Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Albay

For one person, living is cheaper in Albay: $740 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Albay
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Albay Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Albay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Albay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Almaty and in Albay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,372 in Almaty versus $740 in Albay.

Almaty $1,372
Albay $740

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,142 in Almaty versus $1,099 in Albay.

Almaty $2,142
Albay $1,099

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Almaty versus $1,457 in Albay.

Almaty $2,913
Albay $1,457

Living in Almaty is roughly 85% more expensive than in Albay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Almaty is 2% above, Albay is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$3.98 ₱250

230.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$17.00 ₱1,070

163.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$2.72 ₱171

227.21%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.27 ₱143

43.17%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.62 ₱39.23

127.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.33 ₱21.01

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$1.17 ₱73.6

186.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$1.97 ₱124

105.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.85 ₱116

-8.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.04 ₱65.2

-17.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$0.86 ₱54.0

136.05%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.99 ₱125

22.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$4.92 ₱310

153.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$4.17 ₱263

60.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$6.55 ₱413

65.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$2.71 ₱171

-33.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.58 ₱99.3

42.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.12 ₱133

37.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.03 ₱65.0

166.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$1.78 ₱112

-57.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$2.26 ₱142

-75.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.86 ₱53.9

88.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.49 ₱30.89

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$2.67 ₱168

-3.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$7.49 ₱472

48.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$1.10 ₱69.2

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$1.88 ₱118

29.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.26 ₱16.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$10.06 ₱634

118.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$0.68 ₱42.90

98.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.19 ₱11.90

236.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$1.65 ₱104

576.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.38 ₱87.1

-47.83%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$18.5K ₱1.2M

21.99%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

54.89%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$115 ₱7,229

-20.03%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$15.40 ₱970

-30.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$25.92 ₱1,632

-31.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$37.20 ₱2,342

89.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$5.27 ₱332

423.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$5.34 ₱336

26.97%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$133 ₱8,400

236.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$7,069 ₱445.1K

71.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$28.70 ₱1,807

213.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$19.91 ₱1,254

136.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$72.9 ₱4,587

94.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$50.2 ₱3,160

164.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$230 ₱14.5K

250.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$190 ₱11.9K

163.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$489 ₱30.8K

192.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$328 ₱20.6K

175.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$2,576 ₱162.2K

-2.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$959 ₱60.4K

62.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$163 ₱10.2K

434.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

6.79

204.12%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Albay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Albay

$190 25.6% 62.1% $310

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Albay

$176 23.7% 29.9% $75

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Albay

$81 10.9% 60.6% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Albay

$77 10.4% 58.3% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Albay

$156 21.1% 29.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Albay

$48 6.5% 42.9% $36

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Albay

$13 1.7% 53.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $805 in Almaty and $230 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Almaty pays 434% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Almaty vs $17.00 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $176 per month, with Albay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇵🇭 Albay

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

11:26 11:26 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

179,481

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Albay 5,570 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Albay

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

Almaty vs Albay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Almaty and Albay differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($1,372 vs $740 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 434% higher in Almaty, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $805 in Almaty versus $230 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Almaty. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $45.00 in Almaty. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $740 in Albay versus $1,372 in Almaty, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albay but tight or insufficient in Almaty. The gap between the two cities makes Albay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Almaty. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.