Moving to Kazakhstan from Malaysia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Malaysia to Kazakhstan? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Malaysia to Kazakhstan, you would find that Kazakhstan is 3.3% more expensive than Malaysia overall. A MYR310,000 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly KZT35,500,000 in Kazakhstan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Kazakh and Russian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Almaty averages 58°F vs 90°F in Kuala Lumpur, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Kazakhstan cheaper than Malaysia?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.0 times more
Groceries
pay 22.2% less
Transportation
pay 9.8% less
Housing
pay 11.0% more
Childcare
pay 13.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.1% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Kazakhstan?
What does your salary buy?
MYR310,000 → KZT35,500,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Kazakhstan
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Kazakhstan cost about 3% more than cities in Malaysia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Kazakhstan compared to Malaysia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Kazakhstan leads in road traffic deaths.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Malaysia performs better than Kazakhstan across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Malaysia generally does better on infrastructure, though Kazakhstan leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Kazakhstan generally does better on employment & economy, though Malaysia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Malaysia generally does better on family life, though Kazakhstan leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (2016), Tax Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2016), The World Factbook (2018). How we calculate this
Weather in Kazakhstan vs Malaysia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Kuala Lumpur | Almaty |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 36°/18°F (2°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 71°/51°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 81°/59°F (27°/15°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 46°/27°F (8°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Almaty |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 30°/12°F (-1.3°/-11.1°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 32°/15°F (0.2°/-9.5°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 45°/28°F (7.1°/-2.4°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 62°/42°F (16.5°/5.6°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 71°/52°F (21.7°/10.9°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.6°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.3°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 74°/52°F (23.4°/11.0°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 61°/40°F (15.9°/4.6°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 43°/26°F (6.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 33°/16°F (0.4°/-8.8°C) |
Data:
Malaysian Meteorological Department,
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Can you move from Malaysia to Kazakhstan?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malaysia and Kazakhstan. To live, work, or study long-term in Kazakhstan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Kazakhstan's immigration authority.
Malaysia passport holder visiting Kazakhstan
Visa Free
Kazakhstan passport holder visiting Malaysia
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kazakhstan than Malaysia?
On average Kazakhstan is around 3% pricier than Malaysia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Kazakhstan?
Budget about KZT8,875,000 for 3 months in Kazakhstan (based on a MYR310,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Kazakhstan?
Connectivity is usually fine (Kazakhstan: 15.3 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Kazakhstan offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Kazakhstan safe for expats?
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Kazakhstan leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Kazakhstan is 2.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Malaysia.
How is healthcare in Kazakhstan compared to Malaysia?
Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 37.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Kazakhstan, compared to 23.4 in Malaysia. Kazakhstan scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malaysia: 76).
What's the weather like in Kazakhstan compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Almaty is 58°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Almaty receives around 25.2 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Kazakhstan?
The official languages in Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
