Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $934 per month in Cebu vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Cebu $934
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,415 per month in Cebu vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Cebu $1,415
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Cebu vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Cebu $1,896
Almaty $2,883

Cebu is about 33% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cebu sits 30% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱191

$13.31 ₸5,991

-77.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,476

$43.37 ₸19.5K

-45.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱257

$8.80 ₸3,959

-53.52%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$3.30 ₸1,486

-23.64%

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

$1.54 ₱97.2

$1.37 ₸616

12.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.06

$0.90 ₸406

-45.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱113

$3.13 ₸1,409

-42.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$4.10 ₸1,847

-44.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.66 ₸749

17.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.9

$0.90 ₸403

58.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.0

$2.06 ₸927

-50.49%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.37 ₸1,067

-13.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱617

$12.64 ₸5,689

-22.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

$6.62 ₸2,978

-30.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱484

$10.87 ₸4,893

-29.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$1.86 ₸839

77.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱91.2

$2.37 ₸1,067

-38.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.99 ₸1,348

-21.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.6

$2.83 ₸1,273

-45.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.77 ₸345

206.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.58 ₸262

243.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.3

$1.59 ₸718

-27.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.26

$0.99 ₸446

-32.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.54 ₸1,145

18.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱399

$11.04 ₸4,969

-42.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.1

$1.21 ₸546

8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.41 ₸1,085

-28.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$0.25 ₸113

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

$21.84 ₸9,831

-42.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.44

$1.28 ₸577

-42.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

$0.64 ₸289

-67.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱272

$10.74 ₸4,836

-59.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$0.69 ₸312

92.75%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$22.3K ₸10.0M

-2.29%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$29.3K ₸13.2M

-33.88%

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

$121 ₱7,583

$87.8 ₸39.5K

37.40%

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

$14.45 ₱909

$10.83 ₸4,874

33.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,779

$17.40 ₸7,831

62.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,055

$69.7 ₸31.4K

-53.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱402

$26.58 ₸12.0K

-75.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱343

$6.68 ₸3,009

-18.26%

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

$273 ₱17.2K

$446 ₸200.8K

-38.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱512.9K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-31.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,117

$93.7 ₸42.2K

-47.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,564

$46.91 ₸21.1K

-46.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,817

$143 ₸64.3K

-46.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,727

$133 ₸60.1K

-55.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.8K

$773 ₸348.1K

-34.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$497 ₸223.9K

-37.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.1K

$1,390 ₸625.9K

-24.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.9K

$880 ₸396.0K

-29.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱183.4K

$2,546 ₸1.1M

14.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.4K

$1,506 ₸678.2K

23.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.5K

$834 ₸375.2K

-59.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

20.65

-65.13%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 60.7% $188

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 19.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 29% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 98.2% $93

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Almaty

$205 15% 132% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 90.5% $39

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Almaty

$27 2% 77% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $506 in Cebu 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 144% 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 $23.00 in Cebu versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $251 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

06:27 6:27 AM

2 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

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 = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 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 = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Almaty 5,810 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
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

Cebu vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,401 per month in Cebu 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 Cebu, 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 $23.00 in Cebu 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 $934 in Cebu and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 49%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $934, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cebu – 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 Cebu. 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.