Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Northam and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,363 a month against $2,498 in Northam, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Northam, Australia
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Northam
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,498
/mo nomad
Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,363
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,498 per month in Northam vs $1,363 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Northam $2,498
  • Almaty $1,363

A couple spends around $3,618 per month in Northam vs $2,131 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Northam $3,618
  • Almaty $2,131

A family of three spends $4,737 per month in Northam vs $2,900 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Northam $4,737
  • Almaty $2,900

Northam costs about 83% more than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Northam
Almaty
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.97 A$28.37
$13.05 ₸5,887
53.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.1 A$121
$43.44 ₸19.6K
95.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.55 A$15.00
$8.76 ₸3,953
20.43%
Cappuccino
$4.48 A$6.36
$3.32 ₸1,498
34.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 A$4.03
$1.34 ₸606
111.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 A$3.25
$0.83 ₸373
175.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.30 A$11.79
$3.36 ₸1,515
147.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.10 A$11.51
$4.02 ₸1,814
101.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Northam
Almaty
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 A$2.48
$1.65 ₸745
5.45%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 A$3.66
$0.93 ₸420
177.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.98 A$2.82
$2.05 ₸925
-3.41%
Eggs
$4.48 A$6.36
$2.46 ₸1,110
82.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.37 A$9.05
$12.49 ₸5,634
-49.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 A$12.96
$6.71 ₸3,029
35.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.08 A$20.01
$10.85 ₸4,894
29.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.73 A$3.88
$1.78 ₸805
53.37%
Banana (1kg)
$3.25 A$4.62
$2.25 ₸1,016
44.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.44 A$4.89
$2.87 ₸1,297
19.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.92 A$6.99
$2.71 ₸1,224
81.55%
Potato (1kg)
$2.89 A$4.11
$0.80 ₸361
261.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 A$2.81
$0.55 ₸249
258.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.25 A$3.20
$1.62 ₸730
38.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 A$1.04
$1.00 ₸452
-27.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$41.37 A$58.8
$2.58 ₸1,165
1503.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.49 A$4.96
$11.15 ₸5,028
-68.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.40 A$6.25
$1.26 ₸570
249.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 A$4.99
$2.48 ₸1,118
41.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Northam
Almaty
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.92 A$4.15
$0.28 ₸127
942.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$80.6 A$114
$22.05 ₸9,948
265.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.53 A$5.02
$1.34 ₸606
163.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 A$2.07
$0.64 ₸287
128.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.14 A$58.5
$11.04 ₸4,982
272.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 A$1.91
$0.72 ₸326
87.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K A$38.2K
$28.1K ₸12.7M
-4.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.5K A$41.9K
$31.8K ₸14.3M
-7.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Northam
Almaty
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 A$278
$90.5 ₸40.8K
116.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.09 A$34.24
$10.63 ₸4,795
126.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.3 A$91.4
$18.12 ₸8,172
254.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Northam
Almaty
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.5 A$80.2
$69.0 ₸31.1K
-18.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.81 A$25.31
$26.98 ₸12.2K
-33.99%
Cinema Ticket
$17.30 A$24.59
$6.77 ₸3,055
155.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Northam
Almaty
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,328 A$3,307
$444 ₸200.2K
424.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.2K A$33.0K
$12.0K ₸5.4M
93.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Northam
Almaty
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.3 A$110
$91.9 ₸41.4K
-15.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.3 A$94.2
$47.80 ₸21.6K
38.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$123 A$174
$139 ₸62.8K
-12.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$161 A$229
$131 ₸59.3K
22.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Northam
Almaty
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,391 A$1,976
$777 ₸350.4K
79.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 A$1,691
$494 ₸222.9K
140.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,173 A$3,088
$1,439 ₸649.0K
51.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,783 A$2,533
$905 ₸408.3K
96.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,780 A$8,213
$2,470 ₸1.1M
134.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,889 A$6,947
$1,517 ₸684.3K
222.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Northam
Almaty
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$857 ₸386.4K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.91
20.65
-71.38%

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

Last update for Northam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Northam
$1.2K
Almaty
$494 58.5% $696
Eating Out
Northam
$323
Almaty
$204 36.9% $119
Groceries & Markets
Northam
$314
Almaty
$251 20.2% $63
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Northam
$284
Almaty
$119 58% $165
Clothing & Footwear
Northam
$192
Almaty
$185 3.9% $7.5
Getting Around
Northam
$103
Almaty
$28 73.1% $75
Sport & Entertainment
Northam
$91
Almaty
$83 9.4% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,391 in Northam versus $777 in Almaty. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Northam versus $43 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $251 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Northam
🇰🇿 Almaty
🕒 Local time
07:54 7:54 AM
04:54 4:54 AM
3 h behind Northam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,000
1,475,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.628 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Northam Almaty 9,260 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Northam
  • 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
Northam vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Almaty cheaper than Northam?
Yes – Northam is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,747 per month in Northam and $2,044 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Almaty, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $777 there versus $1,391 in Northam.
Is eating out cheaper in Northam or in Almaty?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Northam and $43 in Almaty. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Northam and in Almaty?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,498 in Northam and $1,363 in Almaty. That’s a gap of about 83%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Northam or in Almaty?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,363, than in Northam at $2,498. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Northam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Northam or Almaty more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Almaty is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 83% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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