Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Labuan and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Labuan: $1,020 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Labuan
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Labuan Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Labuan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,020 per month in Labuan vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Labuan $1,020
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,487 per month in Labuan vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Labuan $1,487
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,953 per month in Labuan vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Labuan $1,953
Almaty $2,913

Labuan is about 26% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Labuan sits 24% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 MYR 22.53

$13.16 ₸5,949

-58.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.16 MYR 98.6

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-46.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 MYR 27.19

$8.90 ₸4,022

-25.17%

Cappuccino

$3.93 MYR 16.05

$3.25 ₸1,469

20.92%

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

$1.06 MYR 4.34

$1.41 ₸639

-24.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$0.88 ₸399

-48.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 MYR 15.19

$3.35 ₸1,513

11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 MYR 18.48

$4.04 ₸1,827

12.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.43

$1.69 ₸762

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$0.86 ₸390

20.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.07

$2.03 ₸917

-26.60%

Eggs

$2.10 MYR 8.58

$2.43 ₸1,100

-13.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.82 MYR 68.6

$12.46 ₸5,632

34.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.42 MYR 18.03

$6.71 ₸3,033

-34.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 MYR 38.76

$10.85 ₸4,905

-12.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.95

$1.80 ₸813

76.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.46

$2.25 ₸1,018

-18.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 MYR 9.75

$2.91 ₸1,314

-17.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.17

$2.75 ₸1,243

-36.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$0.75 ₸337

85.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MYR 4.20

$0.55 ₸248

87.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$1.62 ₸732

-27.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.20

$1.05 ₸474

-48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 MYR 20.57

$2.58 ₸1,167

95.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 MYR 66.5

$11.15 ₸5,042

46.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 MYR 13.11

$1.21 ₸547

165.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MYR 17.90

$2.44 ₸1,104

79.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$0.26 ₸117

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.66 MYR 43.48

$22.03 ₸9,957

-51.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MYR 5.47

$1.35 ₸611

-0.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.97

$0.64 ₸288

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 MYR 26.43

$11.16 ₸5,044

-41.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.58

$0.72 ₸324

22.22%

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

$44.0K MYR 179.5K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

95.37%

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

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

7.46%

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

$48.90 MYR 199

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-46.74%

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

$9.68 MYR 39.49

$10.66 ₸4,820

-9.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.69 MYR 113

$17.86 ₸8,072

55.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.60 MYR 170

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-40.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.68 MYR 31.32

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-72.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 MYR 17.51

$6.78 ₸3,064

-36.73%

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

$208 MYR 849

$449 ₸202.9K

-53.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,011 MYR 28.6K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

-42.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 MYR 228

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-37.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.07 MYR 123

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-36.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 MYR 355

$142 ₸64.1K

-38.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 MYR 334

$133 ₸60.0K

-38.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 MYR 1,768

$805 ₸363.7K

-46.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 MYR 1,397

$500 ₸225.9K

-31.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MYR 2,614

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-55.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 MYR 1,892

$904 ₸408.8K

-48.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,282 MYR 9,308

$2,503 ₸1.1M

-8.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 MYR 4,636

$1,559 ₸704.7K

-27.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$374 MYR 1,525

$870 ₸393.3K

-57.03%

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 Labuan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Labuan

$342 33.6%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 45.9% $157

Groceries & Markets

Labuan

$264 25.9%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 5.2% $14

Eating Out

Labuan

$145 14.2%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 41.2% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Labuan

$115 11.2%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 61.6% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Labuan

$86 8.5%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 39.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Labuan

$50 4.9%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 67.1% $34

Getting Around

Labuan

$18 1.7%

Almaty

$28 2% 57.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $433 in Labuan 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 133% 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 $24.00 in Labuan versus $45.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Labuan vs $250 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Labuan

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

03:43 3:43 AM

2 h behind Labuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,120

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 18, 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 18, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Labuan Almaty 5,650 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Labuan
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

Labuan vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,530 per month in Labuan 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 Labuan, 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 $24.00 in Labuan 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 $1,020 in Labuan and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 34%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Labuan, where all-in costs run around $1,020, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Labuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Labuan – 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 Labuan. 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.