Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Tagum City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $437 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Tagum City
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Tagum City Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Tagum City

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $437 in Tagum City, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Tagum City $437

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $541 in Tagum City, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Tagum City $541

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $645 in Tagum City, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Tagum City $645

Almaty costs about 214% more than Tagum City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Tagum City is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$5.50 ₱346

139.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$12.68 ₱799

253.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$5.05 ₱318

76.24%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.29 ₱144

41.92%

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

$1.41 ₸639

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$1.87 ₱117

79.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$1.44 ₱90.9

180.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.62 ₱102

4.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.88 ₱119

29.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$8.06 ₱507

34.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$6.41 ₱404

-71.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$1.37 ₱86.0

-11.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.25 ₱15.76

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.37 ₱86.2

-47.45%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$55.7 ₱3,506

64.86%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$8.09 ₱510

31.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$27.46 ₱1,729

-34.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$23.71 ₱1,493

196.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$3.28 ₱206

106.71%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$159 ₱9,992

406.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$129 ₱8,124

287.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$323 ₱20.3K

342.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$203 ₱12.8K

328.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Tagum City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Tagum City

$129 29.5% 74.2% $371

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Tagum City

$87 * 19.9% 65.3% $163

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Tagum City

$99 * 22.6% 51.8% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Tagum City

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Tagum City

$91 20.9% 24.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Tagum City

$30 6.9% 63.9% $54

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Tagum City

$1 * 0.2% 96.4% $27

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 $159 in Tagum City. 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 329% 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 $13.00 in Tagum City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $87.0 – making Tagum City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

11:01 11:01 AM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

296,202

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Almaty Tagum City 6,190 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Tagum City

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 Tagum City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 214%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty and $656 in Tagum City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tagum City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 188% more in Almaty, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty and $13.00 in Tagum City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tagum City, where all-in costs run around $437, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Tagum City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tagum City – 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 Tagum City. 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.