Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bago and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Bago: $696 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Bago
🇵🇭 Philippines
$696
/mo nomad
Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,372
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bago and in Almaty

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bago and in Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $696 per month in Bago vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Bago $696
  • Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,085 per month in Bago vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Bago $1,085
  • Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,475 per month in Bago vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Bago $1,475
  • Almaty $2,913

Bago is about 49% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bago
Almaty
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.77 ₱237
$13.16 ₸5,949
-71.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.36 ₱967
$44.86 ₸20.3K
-65.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.13 ₱197
$8.90 ₸4,022
-64.83%
Cappuccino
$2.06 ₱130
$3.25 ₸1,469
-36.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 ₱44.84
$1.41 ₸639
-49.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₱19.26
$0.88 ₸399
-64.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.06 ₱66.7
$3.35 ₸1,513
-68.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 ₱132
$4.04 ₸1,827
-48.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bago
Almaty
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 ₱91.5
$1.69 ₸762
-14.20%
White Bread (500g)
$1.05 ₱65.8
$0.86 ₸390
22.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.89 ₱56.0
$2.03 ₸917
-56.16%
Eggs
$1.70 ₱107
$2.43 ₸1,100
-30.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.64 ₱355
$12.46 ₸5,632
-54.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.68 ₱294
$6.71 ₸3,033
-30.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.51 ₱473
$10.85 ₸4,905
-30.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.68 ₱169
$1.80 ₸813
48.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.72 ₱109
$2.25 ₸1,018
-23.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.58 ₱163
$2.91 ₸1,314
-11.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.29 ₱81.4
$2.75 ₸1,243
-53.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 ₱109
$0.75 ₸337
129.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 ₱117
$0.55 ₸248
238.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 ₱63.3
$1.62 ₸732
-37.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 ₱31.69
$1.05 ₸474
-52.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.30 ₱207
$2.58 ₸1,167
27.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.16 ₱451
$11.15 ₸5,042
-35.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 ₱56.4
$1.21 ₸547
-25.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 ₱117
$2.44 ₸1,104
-23.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Bago
Almaty
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.21 ₱13.43
$0.26 ₸117
-19.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.85 ₱683
$22.03 ₸9,957
-50.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.66 ₱41.31
$1.35 ₸611
-51.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.56
$0.64 ₸288
-64.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.93 ₱121
$11.16 ₸5,044
-82.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 ₱81.5
$0.72 ₸324
80.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.5K ₱1.5M
$22.5K ₸10.2M
8.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.8K ₱1.2M
$30.3K ₸13.7M
-37.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bago
Almaty
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$109 ₱6,893
$91.8 ₸41.5K
19.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.03 ₱821
$10.66 ₸4,820
22.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.14 ₱1,646
$17.86 ₸8,072
46.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bago
Almaty
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.61 ₱1,864
$70.3 ₸31.8K
-57.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.30 ₱333
$27.60 ₸12.5K
-80.80%
Cinema Ticket
$4.97 ₱313
$6.78 ₸3,064
-26.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bago
Almaty
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$130 ₱8,157
$449 ₸202.9K
-71.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,189 ₱515.6K
$12.1K ₸5.5M
-32.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bago
Almaty
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.58 ₱2,303
$89.9 ₸40.7K
-59.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.81 ₱1,373
$47.02 ₸21.3K
-53.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.6 ₱4,823
$142 ₸64.1K
-45.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$63.2 ₱3,977
$133 ₸60.0K
-52.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bago
Almaty
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$294 ₱18.5K
$805 ₸363.7K
-63.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$147 ₱9,268
$500 ₸225.9K
-70.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$455 ₱28.6K
$1,429 ₸645.9K
-68.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$347 ₱21.9K
$904 ₸408.8K
-61.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,607 ₱164.2K
$2,503 ₸1.1M
4.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$876 ₱55.1K
$1,559 ₸704.7K
-43.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bago
Almaty
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$870 ₸393.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
20.65
-67.12%

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

Last update for Bago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Bago
$180
Almaty
$250 38.9% $70
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bago
$149
Almaty
$120 19.1% $28
Accommodation & Living
Bago
$147
Almaty
$500 239% $352
Clothing & Footwear
Bago
$89
Almaty
$185 108% $96
Eating Out
Bago
$78
Almaty
$205 163% $127
Sport & Entertainment
Bago
$40
Almaty
$84 112% $44
Getting Around
Bago
$14
Almaty
$28 104% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $294 in Bago versus $805 in Almaty. 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 $15.00 in Bago versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $250 – making Bago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Bago
🇰🇿 Almaty
🕒 Local time
00:54 12:54 AM
22:54 10:54 PM
2 h behind Bago
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
191,210
1,475,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bago Almaty 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bago
  • Almaty

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
Bago vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Almaty cheaper than Bago?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 97%, 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 $1,044 per month in Bago and $2,058 in Almaty. 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 Bago, 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 Bago or in Almaty?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Bago and $45.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Bago and in Almaty?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $696 in Bago and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 97%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Bago or in Almaty?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bago, where all-in costs run around $696, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Bago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Bago or Almaty more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Bago – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Bago. 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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