Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $755 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$755

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio 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 Baguio and in Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $755 per month in Baguio vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Baguio $755
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,183 per month in Baguio vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Baguio $1,183
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $1,611 per month in Baguio vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Baguio $1,611
Almaty $2,883

Baguio is about 46% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Baguio sits 44% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ₱249

$13.31 ₸6,034

-70.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.85 ₱1,057

$43.37 ₸19.7K

-61.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 ₱173

$8.80 ₸3,988

-68.64%

Cappuccino

$1.84 ₱115

$3.30 ₸1,497

-44.24%

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

$0.60 ₱37.75

$1.37 ₸620

-56.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₱21.40

$0.90 ₸409

-62.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$3.13 ₸1,419

-67.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

$4.10 ₸1,860

-60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₱106

$1.66 ₸754

1.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱70.9

$0.90 ₸406

25.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.5

$2.06 ₸933

-50.00%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱126

$2.37 ₸1,074

-14.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 ₱311

$12.64 ₸5,730

-60.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₱211

$6.62 ₸3,000

-49.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.68 ₱482

$10.87 ₸4,928

-29.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱145

$1.86 ₸845

24.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱100

$2.37 ₸1,075

-32.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱146

$2.99 ₸1,358

-22.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₱67.5

$2.83 ₸1,282

-61.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ₱104

$0.77 ₸347

116.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 ₱108

$0.58 ₸264

196.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$1.59 ₸723

-57.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.15

$0.99 ₸449

-46.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₱187

$2.54 ₸1,153

17.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.72 ₱547

$11.04 ₸5,005

-21.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.1

$1.21 ₸550

-19.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₱130

$2.41 ₸1,093

-13.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.73

$0.25 ₸113

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.66 ₱794

$21.84 ₸9,901

-42.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₱52.0

$1.28 ₸581

-35.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.64 ₸291

-60.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱119

$10.74 ₸4,870

-82.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.7

$0.69 ₸314

81.16%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$22.3K ₸10.1M

-5.09%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$29.3K ₸13.3M

-34.01%

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

$142 ₱8,910

$87.8 ₸39.8K

61.88%

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

$17.90 ₱1,122

$10.83 ₸4,909

65.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 ₱1,491

$17.40 ₸7,887

36.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.07 ₱1,322

$69.7 ₸31.6K

-69.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 ₱325

$26.58 ₸12.1K

-80.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.15 ₱323

$6.68 ₸3,031

-22.90%

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

$132 ₱8,307

$446 ₸202.2K

-70.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₱675.4K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-9.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.14 ₱1,827

$93.7 ₸42.5K

-68.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.94 ₱1,251

$46.91 ₸21.3K

-57.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.0 ₱4,578

$143 ₸64.7K

-48.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,480

$133 ₸60.5K

-58.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ₱25.3K

$773 ₸350.6K

-47.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ₱12.2K

$497 ₸225.5K

-60.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 ₱51.7K

$1,390 ₸630.4K

-40.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₱28.9K

$880 ₸398.9K

-47.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,677 ₱167.9K

$2,546 ₸1.2M

5.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$928 ₱58.2K

$1,506 ₸683.0K

-38.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 ₱11.6K

$834 ₸377.9K

-77.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

20.65

-67.31%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 3, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$195 25.8%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 156% $303

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$184 24.4%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 36.9% $68

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$175 23.2%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 43.7% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$80 10.6%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 135% $108

Eating Out

Baguio

$74 9.8%

Almaty

$205 15% 177% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 165% $52

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Almaty

$27 2% 73.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $403 in Baguio versus $773 in Almaty. 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 351% 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 $17.00 in Baguio versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $251 – making Baguio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

13:19 1:19 PM

2 h behind Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baguio Almaty 5,070 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
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

Baguio vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 84%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,133 per month in Baguio and $2,080 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Baguio, 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 $17.00 in Baguio and $43.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $755 in Baguio and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 84%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Baguio, where all-in costs run around $755, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Baguio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Baguio – 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 Baguio. 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.