Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Mandaluyong

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandaluyong: $841 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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 Mandaluyong
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Mandaluyong Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Mandaluyong

🇵🇭 Philippines

$841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Mandaluyong

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $841 in Mandaluyong, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Mandaluyong $841

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,389 in Mandaluyong, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Mandaluyong $1,389

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,936 in Mandaluyong, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Mandaluyong $1,936

Almaty costs about 63% more than Mandaluyong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Mandaluyong is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$4.72 ₱297

178.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$16.62 ₱1,046

169.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$3.53 ₱223

152.12%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.18 ₱137

49.08%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.99 ₱62.1

42.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.49 ₱30.84

79.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$1.22 ₱76.7

174.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$2.41 ₱152

67.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.68 ₱105

0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.30 ₱81.6

-33.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.03 ₱64.8

97.09%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$2.21 ₱139

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$5.18 ₱326

140.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$4.84 ₱305

38.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$6.82 ₱429

59.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$3.38 ₱213

-46.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.89 ₱119

19.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$3.09 ₱194

-5.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.85 ₱116

48.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$2.21 ₱139

-66.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$2.63 ₱166

-79.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.62 ₱39.08

161.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.49 ₱30.84

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$2.94 ₱185

-12.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$8.95 ₱564

24.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$0.95 ₱60.0

27.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$2.07 ₱130

17.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.38 ₱23.73

-31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$0.72 ₱45.59

87.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.23 ₱14.47

178.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$1.95 ₱122

472.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.22 ₱76.5

-40.98%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

6.98%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

56.74%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$138 ₱8,711

-33.64%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$17.70 ₱1,114

-39.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$24.54 ₱1,545

-27.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$31.59 ₱1,989

122.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$6.11 ₱385

10.97%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$131 ₱8,261

242.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$8,790 ₱553.4K

37.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$29.06 ₱1,830

209.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$27.11 ₱1,707

73.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$71.2 ₱4,481

99.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$54.9 ₱3,454

142.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$622 ₱39.1K

29.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$241 ₱15.1K

107.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$1,177 ₱74.1K

21.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$724 ₱45.6K

24.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$2,810 ₱176.9K

-10.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$533 ₱33.6K

63.16%

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 Mandaluyong: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Mandaluyong

$241 28.6% 51.8% $259

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Mandaluyong

$200 23.7% 20.2% $51

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Mandaluyong

$91 10.9% 55.4% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Mandaluyong

$82 9.7% 55.7% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Mandaluyong

$181 21.5% 50.1% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Mandaluyong

$44 5.2% 47.8% $40

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Mandaluyong

$3.4 * 0.4% 87.8% $24

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 $622 in Mandaluyong. 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 63% 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 Mandaluyong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $200 – making Mandaluyong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇵🇭 Mandaluyong

🕒 Local time

01:24 1:24 AM

03:24 3:24 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

425,758

💱 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 = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Mandaluyong 5,250 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Mandaluyong

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 Mandaluyong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 63%, 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 $1,262 in Mandaluyong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mandaluyong, 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 $841 in Mandaluyong. That's a gap of about 63%.

Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Almaty and $131 in Mandaluyong. 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 Mandaluyong, where all-in costs run around $841, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Mandaluyong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mandaluyong – 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 Mandaluyong. 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.