Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and San Fernando, La Union

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando, La Union: $719 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,372
/mo nomad
San Fernando, La Union
🇵🇭 Philippines
$719
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in San Fernando, La Union

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 San Fernando, La Union actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $719 in San Fernando, La Union, rent included.

  • Almaty $1,372
  • San Fernando, La Union $719

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,102 in San Fernando, La Union, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,142
  • San Fernando, La Union $1,102

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,485 in San Fernando, La Union, rent included.

  • Almaty $2,913
  • San Fernando, La Union $1,485

Almaty costs about 91% more than San Fernando, La Union, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while San Fernando, La Union is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Almaty
San Fernando, La Union
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.16 ₸5,949
$3.93 ₱248
234.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.86 ₸20.3K
$14.86 ₱936
201.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.90 ₸4,022
$2.45 ₱154
263.27%
Cappuccino
$3.25 ₸1,469
$1.92 ₱121
69.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 ₸639
$0.63 ₱39.53
123.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 ₸399
$0.30 ₱18.67
193.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.35 ₸1,513
$1.15 ₱72.3
191.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.04 ₸1,827
$1.78 ₱112
126.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Almaty
San Fernando, La Union
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 ₸762
$1.68 ₱106
0.60%
White Bread (500g)
$0.86 ₸390
$1.08 ₱67.7
-20.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.03 ₸917
$1.03 ₱65.0
97.09%
Eggs
$2.43 ₸1,100
$1.93 ₱122
25.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.46 ₸5,632
$6.38 ₱402
95.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.71 ₸3,033
$3.77 ₱238
77.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.85 ₸4,905
$7.48 ₱471
45.05%
Apples (1kg)
$1.80 ₸813
$2.38 ₱150
-24.37%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 ₸1,018
$1.60 ₱101
40.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.91 ₸1,314
$2.71 ₱170
7.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.75 ₸1,243
$1.21 ₱76.1
127.27%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ₸337
$2.26 ₱142
-66.81%
Onion (1kg)
$0.55 ₸248
$2.07 ₱131
-73.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 ₸732
$1.00 ₱62.8
62.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 ₸474
$0.58 ₱36.41
81.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.58 ₸1,167
$2.97 ₱187
-13.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.15 ₸5,042
$7.16 ₱451
55.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 ₸547
$1.11 ₱70.0
9.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 ₸1,104
$1.63 ₱103
49.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Almaty
San Fernando, La Union
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₸117
$0.25 ₱15.89
4.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.03 ₸9,957
$10.92 ₱687
101.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.35 ₸611
$0.81 ₱51.2
66.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 ₸288
$0.21 ₱13.52
204.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.16 ₸5,044
$1.77 ₱111
530.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.72 ₸324
$1.02 ₱64.5
-29.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.5K ₸10.2M
$21.0K ₱1.3M
7.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.3K ₸13.7M
$18.3K ₱1.1M
65.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
San Fernando, La Union
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$91.8 ₸41.5K
$109 ₱6,863
-15.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.66 ₸4,820
$16.96 ₱1,068
-37.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.86 ₸8,072
$27.32 ₱1,720
-34.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
San Fernando, La Union
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.3 ₸31.8K
$32.83 ₱2,067
114.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.60 ₸12.5K
$4.60 ₱290
500.00%
Cinema Ticket
$6.78 ₸3,064
$5.76 ₱363
17.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Almaty
San Fernando, La Union
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$449 ₸202.9K
$114 ₱7,179
293.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.1K ₸5.5M
$9,119 ₱574.1K
32.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
San Fernando, La Union
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.9 ₸40.7K
$33.24 ₱2,093
170.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.02 ₸21.3K
$17.66 ₱1,112
166.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$142 ₸64.1K
$71.9 ₱4,524
97.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 ₸60.0K
$55.6 ₱3,503
138.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Almaty
San Fernando, La Union
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$805 ₸363.7K
$262 ₱16.5K
207.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₸225.9K
$169 ₱10.7K
195.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 ₸645.9K
$521 ₱32.8K
174.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$904 ₸408.8K
$361 ₱22.7K
150.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,503 ₸1.1M
$2,558 ₱161.1K
-2.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,559 ₸704.7K
$1,037 ₱65.3K
50.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Almaty
San Fernando, La Union
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$870 ₸393.3K
-
-
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 San Fernando, La Union: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Almaty
$500
San Fernando, La Union
$169 66.1% $330
Groceries & Markets
Almaty
$250
San Fernando, La Union
$183 26.8% $67
Eating Out
Almaty
$205
San Fernando, La Union
$75 63.5% $130
Clothing & Footwear
Almaty
$185
San Fernando, La Union
$80 56.7% $105
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almaty
$120
San Fernando, La Union
$153 27.4% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Almaty
$84
San Fernando, La Union
$44 47.1% $40
Getting Around
Almaty
$28
San Fernando, La Union
$14 49.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $262 in San Fernando, La Union. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty versus $15.00 in San Fernando, La Union. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $183 – making San Fernando, La Union the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Almaty
🇵🇭 San Fernando, La Union
🕒 Local time
10:14 10:14 AM
12:14 12:14 PM
2 h ahead of Almaty
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,475,400
83,003
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Almaty San Fernando, La Union 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Almaty
  • San Fernando, La Union

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 San Fernando, La Union: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Fernando, La Union cheaper than Almaty?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 91%, 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 $1,079 in San Fernando, La Union. 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 San Fernando, La Union, 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 San Fernando, La Union?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty and $15.00 in San Fernando, La Union. 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 San Fernando, La Union?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $719 in San Fernando, La Union. That's a gap of about 91%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Almaty or in San Fernando, La Union?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Fernando, La Union, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Almaty at $1,372. In San Fernando, La Union it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Almaty or San Fernando, La Union more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward San Fernando, La Union – 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 San Fernando, La Union?
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 San Fernando, La Union. 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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