Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Mambajao

For one person, living is cheaper in Mambajao: $508 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Mambajao
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Mambajao Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Mambajao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Mambajao

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $508 in Mambajao, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Mambajao $508

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $817 in Mambajao, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Mambajao $817

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,126 in Mambajao, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Mambajao $1,126

Almaty costs about 170% more than Mambajao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Mambajao is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$1.36 ₱85.9

867.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$15.83 ₱997

183.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$3.40 ₱214

161.76%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.28 ₱144

42.54%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.38 ₱24.02

271.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.27 ₱16.81

225.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$1.03 ₱64.6

225.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$1.12 ₱70.6

260.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$0.90 ₱56.8

87.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$0.63 ₱39.56

36.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$0.66 ₱41.56

207.58%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.26 ₱79.5

92.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$5.90 ₱372

111.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$4.29 ₱270

56.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$5.50 ₱346

97.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$2.54 ₱160

-29.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.63 ₱103

38.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.24 ₱141

29.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.13 ₱71.3

143.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$1.29 ₱81.3

-41.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$2.06 ₱130

-73.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.90 ₱56.8

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.55 ₱34.37

90.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$2.51 ₱158

2.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$7.42 ₱467

50.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$0.99 ₱62.0

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$1.13 ₱70.9

115.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.20 ₱12.47

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$10.71 ₱675

105.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$0.69 ₱43.54

95.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.21 ₱12.97

204.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$1.70 ₱107

556.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.28 ₱80.3

-43.75%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$21.9K ₱1.4M

2.61%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

39.12%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$64.9 ₱4,083

41.57%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$16.36 ₱1,030

-34.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$20.10 ₱1,266

-11.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$27.72 ₱1,745

153.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$4.68 ₱295

489.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$4.95 ₱312

36.97%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$127 ₱7,995

253.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$8,993 ₱566.2K

34.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$30.83 ₱1,941

191.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$22.01 ₱1,386

113.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$72.3 ₱4,553

96.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$63.1 ₱3,975

110.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$101 ₱6,360

696.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$56.3 ₱3,542

788.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$237 ₱14.9K

502.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$158 ₱9,973

470.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$2,172 ₱136.7K

15.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$990 ₱62.3K

57.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$153 ₱9,616

469.62%

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 Mambajao: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Mambajao

$56 11.1% 88.7% $443

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Mambajao

$156 30.7% 37.7% $94

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Mambajao

$59 11.5% 71.5% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Mambajao

$85 16.7% 54.2% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Mambajao

$101 20% 15.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Mambajao

$38 7.4% 55.2% $46

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Mambajao

$13 2.6% 52.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $101 in Mambajao. 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 470% 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 Mambajao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $156 – making Mambajao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇵🇭 Mambajao

🕒 Local time

02:23 2:23 AM

04:23 4:23 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

41,094

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Mambajao 5,960 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Mambajao

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 Mambajao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 170%, 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 $761 in Mambajao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mambajao, 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 $16.00 in Mambajao. 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 $508 in Mambajao. That's a gap of about 170%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mambajao, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Mambajao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mambajao – 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 Mambajao. 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.