Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Santa Cruz, Laguna

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz, Laguna: $626 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, Laguna
Learn more

Santa Cruz, Laguna Living Index

Jump to prices

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz, Laguna

🇵🇭 Philippines

$626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Santa Cruz, Laguna

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 Santa Cruz, Laguna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $626 in Santa Cruz, Laguna, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Santa Cruz, Laguna $626

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $931 in Santa Cruz, Laguna, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Santa Cruz, Laguna $931

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,236 in Santa Cruz, Laguna, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Santa Cruz, Laguna $1,236

Almaty costs about 119% more than Santa Cruz, Laguna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Santa Cruz, Laguna is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$1.57 ₱99.0

738.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$8.09 ₱509

454.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$2.76 ₱174

222.46%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$1.78 ₱112

82.58%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$0.38 ₱23.98

271.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.23 ₱14.42

282.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$0.99 ₱62.2

238.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$0.99 ₱62.1

308.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.63 ₱103

3.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.16 ₱72.9

-25.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.00 ₱63.3

103.00%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.55 ₱97.5

56.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$4.65 ₱293

167.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$3.50 ₱220

91.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$7.07 ₱445

53.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$1.46 ₱92.1

23.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$0.46 ₱28.85

389.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$1.44 ₱91.0

102.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.02 ₱64.2

169.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$1.76 ₱111

-57.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$1.74 ₱109

-68.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.67 ₱41.99

141.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.53 ₱33.46

98.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$2.89 ₱182

-10.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$8.60 ₱541

29.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$0.97 ₱61.0

24.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$2.08 ₱131

17.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.21 ₱13.40

23.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$11.41 ₱718

93.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$0.81 ₱51.2

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.23 ₱14.36

178.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$1.92 ₱121

481.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.25 ₱78.7

-42.40%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

6.24%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

57.25%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$85.1 ₱5,359

7.86%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$17.58 ₱1,107

-39.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$23.61 ₱1,487

-24.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$31.48 ₱1,982

123.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$4.14 ₱261

566.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$5.13 ₱323

32.16%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$134 ₱8,442

234.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$10.7K ₱675.9K

12.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$28.89 ₱1,819

211.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$19.72 ₱1,242

138.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$72.5 ₱4,565

95.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$55.8 ₱3,515

137.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$242 ₱15.2K

232.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$157 ₱9,895

217.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$475 ₱29.9K

200.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$302 ₱19.0K

199.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$2,296 ₱144.5K

9.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$886 ₱55.8K

75.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

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 Santa Cruz, Laguna: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$157 25.1% 68.5% $343

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$156 24.9% 37.8% $95

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$52 8.2% 74.8% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$80 12.7% 57% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$126 20.2% 5% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$42 6.7% 50.2% $42

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$14 2.3% 48.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $242 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. 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 $8.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $156 – making Santa Cruz, Laguna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇵🇭 Santa Cruz, Laguna

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

08:28 8:28 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

123,574

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna 5,310 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Santa Cruz, Laguna

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 Santa Cruz, Laguna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 119%, 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 $940 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Cruz, Laguna, 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 $45.00 in Almaty and $8.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $626 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. That's a gap of about 119%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, Laguna, where all-in costs run around $626, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Santa Cruz, Laguna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Cruz, Laguna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Cruz, Laguna. 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.