Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Mandaue

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandaue: $825 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,372
/mo nomad
Mandaue
🇵🇭 Philippines
$825
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Mandaue

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $825 in Mandaue, rent included.

  • Almaty $1,372
  • Mandaue $825

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,203 in Mandaue, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,142
  • Mandaue $1,203

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,581 in Mandaue, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,913
  • Mandaue $1,581

Almaty costs about 66% more than Mandaue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Mandaue is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Almaty
Mandaue
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.16 ₸5,949
$2.96 ₱187
344.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.86 ₸20.3K
$23.45 ₱1,476
91.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.90 ₸4,022
$3.99 ₱251
123.06%
Cappuccino
$3.25 ₸1,469
$2.58 ₱162
25.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 ₸639
$1.54 ₱97.0
-8.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 ₸399
$0.49 ₱31.05
79.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.35 ₸1,513
$1.72 ₱108
94.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.04 ₸1,827
$2.28 ₱144
77.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Almaty
Mandaue
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 ₸762
$1.95 ₱123
-13.33%
White Bread (500g)
$0.86 ₸390
$1.09 ₱68.7
-21.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.03 ₸917
$0.93 ₱58.7
118.28%
Eggs
$2.43 ₸1,100
$1.97 ₱124
23.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.46 ₸5,632
$9.91 ₱624
25.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.71 ₸3,033
$4.36 ₱275
53.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.85 ₸4,905
$7.63 ₱481
42.20%
Apples (1kg)
$1.80 ₸813
$3.47 ₱219
-48.13%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 ₸1,018
$1.43 ₱90.0
57.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.91 ₸1,314
$2.28 ₱144
27.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.75 ₸1,243
$1.47 ₱92.5
87.07%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ₸337
$2.34 ₱147
-67.95%
Onion (1kg)
$0.55 ₸248
$1.97 ₱124
-72.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 ₸732
$1.19 ₱74.9
36.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 ₸474
$0.67 ₱42.41
56.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.58 ₸1,167
$2.37 ₱149
8.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.15 ₸5,042
$6.29 ₱396
77.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 ₸547
$1.23 ₱77.4
-1.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 ₸1,104
$1.72 ₱108
41.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Almaty
Mandaue
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₸117
$0.24 ₱14.97
8.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.03 ₸9,957
$9.67 ₱609
127.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.35 ₸611
$0.74 ₱46.69
82.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₸288
$0.21 ₱13.19
204.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.16 ₸5,044
$1.88 ₱119
493.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.72 ₸324
$1.32 ₱83.3
-45.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.5K ₸10.2M
$21.2K ₱1.3M
6.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.3K ₸13.7M
$19.1K ₱1.2M
58.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
Mandaue
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$91.8 ₸41.5K
$98.3 ₱6,187
-6.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.66 ₸4,820
$14.07 ₱886
-24.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.86 ₸8,072
$27.93 ₱1,758
-36.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
Mandaue
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.3 ₸31.8K
$33.01 ₱2,078
113.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.60 ₸12.5K
$5.27 ₱332
423.72%
Cinema Ticket
$6.78 ₸3,064
$5.69 ₱358
19.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Almaty
Mandaue
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$449 ₸202.9K
$130 ₱8,204
244.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.1K ₸5.5M
$7,979 ₱502.4K
51.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
Mandaue
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.9 ₸40.7K
$32.91 ₱2,072
173.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.02 ₸21.3K
$19.62 ₱1,235
139.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$142 ₸64.1K
$76.1 ₱4,790
86.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 ₸60.0K
$57.7 ₱3,632
130.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Almaty
Mandaue
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$805 ₸363.7K
$429 ₱27.0K
87.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₸225.9K
$251 ₱15.8K
98.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 ₸645.9K
$747 ₱47.1K
91.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$904 ₸408.8K
$353 ₱22.2K
156.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,503 ₸1.1M
$2,174 ₱136.9K
15.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,559 ₸704.7K
$902 ₱56.8K
72.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Almaty
Mandaue
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$870 ₸393.3K
$234 ₱14.8K
271.08%
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 Mandaue: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Almaty
$500
Mandaue
$251 49.7% $248
Groceries & Markets
Almaty
$250
Mandaue
$205 18.2% $46
Eating Out
Almaty
$205
Mandaue
$88 57.1% $117
Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
$185
Mandaue
$84 54.7% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
$120
Mandaue
$140 16.6% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
$84
Mandaue
$44 47.1% $39
Getting Around
Almaty
$28
Mandaue
$12 55% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $429 in Mandaue. 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 271% 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 $23.00 in Mandaue. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $205 – making Mandaue the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Almaty
🇵🇭 Mandaue
🕒 Local time
01:50 1:50 AM
03:50 3:50 AM
2 h ahead of Almaty
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,475,400
364,116
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Almaty Mandaue 5,810 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Almaty
  • Mandaue

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 Mandaue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mandaue cheaper than Almaty?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty and $1,237 in Mandaue. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mandaue, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Almaty or in Mandaue?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty and $23.00 in Mandaue. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Almaty and in Mandaue?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $825 in Mandaue. That's a gap of about 66%.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Almaty or in Mandaue?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mandaue, where all-in costs run around $825, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Mandaue it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Almaty or Mandaue more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Mandaue – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Almaty or Mandaue?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Mandaue. 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.

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