Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $931 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Manila

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $931 in Manila, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Manila $931

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $1,519 in Manila, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Manila $1,519

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $2,106 in Manila, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Manila $2,106

Almaty costs about 49% more than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Manila is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸5,991

$5.61 ₱353

137.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.5K

$27.39 ₱1,722

58.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,959

$3.95 ₱248

122.78%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,486

$2.56 ₱161

28.91%

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

$1.37 ₸616

$1.42 ₱89.3

-3.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸406

$0.81 ₱51.1

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,409

$1.17 ₱73.4

167.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,847

$2.36 ₱148

73.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸749

$1.94 ₱122

-14.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸403

$1.40 ₱88.2

-35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸927

$1.02 ₱64.3

101.96%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,067

$2.29 ₱144

3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,689

$7.86 ₱494

60.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸2,978

$4.89 ₱307

35.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,893

$6.77 ₱426

60.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸839

$3.38 ₱213

-44.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,067

$1.85 ₱117

28.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,348

$2.96 ₱186

1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,273

$1.79 ₱113

58.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸345

$2.24 ₱141

-65.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸262

$2.69 ₱169

-78.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸718

$2.20 ₱138

-27.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸446

$0.59 ₱37.35

67.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,145

$3.13 ₱197

-18.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸4,969

$9.42 ₱593

17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸546

$1.33 ₱83.5

-9.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,085

$2.00 ₱126

20.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$0.47 ₱29.54

-46.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,831

$12.58 ₱791

73.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸577

$0.78 ₱48.91

64.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸289

$0.23 ₱14.47

178.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,836

$1.94 ₱122

453.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸312

$1.33 ₱83.7

-48.12%

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

$22.3K ₸10.0M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

4.39%

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

$29.3K ₸13.2M

$19.7K ₱1.2M

49.02%

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

$87.8 ₸39.5K

$121 ₱7,635

-27.71%

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

$10.83 ₸4,874

$16.04 ₱1,009

-32.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,831

$24.25 ₱1,525

-28.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.4K

$43.44 ₱2,732

60.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.0K

$5.90 ₱371

350.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,009

$6.63 ₱417

0.75%

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

$446 ₸200.8K

$613 ₱38.5K

-27.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

$8,953 ₱563.1K

32.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.2K

$58.2 ₱3,657

61.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.1K

$27.18 ₱1,709

72.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.3K

$77.5 ₱4,875

84.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.1K

$57.0 ₱3,583

134.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸348.1K

$534 ₱33.6K

44.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸223.9K

$287 ₱18.0K

73.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸625.9K

$1,916 ₱120.5K

-27.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸396.0K

$677 ₱42.6K

29.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.1M

$4,439 ₱279.1K

-42.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸678.2K

$2,556 ₱160.8K

-41.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸375.2K

$485 ₱30.5K

71.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

7.43

177.93%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Manila

$287 30.2% 42.3% $210

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Manila

$221 23.3% 11.9% $30

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Manila

$107 11.3% 47.9% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Manila

$99 10.4% 47.2% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Manila

$162 17% 39.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Manila

$57 6% 31.7% $26

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Manila

$16 1.7% 40% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $534 in Manila. 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 72% 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 $43.00 in Almaty versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $221 – making Manila the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

14:25 2:25 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Manila 5,250 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Manila

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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $1,396 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manila, 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 $43.00 in Almaty and $27.00 in Manila. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $931 in Manila. That's a gap of about 49%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Manila, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Manila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Manila – 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 Manila. 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.