Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Almaty is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Almaty 2 vs Jakarta 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Almaty | Jakarta | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โธ 3,000$5.77 | Rp 30,000$1.84 | Jakarta โ68% |
| Street food1 item | โธ 1,500$2.88 | Rp 14,000$0.86 | Jakarta โ70% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โธ 8,000$15.4 | Rp 180,000$11 | Jakarta โ28% |
| Coffeeone cup | โธ 1,500$2.88 | Rp 38,000$2.33 | Jakarta โ19% |
| Beerone bottle | โธ 1,400$2.69 | Rp 45,000$2.76 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โธ 3,500$6.73 | Rp 130,000$7.98 | Almaty โ16% |
| Bottled water | โธ 250$0.48 | Rp 4,500$0.28 | Jakarta โ43% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โธ 500$0.96 | Rp 6,000$0.37 | Jakarta โ62% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โธ 1,300$2.5 | Rp 42,000$2.58 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โธ 800$1.54 | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Jakarta โ40% |
| Transitone ride | โธ 120$0.23 | Rp 3,500$0.21 | Jakarta โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โธ 6,000$11.5 | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Jakarta โ47% |
| Hotel night3-star | โธ 30,000$57.7 | Rp 650,000$39.9 | Jakarta โ31% |
| Studio rent (month) | โธ 290,000$558 | Rp 5,000,000$307 | Jakarta โ45% |
| Laundry | โธ 1,500$2.88 | Rp 12,000$0.74 | Jakarta โ74% |
| SIM card1 week data | โธ 3,500$6.73 | Rp 97,000$5.95 | Jakarta โ12% |
| Haircutcut | โธ 5,000$9.62 | Rp 50,000$3.07 | Jakarta โ68% |
| Massage1 hour | โธ 12,000$23.1 | Rp 170,000$10.4 | Jakarta โ55% |
| Half-day tourper person | โธ 18,000$34.6 | Rp 450,000$27.6 | Jakarta โ20% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โธ 5,000$9.62 | Rp 97,000$5.95 | Jakarta โ38% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Jakarta is 38% cheaper than Almaty. Daily budget $104 vs $69.7; a month $2,002 vs $1,138.
Almaty is easier: Almaty 2.4/5 vs Jakarta 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Almaty is about $2,002 and Jakarta about $1,138 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.