Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Bacolod

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacolod: $607 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,372
/mo nomad
Bacolod
🇵🇭 Philippines
$607
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Bacolod

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 Bacolod actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $607 in Bacolod, rent included.

  • Almaty $1,372
  • Bacolod $607

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $885 in Bacolod, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,142
  • Bacolod $885

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,162 in Bacolod, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,913
  • Bacolod $1,162

Almaty costs about 126% more than Bacolod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Bacolod is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Almaty
Bacolod
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.16 ₸5,949
$2.34 ₱147
462.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.86 ₸20.3K
$12.87 ₱810
248.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.90 ₸4,022
$4.03 ₱254
120.84%
Cappuccino
$3.25 ₸1,469
$2.46 ₱155
32.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 ₸639
$0.70 ₱43.96
101.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 ₸399
$0.38 ₱23.61
131.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.35 ₸1,513
$1.37 ₱86.3
144.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.04 ₸1,827
$1.78 ₱112
126.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Almaty
Bacolod
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 ₸762
$1.61 ₱101
4.97%
White Bread (500g)
$0.86 ₸390
$1.16 ₱73.2
-25.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.03 ₸917
$0.95 ₱60.0
113.68%
Eggs
$2.43 ₸1,100
$1.66 ₱105
46.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.46 ₸5,632
$8.92 ₱561
39.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.71 ₸3,033
$6.95 ₱437
-3.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.85 ₸4,905
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$1.80 ₸813
$3.37 ₱212
-46.59%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 ₸1,018
$2.42 ₱152
-7.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.91 ₸1,314
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.75 ₸1,243
$0.53 ₱33.60
418.87%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ₸337
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$0.55 ₸248
$2.00 ₱126
-72.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 ₸732
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 ₸474
$1.03 ₱64.8
1.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.58 ₸1,167
$2.77 ₱175
-6.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.15 ₸5,042
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 ₸547
$0.91 ₱57.4
32.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 ₸1,104
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Almaty
Bacolod
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₸117
$0.18 ₱11.18
44.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.03 ₸9,957
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.35 ₸611
$0.61 ₱38.66
121.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₸288
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.16 ₸5,044
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.72 ₸324
$1.28 ₱80.5
-43.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.5K ₸10.2M
$22.1K ₱1.4M
2.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.3K ₸13.7M
$24.0K ₱1.5M
26.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
Bacolod
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$91.8 ₸41.5K
$137 ₱8,646
-33.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.66 ₸4,820
$7.99 ₱503
33.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.86 ₸8,072
$28.20 ₱1,776
-36.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
Bacolod
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.3 ₸31.8K
$15.87 ₱999
343.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.60 ₸12.5K
$2.44 ₱153
1031.15%
Cinema Ticket
$6.78 ₸3,064
$4.37 ₱275
55.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Almaty
Bacolod
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$449 ₸202.9K
$31.23 ₱1,966
1337.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.1K ₸5.5M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
Bacolod
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.9 ₸40.7K
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.02 ₸21.3K
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$142 ₸64.1K
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 ₸60.0K
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Almaty
Bacolod
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$805 ₸363.7K
$267 ₱16.8K
201.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₸225.9K
$178 ₱11.2K
180.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 ₸645.9K
$475 ₱29.9K
200.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$904 ₸408.8K
$347 ₱21.8K
160.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,503 ₸1.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,559 ₸704.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Almaty
Bacolod
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$870 ₸393.3K
$206 ₱13.0K
322.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20.65
0
-

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bacolod: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Almaty
$500
Bacolod
$178 64.3% $321
Groceries & Markets
Almaty
$250
Bacolod
$155 * 38.2% $96
Eating Out
Almaty
$205
Bacolod
$75 63.4% $130
Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
$185
Bacolod
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
$120
Bacolod
$174 44.2% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
$84
Bacolod
$25 70.6% $59
Getting Around
Almaty
$28
Bacolod
$1.3 * 95.2% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $267 in Bacolod. 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 322% higher in Almaty, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty versus $13.00 in Bacolod. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $155 – making Bacolod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Almaty
🇵🇭 Bacolod
🕒 Local time
06:22 6:22 AM
08:22 8:22 AM
2 h ahead of Almaty
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,475,400
561,875
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Almaty Bacolod 5,710 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Almaty
  • Bacolod

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 Bacolod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bacolod cheaper than Almaty?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 126%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty and $911 in Bacolod. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacolod, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Almaty and in Bacolod?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $607 in Bacolod. That's a gap of about 126%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Almaty and $31.23 in Bacolod. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Almaty or in Bacolod?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bacolod, where all-in costs run around $607, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Bacolod it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Almaty or Bacolod more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Bacolod – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Almaty or Bacolod?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Bacolod. 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.

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