Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Bharu and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Bharu: $692 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Kota Bharu
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Kota Bharu Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Kota Bharu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$692

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $692 per month in Kota Bharu vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Kota Bharu $692
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,072 per month in Kota Bharu vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Kota Bharu $1,072
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,452 per month in Kota Bharu vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Kota Bharu $1,452
Almaty $2,913

Kota Bharu is about 50% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kota Bharu sits 49% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 MYR 8.90

$13.16 ₸5,949

-83.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.41 MYR 79.2

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-56.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.70

$8.90 ₸4,022

-48.54%

Cappuccino

$2.18 MYR 8.89

$3.25 ₸1,469

-32.92%

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

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$1.41 ₸639

-65.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 MYR 1.05

$0.88 ₸399

-70.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.29

$3.35 ₸1,513

26.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 MYR 18.33

$4.04 ₸1,827

11.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MYR 6.62

$1.69 ₸762

-4.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 MYR 3.74

$0.86 ₸390

6.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 MYR 3.39

$2.03 ₸917

-59.11%

Eggs

$1.61 MYR 6.58

$2.43 ₸1,100

-33.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 MYR 56.1

$12.46 ₸5,632

10.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 12.00

$6.71 ₸3,033

-56.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 MYR 27.13

$10.85 ₸4,905

-38.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

$1.80 ₸813

61.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.12

$2.25 ₸1,018

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.15

$2.91 ₸1,314

-6.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$2.75 ₸1,243

-58.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 MYR 3.94

$0.75 ₸337

29.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.59

$0.55 ₸248

103.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.64

$1.62 ₸732

-29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.84

$1.05 ₸474

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 MYR 13.61

$2.58 ₸1,167

29.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.00 MYR 77.5

$11.15 ₸5,042

70.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

$1.21 ₸547

140.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 MYR 21.71

$2.44 ₸1,104

118.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.12

$0.26 ₸117

196.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.33 MYR 50.3

$22.03 ₸9,957

-44.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$1.35 ₸611

28.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.53

$0.64 ₸288

-42.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 MYR 15.04

$11.16 ₸5,044

-66.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.14

$0.72 ₸324

-27.78%

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

$31.5K MYR 128.5K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

39.81%

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

$29.0K MYR 118.2K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-4.31%

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

$37.43 MYR 153

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-59.23%

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

$8.65 MYR 35.27

$10.66 ₸4,820

-18.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.39 MYR 104

$17.86 ₸8,072

42.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.63 MYR 202

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-29.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 MYR 18.26

$6.78 ₸3,064

-33.92%

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

$125 MYR 508

$449 ₸202.9K

-72.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

-10.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 MYR 222

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-39.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 MYR 78.7

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-58.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 MYR 322

$142 ₸64.1K

-44.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 MYR 284

$133 ₸60.0K

-47.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 MYR 1,010

$805 ₸363.7K

-69.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$122 MYR 499

$500 ₸225.9K

-75.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 MYR 2,745

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-52.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 MYR 913

$904 ₸408.8K

-75.25%

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)

$299 MYR 1,221

$870 ₸393.3K

-65.60%

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 Kota Bharu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kota Bharu

$230 33.2%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 9.1% $21

Accommodation & Living

Kota Bharu

$122 17.7%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 308% $377

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Bharu

$100 14.5%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 85.1% $85

Eating Out

Kota Bharu

$90 13.1%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 127% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Bharu

$71 10.3%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 68.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Bharu

$59 8.5%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 43.2% $25

Getting Around

Kota Bharu

$19 2.8%

Almaty

$28 2% 45.3% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Kota Bharu 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 191% 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 $19.00 in Kota Bharu versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $250 – making Kota Bharu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Bharu

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

2 h behind Kota Bharu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

568,900

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 19, 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 19, 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

Kota Bharu Almaty 4,810 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kota Bharu
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

Kota Bharu vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,037 per month in Kota Bharu 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 Kota Bharu, 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 $19.00 in Kota Bharu 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 $692 in Kota Bharu and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 98%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kota Bharu, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Kota Bharu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kota Bharu – 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 Kota Bharu. 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.