Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butterworth and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Butterworth: $932 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Butterworth
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Butterworth Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Butterworth

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$932

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $932 per month in Butterworth vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Butterworth $932
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,402 per month in Butterworth vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Butterworth $1,402
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,871 per month in Butterworth vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Butterworth $1,871
Almaty $2,913

Butterworth is about 32% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Butterworth sits 31% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 MYR 15.38

$13.16 ₸5,949

-71.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.66 MYR 80.2

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-56.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 MYR 19.19

$8.90 ₸4,022

-47.19%

Cappuccino

$2.90 MYR 11.82

$3.25 ₸1,469

-10.77%

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

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$1.41 ₸639

-46.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$0.88 ₸399

-55.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.19 MYR 17.09

$3.35 ₸1,513

25.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 MYR 17.56

$4.04 ₸1,827

6.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 MYR 8.48

$1.69 ₸762

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$0.86 ₸390

20.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.94

$2.03 ₸917

-16.26%

Eggs

$2.17 MYR 8.86

$2.43 ₸1,100

-10.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 MYR 56.4

$12.46 ₸5,632

10.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.74

$6.71 ₸3,033

-35.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.79 MYR 35.87

$10.85 ₸4,905

-18.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MYR 11.84

$1.80 ₸813

61.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.88

$2.25 ₸1,018

-24.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 MYR 9.52

$2.91 ₸1,314

-19.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.75

$2.75 ₸1,243

-48.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.29

$0.75 ₸337

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.61

$0.55 ₸248

105.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$1.62 ₸732

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.33

$1.05 ₸474

-45.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.20

$2.58 ₸1,167

72.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.33 MYR 78.9

$11.15 ₸5,042

73.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 MYR 11.72

$1.21 ₸547

137.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MYR 19.97

$2.44 ₸1,104

100.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.86

$0.26 ₸117

169.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.13 MYR 45.40

$22.03 ₸9,957

-49.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.89

$1.35 ₸611

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.52

$0.64 ₸288

-42.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 MYR 19.88

$11.16 ₸5,044

-56.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 MYR 3.63

$0.72 ₸324

23.61%

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

$42.2K MYR 172.3K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

87.50%

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

$34.2K MYR 139.5K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

12.98%

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

$37.79 MYR 154

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-58.84%

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

$8.58 MYR 34.99

$10.66 ₸4,820

-19.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.51 MYR 108

$17.86 ₸8,072

48.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.71 MYR 150

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-47.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.90 MYR 28.15

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-75.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 MYR 20.50

$6.78 ₸3,064

-25.81%

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

$297 MYR 1,211

$449 ₸202.9K

-33.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K MYR 44.4K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

-10.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 MYR 240

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-34.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.71 MYR 146

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-24.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 MYR 334

$142 ₸64.1K

-42.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 MYR 290

$133 ₸60.0K

-46.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,672

$805 ₸363.7K

-49.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MYR 1,281

$500 ₸225.9K

-37.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$772 MYR 3,149

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-45.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 MYR 2,130

$904 ₸408.8K

-42.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,053 MYR 8,376

$2,503 ₸1.1M

-17.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,101 MYR 4,493

$1,559 ₸704.7K

-29.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

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 Butterworth: October 10, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Butterworth

$314 33.7%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 59.1% $186

Groceries & Markets

Butterworth

$257 27.6%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 2.5% $6.4

Eating Out

Butterworth

$113 12.1%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 81.1% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Butterworth

$111 12%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 66.2% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butterworth

$73 7.8%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 65.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Butterworth

$47 5%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 79.3% $37

Getting Around

Butterworth

$17 1.8%

Almaty

$28 2% 62.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $410 in Butterworth 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Butterworth versus $45.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Butterworth vs $250 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Butterworth

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

05:49 5:49 AM

2 h behind Butterworth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

339,132

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

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Highest

Between locations

Butterworth Almaty 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Butterworth
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

Butterworth vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,398 per month in Butterworth 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 Butterworth, 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 $20.00 in Butterworth 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 $932 in Butterworth and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 47%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Butterworth, where all-in costs run around $932, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Butterworth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Butterworth – 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 Butterworth. 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.