabah, where all-in costs run around $934, than in Almaty at $1,363. In Sandakan, Sabah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sandakan, Sabah – 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 Sandakan, Sabah. 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.