Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $814 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$814

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $814 per month in Miri vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Miri $814
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,247 per month in Miri vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Miri $1,247
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $1,680 per month in Miri vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Miri $1,680
Almaty $2,883

Miri is about 41% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Miri sits 39% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 MYR 14.02

$13.31 ₸6,034

-74.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.16 MYR 49.65

$43.37 ₸19.7K

-71.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 MYR 18.58

$8.80 ₸3,988

-48.30%

Cappuccino

$2.30 MYR 9.40

$3.30 ₸1,497

-30.30%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$1.37 ₸620

-43.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.24

$0.90 ₸409

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MYR 12.10

$3.13 ₸1,419

-5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 MYR 15.59

$4.10 ₸1,860

-6.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MYR 5.72

$1.66 ₸754

-15.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 MYR 7.40

$0.90 ₸406

101.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 MYR 3.85

$2.06 ₸933

-54.37%

Eggs

$3.50 MYR 14.27

$2.37 ₸1,074

47.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,730

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 MYR 19.58

$6.62 ₸3,000

-27.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 MYR 61.6

$10.87 ₸4,928

38.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸845

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MYR 8.01

$2.37 ₸1,075

-17.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,358

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,282

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸347

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸264

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸723

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.47

$0.99 ₸449

-63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MYR 17.77

$2.54 ₸1,153

71.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.28 MYR 78.7

$11.04 ₸5,005

74.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 MYR 12.59

$1.21 ₸550

154.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 MYR 9.85

$2.41 ₸1,093

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$0.25 ₸113

104.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.41 MYR 58.8

$21.84 ₸9,901

-34.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.87

$1.28 ₸581

-7.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MYR 2.60

$0.64 ₸291

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 MYR 24.71

$10.74 ₸4,870

-43.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 MYR 2.64

$0.69 ₸314

-5.80%

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

$51.0K MYR 208.3K

$22.3K ₸10.1M

129.02%

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

$32.7K MYR 133.3K

$29.3K ₸13.3M

11.31%

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

$49.79 MYR 203

$87.8 ₸39.8K

-43.27%

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

$9.53 MYR 38.91

$10.83 ₸4,909

-12.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.24 MYR 136

$17.40 ₸7,887

91.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.63 MYR 121

$69.7 ₸31.6K

-57.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.17 MYR 25.21

$26.58 ₸12.1K

-76.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 MYR 18.18

$6.68 ₸3,031

-33.38%

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

$102 MYR 416

$446 ₸202.2K

-77.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,641 MYR 27.1K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-44.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.13 MYR 180

$93.7 ₸42.5K

-52.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.74 MYR 92.9

$46.91 ₸21.3K

-51.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.2 MYR 230

$143 ₸64.7K

-60.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.80 MYR 175

$133 ₸60.5K

-67.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$341 MYR 1,390

$773 ₸350.6K

-55.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 MYR 1,145

$497 ₸225.5K

-43.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 MYR 2,435

$1,390 ₸630.4K

-57.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 MYR 2,425

$880 ₸398.9K

-32.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,219 MYR 4,977

$2,546 ₸1.2M

-52.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$671 MYR 2,741

$1,506 ₸683.0K

-55.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$692 MYR 2,826

$834 ₸377.9K

-16.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

20.65

-80.05%

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

Last update for Miri: October 5, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Miri

$280 35.2%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 77.3% $217

Groceries & Markets

Miri

$194 * 24.4%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 29.5% $57

Eating Out

Miri

$96 12%

Almaty

$205 15% 115% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Miri

$93 11.6%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 25.3% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Miri

$75 9.4%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 151% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Miri

$39 4.8%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 116% $45

Getting Around

Miri

$21 2.6%

Almaty

$27 2% 31.2% $6.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $341 in Miri 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 20% 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 $12.00 in Miri versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $251 – making Miri the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Miri

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

14:48 2:48 PM

2 h behind Miri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,877

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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Miri Almaty 5,650 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Miri
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

Miri vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,221 per month in Miri 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 Miri, 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 $12.00 in Miri 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 $814 in Miri and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 70%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Miri, where all-in costs run around $814, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Miri it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Miri – 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 Miri. 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.