Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in George Town: $956 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

Jump to prices

George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$956

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $956 per month in George Town vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

George Town $956
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in George Town vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

George Town $1,599
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $2,243 per month in George Town vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

George Town $2,243
Almaty $2,913

George Town is about 30% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

George Town sits 29% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 MYR 13.92

$13.16 ₸5,949

-74.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.33 MYR 62.5

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-65.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 MYR 18.58

$8.90 ₸4,022

-48.88%

Cappuccino

$2.61 MYR 10.66

$3.25 ₸1,469

-19.69%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.16

$1.41 ₸639

-44.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MYR 1.43

$0.88 ₸399

-60.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 MYR 9.88

$3.35 ₸1,513

-27.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MYR 18.21

$4.04 ₸1,827

10.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.56

$1.69 ₸762

9.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$0.86 ₸390

22.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.85

$2.03 ₸917

-17.24%

Eggs

$2.21 MYR 9.03

$2.43 ₸1,100

-9.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 MYR 55.7

$12.46 ₸5,632

9.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$6.71 ₸3,033

-32.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.49 MYR 34.62

$10.85 ₸4,905

-21.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 MYR 9.89

$1.80 ₸813

35.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$2.25 ₸1,018

-36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MYR 9.12

$2.91 ₸1,314

-23.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$2.75 ₸1,243

-56.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 MYR 3.77

$0.75 ₸337

24.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 MYR 3.45

$0.55 ₸248

54.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$1.62 ₸732

-56.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$1.05 ₸474

-45.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 MYR 18.03

$2.58 ₸1,167

71.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 MYR 76.5

$11.15 ₸5,042

68.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 MYR 9.89

$1.21 ₸547

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.65

$2.44 ₸1,104

47.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.91

$0.26 ₸117

80.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.84 MYR 44.24

$22.03 ₸9,957

-50.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.08

$1.35 ₸611

-8.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$0.64 ₸288

-20.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 MYR 28.03

$11.16 ₸5,044

-38.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 MYR 3.43

$0.72 ₸324

16.67%

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

$42.3K MYR 172.6K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

87.91%

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

$28.7K MYR 117.0K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-5.23%

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

$36.87 MYR 150

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-59.84%

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

$8.21 MYR 33.51

$10.66 ₸4,820

-22.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.51 MYR 116

$17.86 ₸8,072

59.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 MYR 164

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-42.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.04 MYR 20.55

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-81.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MYR 19.43

$6.78 ₸3,064

-29.79%

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

$173 MYR 705

$449 ₸202.9K

-61.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,848 MYR 19.8K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

-59.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 MYR 216

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-41.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.45 MYR 141

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-26.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 MYR 304

$142 ₸64.1K

-47.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 MYR 285

$133 ₸60.0K

-47.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MYR 2,059

$805 ₸363.7K

-37.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MYR 1,524

$500 ₸225.9K

-25.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 MYR 3,804

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-34.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 MYR 4,046

$904 ₸408.8K

9.66%

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)

$1,094 MYR 4,462

$870 ₸393.3K

25.72%

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 George Town: October 12, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

George Town

$374 39.1%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 33.8% $126

Groceries & Markets

George Town

$240 25.1%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 4.3% $10

Clothing & Footwear

George Town

$104 10.9%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 77.6% $81

Eating Out

George Town

$98 10.2%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 109% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

George Town

$74 7.7%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 63.5% $47

Sport & Entertainment

George Town

$50 5.2%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 68.7% $34

Getting Around

George Town

$17 1.7%

Almaty

$28 2% 67.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $505 in George Town 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 26% higher in George Town, 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 $15.00 in George Town versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $240 vs $250 – making George Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 George Town

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

05:12 5:12 AM

03:12 3:12 AM

2 h behind George Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

794,313

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

George Town Almaty 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

George Town
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

George Town vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,433 per month in George Town 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 George Town, 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 $15.00 in George Town 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 $956 in George Town and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 44%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in George Town, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Almaty at $1,372. In George Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward George Town – 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 George Town. 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.