Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alor Setar and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Alor Setar: $881 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.

43

Cost of Living Index in Alor Setar
Learn more

Alor Setar Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index

Jump to prices

Alor Setar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$881

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alor Setar and in Almaty

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Alor Setar and in Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $881 per month in Alor Setar vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Alor Setar $881
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,277 per month in Alor Setar vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,277
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,672 per month in Alor Setar vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,672
Almaty $2,913

Alor Setar is about 36% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 MYR 8.48

$13.16 ₸5,949

-84.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.30 MYR 50.2

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-72.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.28 MYR 17.44

$8.90 ₸4,022

-51.91%

Cappuccino

$1.82 MYR 7.40

$3.25 ₸1,469

-44.00%

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

$0.56 MYR 2.30

$1.41 ₸639

-60.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.24

$0.88 ₸399

-65.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.25 MYR 17.33

$3.35 ₸1,513

26.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MYR 17.68

$4.04 ₸1,827

7.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MYR 6.51

$1.69 ₸762

-5.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 MYR 3.49

$0.86 ₸390

-1.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.85

$2.03 ₸917

-17.24%

Eggs

$1.51 MYR 6.17

$2.43 ₸1,100

-37.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.63 MYR 55.6

$12.46 ₸5,632

9.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.76

$6.71 ₸3,033

-35.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.75 MYR 35.68

$10.85 ₸4,905

-19.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 11.98

$1.80 ₸813

63.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.04

$2.25 ₸1,018

-44.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 MYR 11.10

$2.91 ₸1,314

-6.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.91

$2.75 ₸1,243

-47.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 MYR 4.33

$0.75 ₸337

41.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.62

$0.55 ₸248

105.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.48

$1.62 ₸732

-32.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.18

$1.05 ₸474

-48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.37

$2.58 ₸1,167

74.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.89 MYR 77.1

$11.15 ₸5,042

69.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 MYR 11.83

$1.21 ₸547

139.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 MYR 21.88

$2.44 ₸1,104

119.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MYR 3.21

$0.26 ₸117

203.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.78 MYR 43.98

$22.03 ₸9,957

-51.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 MYR 6.80

$1.35 ₸611

23.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 MYR 1.65

$0.64 ₸288

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 MYR 30.08

$11.16 ₸5,044

-33.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$0.72 ₸324

-29.17%

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

$41.8K MYR 170.3K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

85.41%

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

$35.9K MYR 146.6K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

18.72%

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

$37.61 MYR 153

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-59.03%

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

$7.49 MYR 30.57

$10.66 ₸4,820

-29.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.82 MYR 89.0

$17.86 ₸8,072

22.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.96 MYR 163

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-43.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.19 MYR 29.33

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-73.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MYR 20.19

$6.78 ₸3,064

-26.99%

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

$427 MYR 1,741

$449 ₸202.9K

-4.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MYR 43.7K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

-11.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 MYR 246

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-32.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.46 MYR 141

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-26.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 MYR 336

$142 ₸64.1K

-41.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 MYR 281

$133 ₸60.0K

-48.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 MYR 1,513

$805 ₸363.7K

-53.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 MYR 1,246

$500 ₸225.9K

-38.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 MYR 2,700

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-53.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 MYR 1,831

$904 ₸408.8K

-50.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,986 MYR 8,103

$2,503 ₸1.1M

-20.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$970 MYR 3,958

$1,559 ₸704.7K

-37.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,642 MYR 6,697

$870 ₸393.3K

88.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

20.65

-80.44%

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

Last update for Alor Setar: October 11, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alor Setar

$305 34.7%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 63.6% $194

Groceries & Markets

Alor Setar

$246 27.9%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 1.9% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Alor Setar

$111 12.6%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 67.3% $75

Eating Out

Alor Setar

$85 9.6%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 142% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alor Setar

$67 7.6%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 79.8% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Alor Setar

$50 5.7%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 68.2% $34

Getting Around

Alor Setar

$18 2%

Almaty

$28 2% 56.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $371 in Alor Setar versus $805 in Almaty. 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 89% higher in Alor Setar, 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 $12.00 in Alor Setar versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $250 – making Alor Setar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Alor Setar

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

01:14 1:14 AM

2 h behind Alor Setar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

423,868

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alor Setar Almaty 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Alor Setar
Almaty

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

Alor Setar vs Almaty: 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 $1,321 per month in Alor Setar and $2,058 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alor Setar, 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 $12.00 in Alor Setar and $45.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $881 in Alor Setar and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 56%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Alor Setar, where all-in costs run around $881, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Alor Setar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Alor Setar – 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 Alor Setar. 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.