Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Subang Jaya and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Subang Jaya: $951 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Subang Jaya
Learn more

Subang Jaya Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index

Jump to prices

Subang Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$951

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $951 per month in Subang Jaya vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Subang Jaya $951
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,448 per month in Subang Jaya vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Subang Jaya $1,448
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,945 per month in Subang Jaya vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Subang Jaya $1,945
Almaty $2,913

Subang Jaya is about 31% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Subang Jaya sits 30% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.61

$13.16 ₸5,949

-72.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.71 MYR 80.4

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-56.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 MYR 18.60

$8.90 ₸4,022

-48.76%

Cappuccino

$3.03 MYR 12.37

$3.25 ₸1,469

-6.77%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.14

$1.41 ₸639

-45.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MYR 1.63

$0.88 ₸399

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.11 MYR 16.76

$3.35 ₸1,513

22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 MYR 18.47

$4.04 ₸1,827

12.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.55

$1.69 ₸762

9.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$0.86 ₸390

20.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.85

$2.03 ₸917

-17.24%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.15

$2.43 ₸1,100

-7.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.42 MYR 54.7

$12.46 ₸5,632

7.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 MYR 18.53

$6.71 ₸3,033

-32.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.45 MYR 34.46

$10.85 ₸4,905

-22.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 MYR 12.48

$1.80 ₸813

70.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.28

$2.25 ₸1,018

-20.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 MYR 9.24

$2.91 ₸1,314

-21.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.70

$2.75 ₸1,243

-49.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$0.75 ₸337

48.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.58

$0.55 ₸248

103.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 MYR 4.46

$1.62 ₸732

-32.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$1.05 ₸474

-48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 MYR 18.05

$2.58 ₸1,167

71.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 MYR 76.4

$11.15 ₸5,042

67.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 MYR 12.28

$1.21 ₸547

148.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MYR 20.00

$2.44 ₸1,104

100.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 MYR 3.42

$0.26 ₸117

223.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.39 MYR 50.6

$22.03 ₸9,957

-43.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.92

$1.35 ₸611

-10.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 MYR 1.64

$0.64 ₸288

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 MYR 19.44

$11.16 ₸5,044

-57.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.57

$0.72 ₸324

22.22%

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

$42.4K MYR 172.8K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

88.10%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.3K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

15.24%

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

$36.42 MYR 149

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-60.33%

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

$9.61 MYR 39.20

$10.66 ₸4,820

-9.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.25 MYR 119

$17.86 ₸8,072

63.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.81 MYR 101

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-64.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.41 MYR 9.85

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-91.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 MYR 20.56

$6.78 ₸3,064

-25.66%

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

$296 MYR 1,209

$449 ₸202.9K

-33.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MYR 43.7K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

-11.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 MYR 243

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-33.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 MYR 142

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-25.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 MYR 351

$142 ₸64.1K

-39.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 MYR 288

$133 ₸60.0K

-46.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 MYR 2,308

$805 ₸363.7K

-29.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 MYR 1,394

$500 ₸225.9K

-31.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 MYR 2,914

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-50.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MYR 2,529

$904 ₸408.8K

-31.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 MYR 9,629

$2,503 ₸1.1M

-5.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,857 MYR 7,574

$1,559 ₸704.7K

19.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$918 MYR 3,747

$870 ₸393.3K

5.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

20.65

-80.44%

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

Last update for Subang Jaya: October 13, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Subang Jaya

$342 36%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 46.2% $158

Groceries & Markets

Subang Jaya

$254 26.7%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 1.3% $3.4

Eating Out

Subang Jaya

$113 11.9%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 81.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Subang Jaya

$113 11.9%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 64% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Subang Jaya

$75 7.9%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 59.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Subang Jaya

$35 3.7%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 140% $49

Getting Around

Subang Jaya

$19 2%

Almaty

$28 2% 45.6% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $566 in Subang Jaya 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 6% higher in Subang Jaya, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Subang Jaya versus $45.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $254 in Subang Jaya vs $250 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Subang Jaya

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

19:04 7:04 PM

17:04 5:04 PM

2 h behind Subang Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

902,086

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Subang Jaya Almaty 5,090 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Subang Jaya
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

Subang Jaya vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,426 per month in Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya, 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 Subang Jaya 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 $951 in Subang Jaya and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 44%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Subang Jaya, where all-in costs run around $951, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Subang Jaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Subang Jaya – 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 Subang Jaya. 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.