Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skudai and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Skudai: $900 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Skudai
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Skudai Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Skudai

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$900

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $900 per month in Skudai vs $1,362 in Almaty, rent included.

Skudai $900
Almaty $1,362

A couple spends around $1,370 per month in Skudai vs $2,151 in Almaty, rent included.

Skudai $1,370
Almaty $2,151

A family of three spends $1,840 per month in Skudai vs $2,940 in Almaty, rent included.

Skudai $1,840
Almaty $2,940

Skudai is about 34% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 MYR 14.84

$13.32 ₸6,077

-72.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.25 MYR 74.6

$44.80 ₸20.4K

-59.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 MYR 20.05

$8.94 ₸4,079

-45.19%

Cappuccino

$2.87 MYR 11.73

$3.37 ₸1,539

-14.84%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$1.32 ₸603

-37.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$0.87 ₸399

-48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MYR 13.62

$3.15 ₸1,437

5.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 MYR 22.97

$3.95 ₸1,804

42.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MYR 7.11

$1.66 ₸757

4.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.18

$0.86 ₸394

18.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.06

$2.01 ₸915

-26.37%

Eggs

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$2.47 ₸1,129

-32.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.64 MYR 39.43

$12.58 ₸5,738

-23.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.20 MYR 13.09

$6.57 ₸2,998

-51.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.61 MYR 39.28

$10.61 ₸4,841

-9.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 MYR 13.98

$1.79 ₸817

91.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.94

$2.30 ₸1,048

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.68

$2.96 ₸1,352

-11.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.69

$2.86 ₸1,303

-42.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.75

$0.81 ₸367

74.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.08

$0.59 ₸268

193.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MYR 5.59

$1.58 ₸723

-13.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$0.99 ₸453

-48.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MYR 17.49

$2.74 ₸1,250

56.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 MYR 56.5

$11.30 ₸5,156

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 MYR 11.19

$1.22 ₸559

124.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.22

$2.46 ₸1,124

21.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$0.26 ₸117

219.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.95 MYR 44.78

$21.98 ₸10.0K

-50.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 MYR 4.13

$1.35 ₸617

-25.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$0.70 ₸320

-48.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 MYR 36.92

$11.12 ₸5,074

-18.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.51

$0.72 ₸330

19.44%

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

$44.3K MYR 181.0K

$28.4K ₸13.0M

55.88%

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

$36.0K MYR 147.2K

$31.8K ₸14.5M

13.24%

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

$48.79 MYR 199

$91.3 ₸41.7K

-46.55%

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

$8.16 MYR 33.38

$10.60 ₸4,835

-23.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.88 MYR 110

$17.89 ₸8,162

50.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.95 MYR 151

$65.3 ₸29.8K

-43.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.55 MYR 30.86

$27.76 ₸12.7K

-72.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MYR 20.17

$6.47 ₸2,950

-23.80%

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

$235 MYR 962

$473 ₸215.7K

-50.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,393 MYR 18.0K

$12.3K ₸5.6M

-64.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 MYR 206

$93.1 ₸42.5K

-45.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 MYR 68.0

$47.67 ₸21.8K

-65.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 MYR 316

$143 ₸65.1K

-45.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.4 MYR 349

$134 ₸61.4K

-36.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 MYR 1,461

$780 ₸356.1K

-54.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 MYR 1,270

$492 ₸224.6K

-36.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 MYR 2,659

$1,419 ₸647.6K

-54.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 MYR 2,310

$934 ₸426.2K

-39.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,956 MYR 7,997

$2,462 ₸1.1M

-20.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,161 MYR 4,746

$1,591 ₸726.2K

-27.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 ₸398.2K

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 Skudai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skudai

$311 34.5%

Almaty

$492 36.1% 58.4% $181

Groceries & Markets

Skudai

$226 25.2%

Almaty

$250 18.4% 10.3% $23

Eating Out

Skudai

$111 12.4%

Almaty

$206 15.1% 85.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Skudai

$103 11.5%

Almaty

$188 13.8% 81.9% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skudai

$84 9.3%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 42.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Skudai

$47 5.2%

Almaty

$78 5.7% 67.1% $31

Getting Around

Skudai

$17 1.9%

Almaty

$28 2.1% 63.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $357 in Skudai versus $780 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 $18 in Skudai versus $45 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $250 – making Skudai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Skudai

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

01:05 1:05 AM

22:05 10:05 PM

3 h behind Skudai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,733

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.19 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.96 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 27, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.57 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 456 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 510 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.96 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Skudai Almaty 5,340 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Skudai
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

Skudai vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,349 per month in Skudai and $2,043 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skudai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $357 there versus $780 in Almaty.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Skudai and $45 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 $900 in Skudai and $1,362 in Almaty. That’s a gap of about 51%.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Skudai, where all-in costs run around $900, than in Almaty at $1,362. In Skudai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Skudai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Skudai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 51% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.