Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,387 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,387
/mo nomad
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,454
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Singapore

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $3,454 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Almaty $1,387
  • Singapore $3,454

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $5,224 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,135
  • Singapore $5,224

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $6,994 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,883
  • Singapore $6,994

Almaty is about 60% cheaper than Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Almaty and Singapore sit above the global median – Almaty by 3%, Singapore by 158%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Almaty
Singapore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.31 ₸5,991
$11.53 SGD 14.77
15.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 ₸19.5K
$71.2 SGD 91.2
-39.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.80 ₸3,959
$8.76 SGD 11.22
0.46%
Cappuccino
$3.30 ₸1,486
$5.25 SGD 6.73
-37.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 ₸616
$1.83 SGD 2.34
-25.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ₸406
$1.25 SGD 1.60
-28.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.13 ₸1,409
$8.42 SGD 10.79
-62.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.10 ₸1,847
$10.02 SGD 12.83
-59.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Almaty
Singapore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ₸749
$2.94 SGD 3.76
-43.54%
White Bread (500g)
$0.90 ₸403
$2.47 SGD 3.16
-63.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.06 ₸927
$2.71 SGD 3.47
-23.99%
Eggs
$2.37 ₸1,067
$3.73 SGD 4.77
-36.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.64 ₸5,689
$21.54 SGD 27.58
-41.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 ₸2,978
$9.52 SGD 12.20
-30.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.87 ₸4,893
$25.98 SGD 33.27
-58.16%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₸839
$4.48 SGD 5.74
-58.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.37 ₸1,067
$3.11 SGD 3.99
-23.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.99 ₸1,348
$4.62 SGD 5.92
-35.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.83 ₸1,273
$2.23 SGD 2.86
26.91%
Potato (1kg)
$0.77 ₸345
$2.50 SGD 3.20
-69.20%
Onion (1kg)
$0.58 ₸262
$2.38 SGD 3.05
-75.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.59 ₸718
$1.78 SGD 2.28
-10.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 ₸446
$1.51 SGD 1.93
-34.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.54 ₸1,145
$14.18 SGD 18.16
-82.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.04 ₸4,969
$23.79 SGD 30.47
-53.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 ₸546
$4.51 SGD 5.78
-73.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 ₸1,085
$4.57 SGD 5.86
-47.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Almaty
Singapore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₸113
$1.58 SGD 2.03
-84.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.84 ₸9,831
$96.4 SGD 123
-77.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₸577
$3.63 SGD 4.65
-64.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₸289
$0.80 SGD 1.02
-20.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.74 ₸4,836
$16.18 SGD 20.72
-33.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.69 ₸312
$2.51 SGD 3.21
-72.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.3K ₸10.0M
$155.9K SGD 199.6K
-85.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.3K ₸13.2M
$145.8K SGD 186.7K
-79.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
Singapore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.8 ₸39.5K
$175 SGD 224
-49.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.83 ₸4,874
$12.45 SGD 15.94
-13.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.40 ₸7,831
$26.64 SGD 34.11
-34.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
Singapore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$69.7 ₸31.4K
$112 SGD 143
-37.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.58 ₸12.0K
$12.07 SGD 15.46
120.22%
Cinema Ticket
$6.68 ₸3,009
$11.60 SGD 14.85
-42.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Almaty
Singapore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$446 ₸200.8K
$1,463 SGD 1,874
-69.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₸5.4M
$28.4K SGD 36.3K
-58.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
Singapore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.7 ₸42.2K
$81.5 SGD 104
15.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.91 ₸21.1K
$50.6 SGD 64.8
-7.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$143 ₸64.3K
$112 SGD 143
27.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 ₸60.1K
$130 SGD 166
2.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Almaty
Singapore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$773 ₸348.1K
$2,916 SGD 3,734
-73.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$497 ₸223.9K
$2,128 SGD 2,725
-76.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,390 ₸625.9K
$5,654 SGD 7,241
-75.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$880 ₸396.0K
$3,968 SGD 5,081
-77.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,546 ₸1.1M
$23.6K SGD 30.2K
-89.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,506 ₸678.2K
$16.8K SGD 21.5K
-91.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Almaty
Singapore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$834 ₸375.2K
$4,369 SGD 5,594
-80.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20.65
2.44
746.31%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Almaty
$497
Singapore
$2.1K 328% $1.6K
Groceries & Markets
Almaty
$251
Singapore
$457 82.1% $206
Eating Out
Almaty
$205
Singapore
$256 24.7% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
$188
Singapore
$168 10.4% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
$116
Singapore
$214 84.6% $98
Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
$83
Singapore
$135 62.2% $52
Getting Around
Almaty
$27
Singapore
$110 304% $83

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $2,916 in Singapore. 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 424% higher in Singapore, 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 $71.0 in Singapore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $457 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Almaty
🇸🇬 Singapore
🕒 Local time
12:02 12:02 PM
14:02 2:02 PM
2 h ahead of Almaty
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,475,400
5,535,002 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Almaty Singapore 5,370 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Almaty
  • Singapore

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 Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Singapore cheaper than Almaty?
Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 149%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $5,180 in Singapore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Almaty, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Almaty or in Singapore?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty and $71.0 in Singapore. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Almaty and in Singapore?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $3,454 in Singapore. That's a gap of about 149%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Almaty or in Singapore?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in Singapore at $3,454. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Almaty or Singapore more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Almaty – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Almaty or Singapore?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Almaty. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Singapore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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