Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kepong and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Kepong: $909 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Kepong
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Kepong Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Kepong

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$909

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $909 per month in Kepong vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Kepong $909
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,366 per month in Kepong vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Kepong $1,366
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,823 per month in Kepong vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Kepong $1,823
Almaty $2,913

Kepong is about 34% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kepong sits 33% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 MYR 15.31

$13.16 ₸5,949

-71.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.50 MYR 100.0

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-45.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 MYR 20.13

$8.90 ₸4,022

-44.49%

Cappuccino

$3.01 MYR 12.28

$3.25 ₸1,469

-7.38%

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

$0.87 MYR 3.55

$1.41 ₸639

-38.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.82

$0.88 ₸399

-48.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 MYR 13.86

$3.35 ₸1,513

1.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 MYR 23.81

$4.04 ₸1,827

44.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MYR 7.18

$1.69 ₸762

4.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$0.86 ₸390

20.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.81

$2.03 ₸917

-30.05%

Eggs

$1.80 MYR 7.34

$2.43 ₸1,100

-25.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MYR 40.00

$12.46 ₸5,632

-21.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 MYR 13.47

$6.71 ₸3,033

-50.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.58 MYR 39.08

$10.85 ₸4,905

-11.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MYR 13.51

$1.80 ₸813

83.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.91

$2.25 ₸1,018

-24.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 MYR 11.06

$2.91 ₸1,314

-6.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.93

$2.75 ₸1,243

-38.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.99

$0.75 ₸337

96.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.77

$0.55 ₸248

201.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MYR 5.37

$1.62 ₸732

-18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.22

$1.05 ₸474

-47.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MYR 17.00

$2.58 ₸1,167

61.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 MYR 56.7

$11.15 ₸5,042

24.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 MYR 10.90

$1.21 ₸547

120.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.20

$2.44 ₸1,104

22.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MYR 3.34

$0.26 ₸117

215.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.06 MYR 49.18

$22.03 ₸9,957

-45.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$1.35 ₸611

-25.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.56

$0.64 ₸288

-40.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.05 MYR 36.91

$11.16 ₸5,044

-18.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.53

$0.72 ₸324

19.44%

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

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

83.36%

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

$32.0K MYR 130.6K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

5.77%

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

$49.51 MYR 202

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-46.07%

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

$8.27 MYR 33.74

$10.66 ₸4,820

-22.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.27 MYR 111

$17.86 ₸8,072

52.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.01 MYR 159

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-44.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.74 MYR 27.48

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-75.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MYR 19.82

$6.78 ₸3,064

-28.32%

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

$164 MYR 668

$449 ₸202.9K

-63.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,528 MYR 18.5K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

-62.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 MYR 223

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-39.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.36 MYR 99.4

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-48.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 MYR 336

$142 ₸64.1K

-41.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 MYR 345

$133 ₸60.0K

-36.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 MYR 1,649

$805 ₸363.7K

-49.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 MYR 1,235

$500 ₸225.9K

-39.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 MYR 2,726

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-53.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MYR 1,967

$904 ₸408.8K

-46.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,997 MYR 8,147

$2,503 ₸1.1M

-20.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,073 MYR 4,378

$1,559 ₸704.7K

-31.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$644 MYR 2,628

$870 ₸393.3K

-25.97%

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 Kepong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kepong

$303 33.3%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 65% $197

Groceries & Markets

Kepong

$228 25.1%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 9.6% $22

Eating Out

Kepong

$115 12.6%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 78.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Kepong

$111 12.2%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 67.3% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kepong

$85 9.4%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 41.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Kepong

$49 5.4%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 72.1% $35

Getting Around

Kepong

$18 2%

Almaty

$28 2% 51.3% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $404 in Kepong 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 35% 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 $25.00 in Kepong versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $250 – making Kepong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kepong

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

06:01 6:01 AM

04:01 4:01 AM

2 h behind Kepong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,960

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kepong Almaty 5,070 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kepong
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

Kepong vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,363 per month in Kepong 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 Kepong, 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 $25.00 in Kepong 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 $909 in Kepong and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 51%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kepong, where all-in costs run around $909, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Kepong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kepong – 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 Kepong. 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.