Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Cebu

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $934 in Cebu, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Cebu $934

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $1,415 in Cebu, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Cebu $1,415

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $1,896 in Cebu, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Cebu $1,896

Almaty costs about 49% more than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Cebu is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸5,991

$3.03 ₱191

339.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.5K

$23.48 ₱1,476

84.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,959

$4.09 ₱257

115.16%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,486

$2.52 ₱158

30.95%

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

$1.37 ₸616

$1.54 ₱97.2

-11.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸406

$0.49 ₱31.06

83.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,409

$1.79 ₱113

74.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,847

$2.26 ₱142

81.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸749

$1.95 ₱122

-14.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸403

$1.43 ₱89.9

-37.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸927

$1.02 ₱64.0

101.96%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,067

$2.06 ₱129

15.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,689

$9.81 ₱617

28.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸2,978

$4.61 ₱290

43.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,893

$7.70 ₱484

41.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸839

$3.31 ₱208

-43.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,067

$1.45 ₱91.2

63.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,348

$2.36 ₱148

26.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,273

$1.54 ₱96.6

83.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸345

$2.36 ₱148

-67.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸262

$1.99 ₱125

-70.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸718

$1.15 ₱72.3

38.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸446

$0.67 ₱42.26

47.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,145

$3.00 ₱189

-15.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸4,969

$6.35 ₱399

73.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸546

$1.31 ₱82.1

-7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,085

$1.73 ₱109

39.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$0.25 ₱15.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,831

$12.65 ₱796

72.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸577

$0.74 ₱46.44

72.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸289

$0.21 ₱13.15

204.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,836

$4.33 ₱272

148.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸312

$1.33 ₱83.7

-48.12%

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

$22.3K ₸10.0M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

2.34%

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

$29.3K ₸13.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

51.24%

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

$87.8 ₸39.5K

$121 ₱7,583

-27.22%

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

$10.83 ₸4,874

$14.45 ₱909

-25.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,831

$28.29 ₱1,779

-38.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.4K

$32.68 ₱2,055

113.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.0K

$6.39 ₱402

315.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,009

$5.46 ₱343

22.34%

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

$446 ₸200.8K

$273 ₱17.2K

63.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

$8,156 ₱512.9K

45.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.2K

$49.57 ₱3,117

88.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.1K

$24.87 ₱1,564

88.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.3K

$76.6 ₱4,817

86.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.1K

$59.3 ₱3,727

125.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸348.1K

$506 ₱31.8K

52.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸223.9K

$309 ₱19.5K

60.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸625.9K

$1,052 ₱66.1K

32.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸396.0K

$619 ₱38.9K

42.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.1M

$2,915 ₱183.4K

-12.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸678.2K

$1,867 ₱117.4K

-19.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸375.2K

$341 ₱21.5K

144.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

7.2

186.81%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 37.8% $188

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 16.3% $41

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 57% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 49.5% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 40.8% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 47.5% $39

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 43.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $506 in Cebu. 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 144% 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 $43.00 in Almaty versus $23.00 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $210 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

09:04 9:04 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

964,169

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Almaty Cebu 5,810 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $1,401 in Cebu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cebu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty and $23.00 in Cebu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $934 in Cebu. That's a gap of about 49%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $934, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cebu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Cebu. 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.