Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Kinabalu: $917 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kota Kinabalu
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Kota Kinabalu Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Kota Kinabalu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$917

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $917 per month in Kota Kinabalu vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Kota Kinabalu $917
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,429 per month in Kota Kinabalu vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Kota Kinabalu $1,429
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $1,941 per month in Kota Kinabalu vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Kota Kinabalu $1,941
Almaty $2,883

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

Kota Kinabalu sits 32% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.59

$13.31 ₸6,034

-73.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.54 MYR 79.8

$43.37 ₸19.7K

-54.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 MYR 20.09

$8.80 ₸3,988

-44.09%

Cappuccino

$2.63 MYR 10.74

$3.30 ₸1,497

-20.30%

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

$0.60 MYR 2.44

$1.37 ₸620

-56.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.22

$0.90 ₸409

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 MYR 9.75

$3.13 ₸1,419

-23.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 MYR 15.27

$4.10 ₸1,860

-8.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MYR 7.11

$1.66 ₸754

4.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 MYR 5.23

$0.90 ₸406

42.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 MYR 9.23

$2.06 ₸933

9.71%

Eggs

$3.46 MYR 14.13

$2.37 ₸1,074

45.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.33 MYR 116

$12.64 ₸5,730

124.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 MYR 15.05

$6.62 ₸3,000

-44.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 MYR 27.27

$10.87 ₸4,928

-38.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 MYR 9.15

$1.86 ₸845

20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$2.37 ₸1,075

-39.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MYR 7.91

$2.99 ₸1,358

-35.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 MYR 8.13

$2.83 ₸1,282

-29.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.81

$0.77 ₸347

116.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 MYR 8.71

$0.58 ₸264

267.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 MYR 3.84

$1.59 ₸723

-40.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.99 ₸449

-52.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 MYR 20.10

$2.54 ₸1,153

93.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 MYR 64.7

$11.04 ₸5,005

43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 MYR 14.81

$1.21 ₸550

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 MYR 10.07

$2.41 ₸1,093

2.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 MYR 7.80

$0.25 ₸113

664.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.92 MYR 171

$21.84 ₸9,901

91.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 MYR 7.82

$1.28 ₸581

49.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 MYR 0.94

$0.64 ₸291

-64.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,870

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$0.69 ₸314

10.14%

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

$42.1K MYR 172.1K

$22.3K ₸10.1M

89.18%

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

$35.6K MYR 145.5K

$29.3K ₸13.3M

21.46%

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

$70.5 MYR 288

$87.8 ₸39.8K

-19.69%

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

$9.69 MYR 39.56

$10.83 ₸4,909

-10.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.36 MYR 132

$17.40 ₸7,887

85.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MYR 214

$69.7 ₸31.6K

-24.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.09 MYR 12.64

$26.58 ₸12.1K

-88.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 MYR 21.31

$6.68 ₸3,031

-21.86%

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

$141 MYR 575

$446 ₸202.2K

-68.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,995 MYR 28.6K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-41.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 MYR 333

$93.7 ₸42.5K

-13.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.64 MYR 150

$46.91 ₸21.3K

-21.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 MYR 382

$143 ₸64.7K

-34.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.75 MYR 199

$133 ₸60.5K

-63.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 MYR 1,735

$773 ₸350.6K

-45.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 MYR 788

$497 ₸225.5K

-61.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 MYR 2,771

$1,390 ₸630.4K

-51.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 MYR 1,501

$880 ₸398.9K

-58.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,848 MYR 7,546

$2,546 ₸1.2M

-27.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,099 MYR 4,489

$1,506 ₸683.0K

-27.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 MYR 2,419

$834 ₸377.9K

-28.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

20.65

-81.11%

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

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: October 3, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kota Kinabalu

$288 31.1%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 12.6% $36

Accommodation & Living

Kota Kinabalu

$193 20.9%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 158% $304

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Kinabalu

$117 12.7%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 60% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Kinabalu

$113 12.2%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 3.1% $3.5

Eating Out

Kota Kinabalu

$98 10.6%

Almaty

$205 15% 110% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Kinabalu

$63 6.8%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 32.3% $20

Getting Around

Kota Kinabalu

$53 5.7%

Almaty

$27 2% 48.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Kota Kinabalu versus $773 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 41% 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 $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu versus $43.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Kota Kinabalu vs $251 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Kinabalu

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

15:47 3:47 PM

2 h behind Kota Kinabalu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

500,425

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 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

Kota Kinabalu Almaty 5,640 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Kota Kinabalu
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 Kinabalu 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 $1,375 per month in Kota Kinabalu and $2,080 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kota Kinabalu, 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 $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu and $43.00 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 $917 in Kota Kinabalu and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 51%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kota Kinabalu, where all-in costs run around $917, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Kota Kinabalu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kota Kinabalu – 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 Kinabalu. 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.