Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Sentul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sentul: $878 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Sentul
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Sentul Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Sentul

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Sentul

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $878 in Sentul, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Sentul $878

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,334 in Sentul, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Sentul $1,334

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,790 in Sentul, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Sentul $1,790

Almaty costs about 56% more than Sentul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Sentul is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$3.64 MYR 14.84

261.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$22.09 MYR 90.1

103.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$5.03 MYR 20.53

76.94%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.99 MYR 12.21

8.70%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.83 MYR 3.40

69.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.51 MYR 2.10

72.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$3.28 MYR 13.38

2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$5.87 MYR 23.93

-31.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.70 MYR 6.92

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.03 MYR 4.21

-16.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.42 MYR 5.80

42.96%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.74 MYR 7.11

39.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$9.66 MYR 39.39

28.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$3.17 MYR 12.94

111.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$9.45 MYR 38.56

14.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$3.25 MYR 13.26

-44.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.68 MYR 6.87

33.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.65 MYR 10.81

9.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.60 MYR 6.53

71.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$1.46 MYR 5.97

-48.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$1.64 MYR 6.70

-66.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.32 MYR 5.38

22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.51 MYR 2.08

105.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$4.16 MYR 16.99

-37.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$13.89 MYR 56.7

-19.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$2.65 MYR 10.81

-54.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$3.11 MYR 12.68

-21.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.81 MYR 3.31

-67.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$12.06 MYR 49.19

82.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$0.96 MYR 3.91

40.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.38 MYR 1.57

68.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$8.97 MYR 36.60

24.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$0.87 MYR 3.54

-17.24%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$41.2K MYR 168.2K

-45.36%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

-6.96%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$49.70 MYR 203

84.73%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$8.10 MYR 33.04

31.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$27.39 MYR 112

-34.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$41.09 MYR 168

71.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$7.45 MYR 30.40

270.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$5.04 MYR 20.57

34.52%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$161 MYR 658

178.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$4,446 MYR 18.1K

172.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$50.5 MYR 206

77.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$16.38 MYR 66.8

187.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$77.1 MYR 315

83.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$85.6 MYR 349

55.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$348 MYR 1,419

131.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$282 MYR 1,150

77.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$707 MYR 2,883

102.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$484 MYR 1,976

86.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$2,147 MYR 8,759

16.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$1,058 MYR 4,315

47.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$890 MYR 3,631

-2.26%

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 Sentul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Sentul

$282 32.1% 43.6% $218

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Sentul

$224 25.6% 10.4% $26

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Sentul

$114 12.9% 44.6% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Sentul

$103 11.8% 44.2% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Sentul

$85 9.7% 29.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Sentul

$51 5.8% 39% $33

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Sentul

$18 2.1% 34.1% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $348 in Sentul. 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 2% higher in Sentul, 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 $45.00 in Almaty versus $22.00 in Sentul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $224 – making Sentul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 Sentul

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

11:21 11:21 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

100,000

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Sentul 5,080 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Sentul

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 Sentul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 56%, 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 $1,317 in Sentul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sentul, 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 $22.00 in Sentul. 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 $878 in Sentul. That's a gap of about 56%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sentul, where all-in costs run around $878, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Sentul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sentul – 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 Sentul. 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.