Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Lapu-Lapu

For one person, living is cheaper in Lapu-Lapu: $845 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Lapu-Lapu
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Lapu-Lapu Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Lapu-Lapu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Lapu-Lapu

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $845 in Lapu-Lapu, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Lapu-Lapu $845

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,195 in Lapu-Lapu, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Lapu-Lapu $1,195

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,545 in Lapu-Lapu, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Lapu-Lapu $1,545

Almaty costs about 62% more than Lapu-Lapu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Lapu-Lapu is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$2.95 ₱186

346.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$15.86 ₱999

182.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$3.90 ₱246

128.21%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.54 ₱160

27.95%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.58 ₱36.55

143.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.38 ₱23.94

131.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$1.29 ₱81.0

159.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$2.25 ₱142

79.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.76 ₱111

-3.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.42 ₱89.3

-39.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$0.94 ₱59.5

115.96%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$2.04 ₱129

19.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$5.68 ₱358

119.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$4.45 ₱280

50.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$7.71 ₱486

40.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$3.36 ₱212

-46.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.45 ₱91.5

55.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.37 ₱149

22.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.54 ₱97.2

78.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$2.39 ₱151

-68.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$1.98 ₱125

-72.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.19 ₱75.3

36.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.68 ₱42.82

54.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$1.62 ₱102

59.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$4.07 ₱256

173.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$1.05 ₱65.9

15.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$1.51 ₱95.2

61.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.25 ₱15.81

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$0.74 ₱46.79

82.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.23 ₱14.51

178.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$3.90 ₱246

186.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.33 ₱83.5

-45.86%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

4.60%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

54.83%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$120 ₱7,563

-23.54%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$13.99 ₱881

-23.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$28.04 ₱1,766

-36.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$12.62 ₱795

457.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$5.60 ₱353

21.07%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$103 ₱6,512

334.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$7,848 ₱494.3K

54.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$47.78 ₱3,010

88.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$25.45 ₱1,603

84.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$23.86 ₱1,503

494.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$58.5 ₱3,685

126.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$437 ₱27.5K

83.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$317 ₱19.9K

57.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$1,214 ₱76.4K

17.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$473 ₱29.8K

91.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$229 ₱14.4K

280.19%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Lapu-Lapu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Lapu-Lapu

$317 37.5% 36.7% $183

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Lapu-Lapu

$189 22.4% 24.4% $61

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Lapu-Lapu

$81 9.5% 60.7% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Lapu-Lapu

$70 8.3% 62.2% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Lapu-Lapu

$162 19.2% 34.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Lapu-Lapu

$24 2.8% 71.6% $60

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Lapu-Lapu

$2.9 * 0.3% 89.5% $25

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 $437 in Lapu-Lapu. 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 280% 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 $16.00 in Lapu-Lapu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $189 – making Lapu-Lapu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇵🇭 Lapu-Lapu

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

03:03 3:03 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

497,604

💱 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 = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Almaty Lapu-Lapu 5,820 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Lapu-Lapu

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 Lapu-Lapu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 62%, 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 $1,268 in Lapu-Lapu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $845 in Lapu-Lapu. That's a gap of about 62%.

Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Almaty and $103 in Lapu-Lapu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lapu-Lapu, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Lapu-Lapu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lapu-Lapu – 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 Lapu-Lapu. 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.