Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Astana and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Petaling Jaya: $1,037 a month against $1,131 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index

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Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,131

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Astana and in Petaling Jaya

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

A single person spends $1,131 per month in Astana vs $1,037 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Astana $1,131
Petaling Jaya $1,037

A couple spends around $1,809 per month in Astana vs $1,499 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Astana $1,809
Petaling Jaya $1,499

A family of three spends $2,486 per month in Astana vs $1,962 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Astana $2,486
Petaling Jaya $1,962

Astana costs about 9% more than Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Astana and Petaling Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Astana 16% lower, Petaling Jaya 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 ₸4,953

$3.58 MYR 14.62

206.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.48 ₸17.4K

$24.22 MYR 98.8

58.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 ₸3,443

$4.76 MYR 19.40

60.08%

Cappuccino

$2.64 ₸1,191

$2.99 MYR 12.21

-11.71%

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

$1.11 ₸500

$0.93 MYR 3.80

19.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₸282

$0.44 MYR 1.81

40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₸586

$3.32 MYR 13.54

-60.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ₸988

$5.64 MYR 23.01

-61.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ₸578

$1.85 MYR 7.53

-30.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ₸286

$1.02 MYR 4.16

-38.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 ₸741

$1.48 MYR 6.02

10.81%

Eggs

$2.23 ₸1,007

$1.83 MYR 7.48

21.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 ₸5,383

$9.93 MYR 40.53

19.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 ₸2,637

$3.29 MYR 13.42

77.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.46 ₸4,730

$9.51 MYR 38.81

9.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ₸823

$3.50 MYR 14.29

-48.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₸1,046

$1.89 MYR 7.70

22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ₸1,001

$2.71 MYR 11.07

-18.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 ₸985

$1.82 MYR 7.44

19.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸297

$2.15 MYR 8.79

-69.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ₸208

$1.97 MYR 8.02

-76.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 ₸694

$1.49 MYR 6.08

3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸397

$0.56 MYR 2.27

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 ₸974

$4.62 MYR 18.86

-53.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.24 ₸5,080

$19.26 MYR 78.6

-41.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸617

$2.62 MYR 10.69

-48.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₸1,100

$4.68 MYR 19.09

-48.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₸103

$1.20 MYR 4.91

-80.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.87 ₸7,625

$12.34 MYR 50.3

36.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ₸998

$1.23 MYR 5.02

79.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₸509

$0.38 MYR 1.55

197.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.53 ₸2,951

$8.76 MYR 35.75

-25.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 ₸285

$0.80 MYR 3.26

-21.25%

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

$24.4K ₸11.1M

$41.7K MYR 170.2K

-41.41%

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

$30.7K ₸13.9M

$32.1K MYR 130.8K

-4.34%

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

$68.5 ₸30.9K

$49.70 MYR 203

37.75%

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

$10.25 ₸4,633

$7.99 MYR 32.61

28.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.92 ₸8,101

$26.77 MYR 109

-33.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 ₸25.5K

$52.5 MYR 214

7.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 ₸9,237

$3.03 MYR 12.37

574.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 ₸2,947

$4.93 MYR 20.12

32.25%

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

$369 ₸166.9K

$273 MYR 1,114

35.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

13.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 ₸29.9K

$51.7 MYR 211

28.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.16 ₸20.9K

$30.02 MYR 122

53.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₸53.5K

$78.4 MYR 320

51.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₸58.9K

$86.4 MYR 353

50.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 ₸261.5K

$482 MYR 1,966

20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 ₸176.0K

$397 MYR 1,620

-1.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 ₸518.1K

$832 MYR 3,394

37.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 ₸346.8K

$559 MYR 2,281

37.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,523 ₸688.6K

$3,184 MYR 13.0K

-52.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,124 ₸508.2K

$978 MYR 3,990

14.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 ₸400.7K

$1,707 MYR 6,964

-48.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.5

4.51

243.68%

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

Last update for Astana: October 10, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Astana

$389 34.4%

Petaling Jaya

$397 38.3% 2% $7.9

Groceries & Markets

Astana

$227 20.1%

Petaling Jaya

$249 24.1% 9.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Astana

$162 14.4%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.7% 31.7% $51

Eating Out

Astana

$160 14.1%

Petaling Jaya

$112 10.8% 29.8% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Astana

$97 8.5%

Petaling Jaya

$84 8.2% 12.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Astana

$70 6.2%

Petaling Jaya

$62 6% 10.3% $7.1

Getting Around

Astana

$26 2.3%

Petaling Jaya

$20 2% 20.8% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $578 in Astana versus $482 in Petaling Jaya. 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 93% higher in Petaling Jaya, 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 $38.00 in Astana versus $24.00 in Petaling Jaya. Groceries tell a different story – $227 in Astana vs $249 in Petaling Jaya – so Astana wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Astana

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

21:37 9:37 PM

23:37 11:37 PM

2 h ahead of Astana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

814,400 Capital

771,687

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

Astana Petaling Jaya 6,040 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Astana
Petaling Jaya

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

Astana vs Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,131 in Astana, $1,037 in Petaling Jaya – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,696 per month in Astana and $1,556 in Petaling Jaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Petaling Jaya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $369 per month in Astana and $273 in Petaling Jaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Astana – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Petaling Jaya, where all-in costs run around $1,037, than in Astana at $1,131. In Petaling Jaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Astana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Astana has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,037 in Petaling Jaya to $1,131 in Astana. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Petaling Jaya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Astana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.