Johor Bahru vs Kostanay (Kustanay): Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?
Kostanay (Kustanay) costs roughly 5x less than Johor Bahru. Johor Bahru scores significantly higher on safety and retiree suitability — worth weighing against the cost gap. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Johor Bahru is approximately 1% less expensive than Kostanay (Kustanay) based on cost of living including rent. This makes Johor Bahru a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Johor Bahru has a FIRE Score of 84/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 75, which is relatively safe.
Recommended profile: Johor Bahru is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
About Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the rare city where a $520/mo city-center one-bedroom and a $12/mo transit pass let you live well on a local average net salary of $1,073/mo, though expats earning foreign income will find it almost absurdly cheap. The catch is the tropical rainforest climate and an air quality index of 55, so if you need crisp, dry air, look elsewhere. With an expat score of 85/100, a digital nomad score of 85/100, and a large, active expat community in Taman Pelangi, Bukit Indah, and Austin Heights, it earns its place as one of Southeast Asia's most practical long-stay bases.
About Malaysia
Skip this if PR or citizenship matters: MM2H leads nowhere permanent and naturalization is difficult. But for budget-focused retirees or remote workers on the DE Rantau visa, rent under $410/mo in the city center, high English proficiency, and a large expat community make daily life easy without the visa security.
$2,306/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Kostanay (Kustanay)
Kostanay is a brutally affordable city where a single adult can live comfortably on $965 a month, including rent, but the local average salary of $492 a month tells you exactly who this place is for: expats with remote income. The rent gap between city center and outskirts is laughably small, with a three-bedroom downtown costing only $615, so there is no real reason to live anywhere else. The digital nomad visa demands a $3,900 monthly income, which is absurdly high relative to local costs, making the city a better fit for retirees on a Permanent Residence Permit or FIRE seekers who value the 88/100 FIRE score over English proficiency or nightlife.
About Kazakhstan
Low English proficiency and limited English-speaking doctors make daily life and healthcare navigation genuinely hard here. Budget-focused remote workers should push through anyway: a flat 10% income tax paired with $555/mo living costs (excluding rent) and $498/mo for a city-center 1BR is tough to beat. Political stability sits near zero and safety scores are middling, so this suits pragmatic savers over comfort-seekers.
$2,287/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
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| Metric | Johor Bahru | Kostanay (Kustanay) |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $519.89 | $525.71 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $391.52 | $372.84 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $899.89 | $615.19 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $636.23 | $492.15 |
| Safety Index | 75 | 65 |
| Internet Speed | 200Mbps | 30Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Johor Bahru | Kostanay (Kustanay) |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $733/mo | $815/mo |
| Excluding rent | $341/mo | $442/mo |
| Rent | $392/mo | $373/mo |
| Groceries | $115/mo | $134/mo |
| Dining out | $37.00/mo | $112/mo |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $85.00/mo | $80.00/mo |
| Utilities & connectivity | $92.00/mo | $116/mo |
| Transport | $12.00/mo | N/A |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
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