Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarawak: $933 a month against $1,363 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sarawak
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Sarawak Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $933 per month in Sarawak vs $1,363 in Almaty, rent included.

Sarawak $933
Almaty $1,363

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Sarawak vs $2,131 in Almaty, rent included.

Sarawak $1,391
Almaty $2,131

A family of three spends $1,849 per month in Sarawak vs $2,900 in Almaty, rent included.

Sarawak $1,849
Almaty $2,900

Sarawak is about 32% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sarawak sits 31% below the global median, while Almaty is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 MYR 14.88

$13.05 ₸5,899

-72.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.77 MYR 80.6

$43.44 ₸19.6K

-54.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 MYR 19.38

$8.76 ₸3,962

-45.78%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MYR 11.74

$3.32 ₸1,501

-13.25%

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

$0.81 MYR 3.29

$1.34 ₸607

-39.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.61

$0.83 ₸374

-53.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 MYR 14.68

$3.36 ₸1,518

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.81

$4.02 ₸1,818

14.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.58

$1.65 ₸747

12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$0.93 ₸421

11.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.04

$2.05 ₸927

-27.80%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.32

$2.46 ₸1,113

-17.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 MYR 56.5

$12.49 ₸5,646

10.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 MYR 17.54

$6.71 ₸3,035

-35.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 MYR 38.47

$10.85 ₸4,905

-13.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MYR 12.83

$1.78 ₸807

76.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.97

$2.25 ₸1,018

-24.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 MYR 10.22

$2.87 ₸1,299

-12.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.55

$2.71 ₸1,227

-40.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 MYR 5.18

$0.80 ₸362

58.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$0.55 ₸249

109.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.79

$1.62 ₸732

-27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.18

$1.00 ₸453

-47.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 MYR 18.52

$2.58 ₸1,167

75.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 MYR 78.0

$11.15 ₸5,039

71.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 MYR 12.01

$1.26 ₸572

133.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$2.48 ₸1,120

81.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$0.28 ₸128

153.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 MYR 49.57

$22.05 ₸9,970

-44.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$1.34 ₸607

-6.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$0.64 ₸288

-20.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.21 MYR 29.41

$11.04 ₸4,993

-34.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.34

$0.72 ₸326

13.89%

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

$42.2K MYR 172.1K

$28.1K ₸12.7M

49.91%

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

$34.8K MYR 141.8K

$31.8K ₸14.4M

9.31%

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

$48.56 MYR 198

$90.5 ₸40.9K

-46.35%

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

$9.65 MYR 39.38

$10.63 ₸4,805

-9.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.71 MYR 113

$18.12 ₸8,190

52.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.76 MYR 166

$69.0 ₸31.2K

-40.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.10 MYR 28.98

$26.98 ₸12.2K

-73.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 20.05

$6.77 ₸3,062

-27.33%

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

$190 MYR 775

$444 ₸200.6K

-57.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,067 MYR 28.8K

$12.0K ₸5.4M

-40.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MYR 232

$91.9 ₸41.5K

-38.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 MYR 141

$47.80 ₸21.6K

-27.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 MYR 325

$139 ₸63.0K

-42.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 MYR 310

$131 ₸59.4K

-42.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,674

$777 ₸351.2K

-47.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 MYR 1,219

$494 ₸223.4K

-39.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 MYR 2,742

$1,439 ₸650.4K

-53.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MYR 1,946

$905 ₸409.2K

-47.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,042 MYR 8,329

$2,470 ₸1.1M

-17.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,074 MYR 4,381

$1,517 ₸685.7K

-29.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$339 MYR 1,381

$857 ₸387.2K

-60.48%

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 Sarawak: October 18, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarawak

$299 32%

Almaty

$494 36.3% 65.4% $195

Groceries & Markets

Sarawak

$258 27.6%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 2.7% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Sarawak

$111 11.9%

Almaty

$185 13.6% 66.2% $74

Eating Out

Sarawak

$110 11.8%

Almaty

$204 15% 85.5% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarawak

$86 9.2%

Almaty

$119 8.8% 38.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Sarawak

$51 5.4%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 63.2% $32

Getting Around

Sarawak

$19 2%

Almaty

$28 2% 47.6% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $410 in Sarawak 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.

Salaries run about 153% 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 Sarawak versus $43.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Sarawak vs $251 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

20:39 8:39 PM

2 h behind Sarawak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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 20, 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 20, 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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Between locations

Sarawak Almaty 5,680 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Sarawak
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

Sarawak vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,399 per month in Sarawak and $2,044 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sarawak, 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 Sarawak 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 $933 in Sarawak and $1,363 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 46%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarawak, where all-in costs run around $933, than in Almaty at $1,363. In Sarawak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sarawak – 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 Sarawak. 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.