Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Belait and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,387 a month against $1,699 in Kuala Belait, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Belait
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Kuala Belait Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Kuala Belait

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,699

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,699 per month in Kuala Belait vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Kuala Belait $1,699
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $2,569 per month in Kuala Belait vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Kuala Belait $2,569
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $3,438 per month in Kuala Belait vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Kuala Belait $3,438
Almaty $2,883

Kuala Belait costs about 23% more than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kuala Belait and Almaty sit above the global median – Kuala Belait by 27%, Almaty by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.91 BND 10.12

$13.31 ₸6,034

-40.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.43 BND 59.4

$43.37 ₸19.7K

7.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 BND 10.05

$8.80 ₸3,988

-10.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 BND 2.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 BND 3.06

Cappuccino

$4.41 BND 5.64

$3.30 ₸1,497

33.64%

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

$0.89 BND 1.15

$1.37 ₸620

-35.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 BND 0.64

$0.90 ₸409

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,419

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,860

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 BND 2.36

$1.66 ₸754

10.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 BND 3.12

$0.90 ₸406

170.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 BND 2.88

$2.06 ₸933

9.22%

Eggs

$2.58 BND 3.31

$2.37 ₸1,074

8.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.59 BND 23.80

$12.64 ₸5,730

47.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 BND 12.61

$6.62 ₸3,000

48.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.88 BND 31.85

$10.87 ₸4,928

128.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 BND 6.00

$1.86 ₸845

152.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 BND 2.78

$2.37 ₸1,075

-8.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 BND 6.18

$2.99 ₸1,358

61.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 BND 3.17

$2.83 ₸1,282

-12.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 BND 2.19

$0.77 ₸347

122.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 BND 3.71

$0.58 ₸264

400.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.54 BND 7.09

$1.59 ₸723

248.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 BND 1.19

$0.99 ₸449

-6.06%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.59 BND 14.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.99 BND 7.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.86 BND 10.07

$2.54 ₸1,153

209.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸5,005

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸550

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,093

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,901

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 BND 5.11

$1.28 ₸581

211.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 BND 4.39

$0.64 ₸291

435.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.59 BND 14.84

$10.74 ₸4,870

7.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 BND 0.45

$0.69 ₸314

-49.28%

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

$30.7K BND 39.3K

$22.3K ₸10.1M

37.78%

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

$27.2K BND 34.9K

$29.3K ₸13.3M

-7.13%

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

$38.45 BND 49.23

$87.8 ₸39.8K

-56.19%

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

$21.58 BND 27.63

$10.83 ₸4,909

99.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 BND 82.4

$17.40 ₸7,887

269.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.9 BND 123

$69.7 ₸31.6K

37.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 BND 35.00

$26.58 ₸12.1K

2.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 BND 7.05

$6.68 ₸3,031

-17.51%

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

$217 BND 278

$446 ₸202.2K

-51.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,398 BND 12.0K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-20.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.8 BND 95.8

$93.7 ₸42.5K

-20.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$101 BND 129

$46.91 ₸21.3K

114.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 BND 196

$143 ₸64.7K

7.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 BND 91.4

$133 ₸60.5K

-46.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 BND 964

$773 ₸350.6K

-2.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 BND 987

$497 ₸225.5K

55.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 BND 1,527

$1,390 ₸630.4K

-14.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 BND 1,506

$880 ₸398.9K

33.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸683.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,398 BND 4,350

$834 ₸377.9K

307.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

20.65

-81.21%

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

Last update for Kuala Belait: October 4, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Belait

$771 45.3%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 35.5% $274

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Belait

$354 20.8%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 29.1% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Belait

$180 10.6%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 4.2% $7.6

Eating Out

Kuala Belait

$145 8.5%

Almaty

$205 15% 41.4% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Belait

$124 7.3%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 6.8% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Belait

$107 6.3%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 22.3% $24

Getting Around

Kuala Belait

$21 * 1.2%

Almaty

$27 2% 29.3% $6.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Kuala Belait 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 308% higher in Kuala Belait, 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 $46.00 in Kuala Belait versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $251 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Kuala Belait

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

19:31 7:31 PM

17:31 5:31 PM

2 h behind Kuala Belait

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,178

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.781 USD

1 BND = 0.697 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to BND – Brunei Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇳 Brunei Dollar ($)

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 BND (1 BND = 0.697 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 BND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kuala Belait Almaty 5,640 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Belait
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

Kuala Belait vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kuala Belait is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,549 per month in Kuala Belait 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 Almaty, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,699 in Kuala Belait and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 23%.

Kindergarten costs $217 per month in Kuala Belait and $446 in Almaty. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in Kuala Belait at $1,699. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kuala Belait it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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 Almaty. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kuala Belait makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.