Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Marikina

For one person, living is cheaper in Marikina: $704 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Marikina
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Marikina Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Marikina

🇵🇭 Philippines

$704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Marikina

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $704 in Marikina, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Marikina $704

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,094 in Marikina, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Marikina $1,094

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,484 in Marikina, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Marikina $1,484

Almaty costs about 95% more than Marikina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Marikina is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$4.07 ₱257

223.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$32.37 ₱2,038

38.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$3.17 ₱199

180.76%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.29 ₱144

41.92%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.55 ₱34.81

156.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.33 ₱20.92

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$1.01 ₱63.7

231.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$2.36 ₱149

71.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.85 ₱117

-8.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.23 ₱77.7

-30.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.06 ₱66.5

91.51%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$2.08 ₱131

16.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$7.39 ₱466

68.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$4.20 ₱264

59.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$6.78 ₱427

60.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$2.46 ₱155

-26.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$2.03 ₱128

10.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.33 ₱146

24.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$2.30 ₱145

19.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$2.38 ₱150

-68.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$3.48 ₱219

-84.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.10 ₱69.5

47.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.70 ₱44.21

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$2.93 ₱184

-11.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$8.73 ₱550

27.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$0.98 ₱62.0

23.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$2.05 ₱129

19.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.50 ₱31.34

-48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$0.73 ₱46.04

84.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.23 ₱14.53

178.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$1.94 ₱122

475.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.24 ₱78.3

-41.94%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$21.7K ₱1.4M

3.88%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

55.78%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$139 ₱8,744

-33.89%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$16.19 ₱1,019

-34.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$28.10 ₱1,769

-36.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$36.73 ₱2,312

91.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$7.11 ₱448

-4.64%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$131 ₱8,250

242.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$7,456 ₱469.4K

62.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$59.9 ₱3,774

50.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$28.37 ₱1,786

65.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$75.4 ₱4,745

88.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$54.7 ₱3,442

142.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$180 ₱11.3K

347.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$79.2 ₱4,986

530.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$322 ₱20.3K

343.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$145 ₱9,110

525.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$1,134 ₱71.4K

120.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$481 ₱30.3K

224.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$387 ₱24.3K

125.03%

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 Marikina: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Marikina

$79 11.3% 84.2% $421

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Marikina

$206 29.2% 17.9% $45

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Marikina

$83 11.8% 59.5% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Marikina

$98 14% 46.9% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Marikina

$183 26% 52.2% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Marikina

$51 7.2% 39.3% $33

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Marikina

$3.9 * 0.6% 85.9% $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 $180 in Marikina. 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 125% 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 $32.00 in Marikina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $206 – making Marikina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇵🇭 Marikina

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

04:49 4:49 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

456,059

💱 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 = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Marikina 5,250 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Marikina

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 Marikina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 95%, 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 $1,056 in Marikina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marikina, 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 $704 in Marikina. That's a gap of about 95%.

Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Almaty and $131 in Marikina. 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 Marikina, where all-in costs run around $704, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Marikina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Marikina – 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 Marikina. 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.