Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Skudai

For one person, living is cheaper in Skudai: $900 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Skudai
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Skudai Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Skudai

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$900

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Skudai

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

A single person spends $1,362 per month in Almaty vs $900 in Skudai, rent included.

Almaty $1,362
Skudai $900

A couple spends around $2,151 per month in Almaty vs $1,370 in Skudai, rent included.

Almaty $2,151
Skudai $1,370

A family of three spends $2,940 per month in Almaty vs $1,840 in Skudai, rent included.

Almaty $2,940
Skudai $1,840

Almaty costs about 51% more than Skudai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.32 ₸6,077

$3.63 MYR 14.84

266.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 ₸20.4K

$18.25 MYR 74.6

145.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 ₸4,079

$4.90 MYR 20.05

82.45%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ₸1,539

$2.87 MYR 11.73

17.42%

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

$1.32 ₸603

$0.83 MYR 3.40

59.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸399

$0.45 MYR 1.83

93.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 ₸1,437

$3.33 MYR 13.62

-5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 ₸1,804

$5.62 MYR 22.97

-29.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸757

$1.74 MYR 7.11

-4.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸394

$1.02 MYR 4.18

-15.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₸915

$1.48 MYR 6.06

35.81%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,129

$1.66 MYR 6.78

48.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 ₸5,738

$9.64 MYR 39.43

30.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 ₸2,998

$3.20 MYR 13.09

105.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 ₸4,841

$9.61 MYR 39.28

10.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸817

$3.42 MYR 13.98

-47.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₸1,048

$1.70 MYR 6.94

35.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₸1,352

$2.61 MYR 10.68

13.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 ₸1,303

$1.64 MYR 6.69

74.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₸367

$1.41 MYR 5.75

-42.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₸268

$1.73 MYR 7.08

-65.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ₸723

$1.37 MYR 5.59

15.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸453

$0.51 MYR 2.09

94.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ₸1,250

$4.28 MYR 17.49

-35.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 ₸5,156

$13.83 MYR 56.5

-18.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₸559

$2.74 MYR 11.19

-55.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₸1,124

$2.99 MYR 12.22

-17.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.83 MYR 3.40

-68.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸10.0K

$10.95 MYR 44.78

100.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸617

$1.01 MYR 4.13

33.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 ₸320

$0.36 MYR 1.46

94.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,074

$9.03 MYR 36.92

23.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸330

$0.86 MYR 3.51

-16.28%

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

$28.4K ₸13.0M

$44.3K MYR 181.0K

-35.85%

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

$31.8K ₸14.5M

$36.0K MYR 147.2K

-11.69%

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

$91.3 ₸41.7K

$48.79 MYR 199

87.11%

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

$10.60 ₸4,835

$8.16 MYR 33.38

29.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 ₸8,162

$26.88 MYR 110

-33.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 ₸29.8K

$36.95 MYR 151

76.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 ₸12.7K

$7.55 MYR 30.86

267.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ₸2,950

$4.93 MYR 20.17

31.24%

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

$473 ₸215.7K

$235 MYR 962

100.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ₸5.6M

$4,393 MYR 18.0K

178.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 ₸42.5K

$50.5 MYR 206

84.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.67 ₸21.8K

$16.62 MYR 68.0

186.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸65.1K

$77.2 MYR 316

84.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸61.4K

$85.4 MYR 349

57.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₸356.1K

$357 MYR 1,461

118.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₸224.6K

$311 MYR 1,270

58.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₸647.6K

$650 MYR 2,659

118.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₸426.2K

$565 MYR 2,310

65.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,462 ₸1.1M

$1,956 MYR 7,997

25.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 ₸726.2K

$1,161 MYR 4,746

37.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 ₸398.2K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Skudai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$492 36.1%

Skudai

$311 34.5% 36.9% $181

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.4%

Skudai

$226 25.2% 9.4% $23

Eating Out

Almaty

$206 15.1%

Skudai

$111 12.4% 46.1% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.8%

Skudai

$103 11.5% 45% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Skudai

$84 9.3% 30% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$78 5.7%

Skudai

$47 5.2% 40.1% $31

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2.1%

Skudai

$17 1.9% 38.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $780 in Almaty versus $357 in Skudai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Almaty versus $18 in Skudai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $226 – making Skudai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇾 Skudai

🕒 Local time

23:17 11:17 PM

02:17 2:17 AM

3 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

159,733

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.19 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 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 27, 2026: 1 USD = 456 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Skudai 5,340 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Skudai

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 Skudai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,043 per month in Almaty and $1,349 in Skudai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skudai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $357 there versus $780 in Almaty.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Almaty and $18 in Skudai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,362 in Almaty and $900 in Skudai. That’s a gap of about 51%.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Skudai, where all-in costs run around $900, than in Almaty at $1,362. In Skudai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Skudai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 51% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.