For one person, living is cheaper in Imus: $647 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Imus and in Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $647 per month in Imus vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.
Imus $647
Almaty $1,372
A couple spends around $965 per month in Imus vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.
Imus $965
Almaty $2,142
A family of three spends $1,283 per month in Imus vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.
Imus $1,283
Almaty $2,913
🙂
Imus is about 53% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Imus sits 52% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Imus
Almaty
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.96₱250
$13.16₸5,949
-69.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.00₱1,071
$44.86₸20.3K
-62.10%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$2.85₱179
$8.90₸4,022
-67.98%
Cappuccino
$1.86₱117
$3.25₸1,469
-42.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56₱35.20
$1.41₸639
-60.28%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33₱20.79
$0.88₸399
-62.50%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.02₱64.2
$3.35₸1,513
-69.55%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70₱107
$4.04₸1,827
-57.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Imus
Almaty
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.68₱106
$1.69₸762
-0.59%
White Bread(500g)
$1.13₱71.0
$0.86₸390
31.40%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.03₱64.7
$2.03₸917
-49.26%
Eggs
$2.08₱131
$2.43₸1,100
-14.40%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.18₱326
$12.46₸5,632
-58.43%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.33₱210
$6.71₸3,033
-50.37%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.85₱495
$10.85₸4,905
-27.65%
Apples(1kg)
$2.27₱143
$1.80₸813
26.11%
Banana(1kg)
$1.60₱101
$2.25₸1,018
-28.89%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.35₱148
$2.91₸1,314
-19.24%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.78₱112
$2.75₸1,243
-35.27%
Potato(1kg)
$1.72₱108
$0.75₸337
129.33%
Onion(1kg)
$1.73₱109
$0.55₸248
214.55%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.66₱41.75
$1.62₸732
-59.26%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49₱31.12
$1.05₸474
-53.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.14₱198
$2.58₸1,167
21.71%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.99₱566
$11.15₸5,042
-19.37%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.13₱71.4
$1.21₸547
-6.61%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98₱125
$2.44₸1,104
-18.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Imus
Almaty
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.26₱16.16
$0.26₸117
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$10.94₱689
$22.03₸9,957
-50.34%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.80₱50.2
$1.35₸611
-40.74%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.50
$0.64₸288
-64.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.92₱121
$11.16₸5,044
-82.80%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.22₱76.7
$0.72₸324
69.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.7K₱1.4M
$22.5K₸10.2M
-3.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.5K₱1.2M
$30.3K₸13.7M
-35.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Imus
Almaty
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$123₱7,718
$91.8₸41.5K
33.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.62₱984
$10.66₸4,820
46.53%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.34₱1,470
$17.86₸8,072
30.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Imus
Almaty
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$27.55₱1,736
$70.3₸31.8K
-60.83%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.07₱319
$27.60₸12.5K
-81.63%
Cinema Ticket
$5.29₱333
$6.78₸3,064
-21.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Imus
Almaty
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$134₱8,432
$449₸202.9K
-70.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,820₱555.6K
$12.1K₸5.5M
-27.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Imus
Almaty
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$29.14₱1,835
$89.9₸40.7K
-67.60%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.72₱1,242
$47.02₸21.3K
-58.06%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$72.7₱4,576
$142₸64.1K
-48.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.8₱3,454
$133₸60.0K
-58.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Imus
Almaty
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$122₱7,664
$805₸363.7K
-84.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$99.7₱6,277
$500₸225.9K
-80.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$202₱12.7K
$1,429₸645.9K
-85.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$166₱10.4K
$904₸408.8K
-81.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,138₱134.7K
$2,503₸1.1M
-14.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,101₱69.4K
$1,559₸704.7K
-29.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Imus
Almaty
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$172₱10.8K
$870₸393.3K
-80.29%
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 Imus: October 12, 2026
Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Imus
$180 27.9%
Almaty
$250 18.3% ↑ 38.8%$70
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Imus
$161 24.9%
Almaty
$120 8.8% ↓ 25.5%$41
🏠Accommodation & Living
Imus
$100 15.4%
Almaty
$500 36.4% ↑ 401%$400
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Imus
$79 12.3%
Almaty
$185 13.5% ↑ 133%$106
🍽Eating Out
Imus
$75 11.5%
Almaty
$205 14.9% ↑ 175%$130
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Imus
$38 5.9%
Almaty
$84 6.1% ↑ 120%$46
🚌Getting Around
Imus
$14 2.2%
Almaty
$28 2% ↑ 98.4%$14
🛒Groceries & Markets
Imus
$419 32.7%
Almaty
$575 19.7% ↑ 37%$155
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Imus
$177 13.8%
Almaty
$131 4.5% ↓ 26%$46
🏠Accommodation & Living
Imus
$166 12.9%
Almaty
$904 31.1% ↑ 446%$739
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Imus
$176 13.7%
Almaty
$412 14.1% ↑ 133%$235
🍽Eating Out
Imus
$235 18.3%
Almaty
$640 22% ↑ 172%$405
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Imus
$81 6.3%
Almaty
$195 6.7% ↑ 140%$114
🚌Getting Around
Imus
$28 2.2%
Almaty
$56 1.9% ↑ 96.6%$27
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $122 in Imus 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 407% 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 Imus versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $250 – making Imus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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
Imus vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Almaty cheaper than Imus?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 112%, 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 $971 per month in Imus 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 Imus, 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 Imus or in Almaty?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Imus 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 Imus and in Almaty?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $647 in Imus and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 112%.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Imus or in Almaty?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Imus, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Imus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Imus or Almaty more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Imus – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Imus or Almaty?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Imus. 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.