Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karratha and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,363 a month against $2,473 in Karratha, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Karratha
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,473
/mo nomad
Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,363
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,473 per month in Karratha vs $1,363 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Karratha $2,473
  • Almaty $1,363

A couple spends around $3,581 per month in Karratha vs $2,131 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Karratha $3,581
  • Almaty $2,131

A family of three spends $4,690 per month in Karratha vs $2,900 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Karratha $4,690
  • Almaty $2,900

Karratha costs about 81% more than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karratha and Almaty sit above the global median – Karratha by 83%, Almaty by 1%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Karratha
Almaty
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 A$25.31
$13.05 ₸5,899
34.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.6 A$119
$43.44 ₸19.6K
90.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.31 A$14.84
$8.76 ₸3,962
17.69%
Cappuccino
$3.88 A$5.59
$3.32 ₸1,501
16.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 A$4.07
$1.34 ₸607
111.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 A$3.15
$0.83 ₸374
163.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.54 A$10.85
$3.36 ₸1,518
124.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.58 A$10.91
$4.02 ₸1,818
88.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Karratha
Almaty
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 A$2.19
$1.65 ₸747
-7.88%
White Bread (500g)
$2.72 A$3.91
$0.93 ₸421
192.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.26 A$3.25
$2.05 ₸927
10.24%
Eggs
$4.83 A$6.94
$2.46 ₸1,113
96.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.42 A$13.56
$12.49 ₸5,646
-24.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.43 A$13.56
$6.71 ₸3,035
40.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.89 A$21.42
$10.85 ₸4,905
37.24%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 A$5.72
$1.78 ₸807
123.03%
Banana (1kg)
$3.11 A$4.48
$2.25 ₸1,018
38.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.29 A$4.74
$2.87 ₸1,299
14.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.75 A$6.84
$2.71 ₸1,227
75.28%
Potato (1kg)
$2.81 A$4.04
$0.80 ₸362
251.25%
Onion (1kg)
$2.39 A$3.44
$0.55 ₸249
334.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.33 A$3.35
$1.62 ₸732
43.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.47 A$2.12
$1.00 ₸453
47.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$41.46 A$59.7
$2.58 ₸1,167
1506.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.65 A$19.64
$11.15 ₸5,039
22.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.76 A$6.84
$1.26 ₸572
277.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.35 A$7.70
$2.48 ₸1,120
115.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Karratha
Almaty
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.89 A$4.16
$0.28 ₸128
932.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$82.2 A$118
$22.05 ₸9,970
272.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.38 A$4.87
$1.34 ₸607
152.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 A$2.27
$0.64 ₸288
146.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.46 A$56.8
$11.04 ₸4,993
257.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 A$1.96
$0.72 ₸326
88.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.0K A$38.8K
$28.1K ₸12.7M
-4.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.6K A$42.6K
$31.8K ₸14.4M
-6.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karratha
Almaty
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 A$290
$90.5 ₸40.9K
122.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.87 A$40.10
$10.63 ₸4,805
162.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.4 A$79.7
$18.12 ₸8,190
205.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Karratha
Almaty
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.7 A$81.6
$69.0 ₸31.2K
-17.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.66 A$25.42
$26.98 ₸12.2K
-34.54%
Cinema Ticket
$14.78 A$21.27
$6.77 ₸3,062
118.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Karratha
Almaty
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,176 A$3,131
$444 ₸200.6K
390.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.4K A$29.3K
$12.0K ₸5.4M
70.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Karratha
Almaty
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.6 A$112
$91.9 ₸41.5K
-15.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.7 A$78.6
$47.80 ₸21.6K
14.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 A$155
$139 ₸63.0K
-22.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 A$173
$131 ₸59.4K
-8.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Karratha
Almaty
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,391 A$2,002
$777 ₸351.2K
79.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,176 A$1,692
$494 ₸223.4K
137.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,113 A$3,041
$1,439 ₸650.4K
46.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,779 A$2,559
$905 ₸409.2K
96.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,861 A$8,434
$2,470 ₸1.1M
137.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,940 A$7,109
$1,517 ₸685.7K
225.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Karratha
Almaty
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$857 ₸387.2K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.84
20.65
-71.72%

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

Last update for Karratha: October 17, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Karratha
$1.2K
Almaty
$494 58% $682
Groceries & Markets
Karratha
$368
Almaty
$251 31.9% $118
Eating Out
Karratha
$291
Almaty
$204 29.9% $87
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karratha
$285
Almaty
$119 58.1% $166
Clothing & Footwear
Karratha
$162
Almaty
$185 13.9% $23
Getting Around
Karratha
$105
Almaty
$28 73.6% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Karratha
$86
Almaty
$83 4.3% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,391 in Karratha versus $777 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 $83.0 in Karratha versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $251 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Karratha
🇰🇿 Almaty
🕒 Local time
07:46 7:46 AM
05:46 5:46 AM
2 h behind Karratha
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,013
1,475,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Karratha Almaty 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Karratha
  • 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
Karratha vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Almaty cheaper than Karratha?
Yes – Karratha is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,710 per month in Karratha and $2,044 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Almaty, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Karratha or in Almaty?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Karratha and $43.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Karratha and in Almaty?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,473 in Karratha and $1,363 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 81%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Karratha or in Almaty?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,363, than in Karratha at $2,473. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Karratha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Karratha or Almaty more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Almaty – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Karratha or Almaty?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Almaty. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Karratha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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