Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Imus

For one person, living is cheaper in Imus: $647 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Imus
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Imus Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Imus

🇵🇭 Philippines

$647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Imus

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $647 in Imus, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Imus $647

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $965 in Imus, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Imus $965

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,283 in Imus, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Imus $1,283

Almaty costs about 112% more than Imus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Imus is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$3.96 ₱249

232.32%

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

$2.85 ₱179

212.28%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$1.86 ₱117

74.73%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.56 ₱35.19

151.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.33 ₱20.78

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$1.02 ₱64.2

228.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$1.70 ₱107

137.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.68 ₱106

0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.13 ₱71.0

-23.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.03 ₱64.7

97.09%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$2.08 ₱131

16.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$5.18 ₱326

140.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$3.33 ₱210

101.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$7.85 ₱494

38.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$2.27 ₱143

-20.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.60 ₱101

40.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.35 ₱148

23.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.78 ₱112

54.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$1.72 ₱108

-56.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$1.73 ₱109

-68.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.66 ₱41.73

145.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.49 ₱31.10

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$3.14 ₱198

-17.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$8.99 ₱566

24.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$1.13 ₱71.4

7.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$1.98 ₱125

23.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.26 ₱16.16

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$10.94 ₱689

101.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$0.80 ₱50.2

68.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.23 ₱14.50

178.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$1.92 ₱121

481.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.22 ₱76.7

-40.98%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$21.7K ₱1.4M

3.94%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

55.39%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$123 ₱7,715

-25.07%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$15.62 ₱983

-31.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$23.34 ₱1,469

-23.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$27.55 ₱1,735

155.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$5.07 ₱319

444.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$5.29 ₱333

28.17%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$134 ₱8,428

235.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$8,820 ₱555.3K

37.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$29.14 ₱1,834

208.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$19.72 ₱1,241

138.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$72.7 ₱4,574

95.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$54.8 ₱3,453

142.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$122 ₱7,660

561.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$99.7 ₱6,274

401.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$202 ₱12.7K

607.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$166 ₱10.4K

446.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$2,138 ₱134.6K

17.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$1,101 ₱69.3K

41.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$172 ₱10.8K

407.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

6.75

205.93%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Imus: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Imus

$100 15.4% 80.1% $400

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Imus

$180 27.9% 28% $70

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Imus

$75 11.5% 63.6% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Imus

$79 12.3% 57.1% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Imus

$161 24.9% 34.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Imus

$38 5.9% 54.5% $46

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Imus

$14 2.2% 49.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $122 in Imus. 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 407% 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 $17.00 in Imus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $180 – making Imus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇵🇭 Imus

🕒 Local time

03:28 3:28 AM

05:28 5:28 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

496,794

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Almaty Imus 5,260 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Imus

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 Imus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 112%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty and $971 in Imus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Imus, 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 $45.00 in Almaty and $17.00 in Imus. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $647 in Imus. That's a gap of about 112%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Imus, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Imus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Imus – 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 Imus. 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.