Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheras and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheras: $1,139 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Cheras
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Cheras Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Cheras

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,139

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,139 per month in Cheras vs $1,362 in Almaty, rent included.

Cheras $1,139
Almaty $1,362

A couple spends around $1,560 per month in Cheras vs $2,151 in Almaty, rent included.

Cheras $1,560
Almaty $2,151

A family of three spends $1,982 per month in Cheras vs $2,940 in Almaty, rent included.

Cheras $1,982
Almaty $2,940

Cheras is about 16% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.61 MYR 14.72

$13.32 ₸6,066

-72.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.03 MYR 97.9

$44.80 ₸20.4K

-46.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 MYR 20.44

$8.94 ₸4,071

-43.85%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.17

$3.37 ₸1,537

-11.28%

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

$0.91 MYR 3.71

$1.32 ₸602

-31.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.32

$0.87 ₸398

-34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.33 MYR 17.63

$3.15 ₸1,434

37.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.32 MYR 25.74

$3.95 ₸1,801

60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.69

$1.66 ₸756

13.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.36

$0.86 ₸393

24.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.07

$2.01 ₸913

-25.87%

Eggs

$1.78 MYR 7.26

$2.47 ₸1,127

-27.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.03 MYR 73.5

$12.58 ₸5,728

43.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.59

$6.57 ₸2,992

-30.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 MYR 44.39

$10.61 ₸4,832

2.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 MYR 14.59

$1.79 ₸816

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.58

$2.30 ₸1,046

-19.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.73

$2.96 ₸1,349

-11.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.80

$2.86 ₸1,301

-41.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MYR 8.48

$0.81 ₸367

156.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.73

$0.59 ₸268

179.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$1.58 ₸721

-15.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$0.99 ₸453

-49.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MYR 17.53

$2.74 ₸1,248

56.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 MYR 57.7

$11.30 ₸5,147

25.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MYR 10.82

$1.22 ₸558

118.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MYR 12.83

$2.46 ₸1,122

28.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$0.26 ₸117

192.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.7

$21.98 ₸10.0K

-43.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 MYR 3.84

$1.35 ₸616

-30.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$0.70 ₸320

-48.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.17 MYR 37.38

$11.12 ₸5,065

-17.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.52

$0.72 ₸329

19.44%

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

$45.0K MYR 183.5K

$28.4K ₸12.9M

58.61%

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

$35.8K MYR 146.0K

$31.8K ₸14.5M

12.66%

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

$49.55 MYR 202

$91.3 ₸41.6K

-45.72%

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

$10.91 MYR 44.46

$10.60 ₸4,827

2.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.88 MYR 114

$17.89 ₸8,147

55.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 MYR 212

$65.3 ₸29.7K

-20.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.66 MYR 27.12

$27.76 ₸12.6K

-76.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.99 MYR 20.35

$6.47 ₸2,945

-22.87%

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

$164 MYR 667

$473 ₸215.3K

-65.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,411 MYR 18.0K

$12.3K ₸5.6M

-64.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 MYR 218

$93.1 ₸42.4K

-42.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.08 MYR 123

$47.67 ₸21.7K

-36.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 MYR 334

$143 ₸65.0K

-42.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 MYR 396

$134 ₸61.3K

-27.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 MYR 1,574

$780 ₸355.5K

-50.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MYR 1,886

$492 ₸224.1K

-5.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 MYR 2,713

$1,419 ₸646.5K

-53.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 MYR 1,995

$934 ₸425.5K

-47.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,001 MYR 8,155

$2,462 ₸1.1M

-18.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,081 MYR 4,402

$1,591 ₸724.9K

-32.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,161 MYR 4,730

$873 ₸397.4K

33.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

20.65

-80.34%

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

Last update for Cheras: October 24, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cheras

$463 40.6%

Almaty

$492 36.1% 6.3% $29

Groceries & Markets

Cheras

$269 23.6%

Almaty

$250 18.4% 7.1% $19

Eating Out

Cheras

$120 10.5%

Almaty

$206 15.1% 71.9% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Cheras

$118 10.4%

Almaty

$188 13.8% 59% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheras

$88 7.8%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 35.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Cheras

$62 5.5%

Almaty

$78 5.7% 26% $16

Getting Around

Cheras

$18 1.6%

Almaty

$28 2.1% 52.9% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $386 in Cheras versus $780 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 33% higher in Cheras, 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 $24 in Cheras versus $45 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Cheras vs $250 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Cheras

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

23:44 11:44 PM

20:44 8:44 PM

3 h behind Cheras

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

440,000

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 455 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 507 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cheras Almaty 5,090 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cheras
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

Cheras vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,708 per month in Cheras and $2,043 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cheras, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $386 there versus $780 in Almaty.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Cheras and $45 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 $1,139 in Cheras and $1,362 in Almaty. That’s a gap of about 20%.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,139 in Cheras and $1,362 in Almaty, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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