Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iligan City and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Iligan City: $739 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Iligan City
🇵🇭 Philippines
$739
/mo nomad
Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,372
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $739 per month in Iligan City vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Iligan City $739
  • Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,126 per month in Iligan City vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Iligan City $1,126
  • Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,514 per month in Iligan City vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Iligan City $1,514
  • Almaty $2,913

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

Iligan City sits 45% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Iligan City
Almaty
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.99 ₱251
$13.16 ₸5,949
-69.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.85 ₱1,124
$44.86 ₸20.3K
-60.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.74 ₱172
$8.90 ₸4,022
-69.21%
Cappuccino
$2.26 ₱142
$3.25 ₸1,469
-30.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 ₱42.01
$1.41 ₸639
-52.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ₱21.15
$0.88 ₸399
-61.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.13 ₱71.1
$3.35 ₸1,513
-66.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 ₱120
$4.04 ₸1,827
-52.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Iligan City
Almaty
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.05 ₱129
$1.69 ₸762
21.30%
White Bread (500g)
$1.16 ₱72.8
$0.86 ₸390
34.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.90 ₱56.7
$2.03 ₸917
-55.67%
Eggs
$1.93 ₱121
$2.43 ₸1,100
-20.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.66 ₱357
$12.46 ₸5,632
-54.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.21 ₱265
$6.71 ₸3,033
-37.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.26 ₱457
$10.85 ₸4,905
-33.09%
Apples (1kg)
$2.42 ₱153
$1.80 ₸813
34.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 ₱97.2
$2.25 ₸1,018
-31.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 ₱147
$2.91 ₸1,314
-19.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.17 ₱73.7
$2.75 ₸1,243
-57.45%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 ₱126
$0.75 ₸337
168.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.92 ₱121
$0.55 ₸248
249.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 ₱57.8
$1.62 ₸732
-43.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 ₱35.82
$1.05 ₸474
-45.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.97 ₱187
$2.58 ₸1,167
15.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.55 ₱476
$11.15 ₸5,042
-32.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.96 ₱60.5
$1.21 ₸547
-20.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 ₱126
$2.44 ₸1,104
-17.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Iligan City
Almaty
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₱16.49
$0.26 ₸117
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.63 ₱795
$22.03 ₸9,957
-42.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.85 ₱53.5
$1.35 ₸611
-37.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.21 ₱13.33
$0.64 ₸288
-67.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.01 ₱127
$11.16 ₸5,044
-81.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 ₱73.6
$0.72 ₸324
62.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$22.5K ₸10.2M
-6.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.8K ₱1.1M
$30.3K ₸13.7M
-44.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iligan City
Almaty
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$129 ₱8,095
$91.8 ₸41.5K
40.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.31 ₱964
$10.66 ₸4,820
43.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.12 ₱1,519
$17.86 ₸8,072
35.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Iligan City
Almaty
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.95 ₱2,011
$70.3 ₸31.8K
-54.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.61 ₱290
$27.60 ₸12.5K
-83.30%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 ₱324
$6.78 ₸3,064
-24.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Iligan City
Almaty
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$131 ₱8,241
$449 ₸202.9K
-70.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,881 ₱559.2K
$12.1K ₸5.5M
-26.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Iligan City
Almaty
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.30 ₱2,097
$89.9 ₸40.7K
-62.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.10 ₱1,139
$47.02 ₸21.3K
-61.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.2 ₱4,422
$142 ₸64.1K
-50.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$48.70 ₱3,066
$133 ₸60.0K
-63.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Iligan City
Almaty
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$111 ₱6,985
$805 ₸363.7K
-86.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$172 ₱10.8K
$500 ₸225.9K
-65.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$515 ₱32.4K
$1,429 ₸645.9K
-63.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$357 ₱22.5K
$904 ₸408.8K
-60.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,600 ₱163.7K
$2,503 ₸1.1M
3.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$875 ₱55.1K
$1,559 ₸704.7K
-43.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Iligan City
Almaty
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$198 ₱12.5K
$870 ₸393.3K
-77.26%
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 Iligan City: October 12, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Iligan City
$184
Almaty
$250 36.1% $66
Accommodation & Living
Iligan City
$172
Almaty
$500 191% $328
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iligan City
$168
Almaty
$120 28.4% $48
Eating Out
Iligan City
$81
Almaty
$205 154% $124
Clothing & Footwear
Iligan City
$77
Almaty
$185 142% $109
Sport & Entertainment
Iligan City
$42
Almaty
$84 98.7% $42
Getting Around
Iligan City
$16
Almaty
$28 77% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $111 in Iligan City 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.

Salaries run about 340% 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 $18.00 in Iligan City versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $250 – making Iligan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Iligan City
🇰🇿 Almaty
🕒 Local time
11:01 11:01 AM
09:01 9:01 AM
2 h behind Iligan City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
342,618
1,475,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Iligan City Almaty 6,010 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Iligan City
  • 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
Iligan City vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Almaty cheaper than Iligan City?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 86%, 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 $1,108 per month in Iligan City 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 Iligan City, 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 Iligan City or in Almaty?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Iligan City 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 Iligan City and in Almaty?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $739 in Iligan City and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 86%.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Iligan City or in Almaty?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Iligan City, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Iligan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Iligan City or Almaty more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Iligan City – 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 Iligan 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.

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