Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Setia Alam

For one person, living is cheaper in Setia Alam: $913 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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 Setia Alam
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Setia Alam Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Setia Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Setia Alam

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $913 in Setia Alam, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Setia Alam $913

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,358 in Setia Alam, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Setia Alam $1,358

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,803 in Setia Alam, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Setia Alam $1,803

Almaty costs about 50% more than Setia Alam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Setia Alam is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$4.81 MYR 19.61

173.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$24.57 MYR 100

82.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$4.96 MYR 20.22

79.44%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.76 MYR 11.27

17.75%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.79 MYR 3.23

78.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.47 MYR 1.93

87.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$4.32 MYR 17.63

-22.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$6.01 MYR 24.50

-32.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.49 MYR 6.09

13.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$0.72 MYR 2.92

19.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$0.59 MYR 2.42

244.07%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.20 MYR 4.91

102.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$13.82 MYR 56.4

-9.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$2.41 MYR 9.83

178.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$2.41 MYR 9.83

350.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$1.24 MYR 5.04

45.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.83 MYR 7.47

22.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$1.25 MYR 5.11

132.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.20 MYR 4.91

129.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$0.71 MYR 2.89

5.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$0.74 MYR 3.03

-25.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.70 MYR 2.87

131.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.72 MYR 2.95

45.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$4.32 MYR 17.64

-40.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$19.60 MYR 80.0

-43.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$3.59 MYR 14.64

-66.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$4.86 MYR 19.84

-49.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.76 MYR 3.08

-65.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$12.31 MYR 50.2

78.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$1.24 MYR 5.06

8.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$1.20 MYR 4.88

-46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$4.78 MYR 19.49

133.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$0.48 MYR 1.95

50.00%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$39.2K MYR 159.9K

-42.52%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$33.0K MYR 134.7K

-8.34%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$61.2 MYR 250

50.09%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$8.52 MYR 34.77

25.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$26.04 MYR 106

-31.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$49.73 MYR 203

41.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$6.97 MYR 28.44

295.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$5.10 MYR 20.82

32.94%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$135 MYR 551

232.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$7,885 MYR 32.2K

53.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$72.7 MYR 296

23.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$27.31 MYR 111

72.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$53.8 MYR 220

163.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$36.56 MYR 149

263.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$529 MYR 2,160

51.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$323 MYR 1,319

54.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$873 MYR 3,562

63.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$549 MYR 2,238

64.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$1,992 MYR 8,128

25.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$1,102 MYR 4,498

41.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$1,143 MYR 4,663

-23.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

416.25%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Setia Alam: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Setia Alam

$323 35.4% 35.3% $176

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Setia Alam

$200 21.9% 20% $50

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Setia Alam

$125 13.7% 38.9% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Setia Alam

$86 9.4% 53.8% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Setia Alam

$96 10.5% 20.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Setia Alam

$60 6.6% 28.6% $24

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Setia Alam

$23 2.5% 18.3% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $529 in Setia Alam. 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 31% higher in Setia Alam, 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 $25.00 in Setia Alam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $200 – making Setia Alam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 Setia Alam

🕒 Local time

14:17 2:17 PM

16:17 4:17 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

150,000

💱 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 Setia Alam 5,080 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Setia Alam

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 Setia Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 50%, 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 $1,369 in Setia Alam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Setia Alam, 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 $25.00 in Setia Alam. 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 $913 in Setia Alam. That's a gap of about 50%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Setia Alam, where all-in costs run around $913, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Setia Alam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Setia Alam – 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 Setia Alam. 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.