Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bukit Mertajam and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Bukit Mertajam: $623 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Bukit Mertajam
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Bukit Mertajam Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Bukit Mertajam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$623

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bukit Mertajam 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 Bukit Mertajam and in Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $623 per month in Bukit Mertajam vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Bukit Mertajam $623
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $979 per month in Bukit Mertajam vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Bukit Mertajam $979
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,335 per month in Bukit Mertajam vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Bukit Mertajam $1,335
Almaty $2,913

Bukit Mertajam is about 55% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bukit Mertajam sits 54% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$13.16 ₸5,949

-85.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.63 MYR 84.2

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-54.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 MYR 16.03

$8.90 ₸4,022

-55.84%

Cappuccino

$3.14 MYR 12.80

$3.25 ₸1,469

-3.38%

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

$0.72 MYR 2.93

$1.41 ₸639

-48.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.88 ₸399

-46.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.30 MYR 17.52

$3.35 ₸1,513

28.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 MYR 24.69

$4.04 ₸1,827

49.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MYR 7.10

$1.69 ₸762

2.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.58

$0.86 ₸390

30.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MYR 7.91

$2.03 ₸917

-4.43%

Eggs

$2.52 MYR 10.26

$2.43 ₸1,100

3.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.07 MYR 57.4

$12.46 ₸5,632

12.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 MYR 17.71

$6.71 ₸3,033

-35.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.65 MYR 39.35

$10.85 ₸4,905

-11.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 MYR 14.24

$1.80 ₸813

93.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MYR 7.32

$2.25 ₸1,018

-20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 MYR 9.42

$2.91 ₸1,314

-20.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.23

$2.75 ₸1,243

-44.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.42

$0.75 ₸337

77.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.76

$0.55 ₸248

156.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$1.62 ₸732

-30.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MYR 2.72

$1.05 ₸474

-36.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MYR 17.64

$2.58 ₸1,167

67.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.48 MYR 79.5

$11.15 ₸5,042

74.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 MYR 14.91

$1.21 ₸547

201.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.05 MYR 20.60

$2.44 ₸1,104

106.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.84

$1.35 ₸611

-11.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.11

$0.64 ₸288

95.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 MYR 20.50

$11.16 ₸5,044

-54.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.54

$0.72 ₸324

20.83%

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

$41.2K MYR 168.3K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

83.14%

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

$34.4K MYR 140.4K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

13.70%

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

$62.4 MYR 255

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-31.99%

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

$8.54 MYR 34.85

$10.66 ₸4,820

-19.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.31 MYR 107

$17.86 ₸8,072

47.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MYR 20.65

$6.78 ₸3,064

-25.37%

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

$242 MYR 989

$449 ₸202.9K

-45.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K MYR 52.9K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

7.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 MYR 292

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-20.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.95 MYR 171

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-10.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 MYR 357

$142 ₸64.1K

-38.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 MYR 397

$133 ₸60.0K

-26.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$567 MYR 2,312

$870 ₸393.3K

-34.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

20.65

-79.76%

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

Last update for Bukit Mertajam: October 12, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bukit Mertajam

$271 43.5%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 7.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Bukit Mertajam

$134 21.5%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 37.9% $51

Eating Out

Bukit Mertajam

$103 16.6%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 98.6% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bukit Mertajam

$97 15.6%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 23.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Bukit Mertajam

$10 * 1.6%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 729% $74

Getting Around

Bukit Mertajam

$7.5 * 1.2%

Almaty

$28 2% 271% $20

Accommodation & Living

Bukit Mertajam

- * 0%

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 54% higher in Almaty, 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 $21.00 in Bukit Mertajam versus $45.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $271 in Bukit Mertajam vs $250 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Bukit Mertajam

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

12:47 12:47 PM

10:47 10:47 AM

2 h behind Bukit Mertajam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

212,329

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 19, 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 19, 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

Bukit Mertajam Almaty 4,800 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bukit Mertajam
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

Bukit Mertajam vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 120%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $935 per month in Bukit Mertajam and $2,058 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $623 in Bukit Mertajam and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 120%.

Kindergarten costs $242 per month in Bukit Mertajam and $449 in Almaty. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bukit Mertajam, where all-in costs run around $623, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Bukit Mertajam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bukit Mertajam – 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 Bukit Mertajam. 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.