Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Makati: $1,257 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,257

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,257 per month in Makati vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Makati $1,257
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $2,052 per month in Makati vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Makati $2,052
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $2,847 per month in Makati vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Makati $2,847
Almaty $2,883

Makati is about 9% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Makati sits 6% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.56 ₱411

$13.31 ₸6,034

-50.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.13 ₱2,517

$43.37 ₸19.7K

-7.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 ₱298

$8.80 ₸3,988

-46.02%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ₱166

$3.30 ₸1,497

-19.70%

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

$1.08 ₱67.6

$1.37 ₸620

-21.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.47

$0.90 ₸409

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ₱153

$3.13 ₸1,419

-22.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₱195

$4.10 ₸1,860

-24.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ₱115

$1.66 ₸754

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ₱77.7

$0.90 ₸406

37.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.06 ₸933

-50.97%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱148

$2.37 ₸1,074

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 ₱461

$12.64 ₸5,730

-41.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱308

$6.62 ₸3,000

-25.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.81 ₱427

$10.87 ₸4,928

-37.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 ₱257

$1.86 ₸845

119.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ₱125

$2.37 ₸1,075

-15.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 ₱205

$2.99 ₸1,358

9.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$2.83 ₸1,282

-19.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 ₱225

$0.77 ₸347

366.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 ₱216

$0.58 ₸264

494.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.0

$1.59 ₸723

-32.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.99 ₸449

12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.66 ₱167

$2.54 ₸1,153

4.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 ₱502

$11.04 ₸5,005

-27.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₱84.5

$1.21 ₸550

11.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$2.41 ₸1,093

-17.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 ₱61.9

$0.25 ₸113

296.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 ₱3,599

$21.84 ₸9,901

162.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₱41.39

$1.28 ₸581

-48.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.46

$0.64 ₸291

-64.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱118

$10.74 ₸4,870

-82.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱79.0

$0.69 ₸314

82.61%

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

$21.5K ₱1.3M

$22.3K ₸10.1M

-3.60%

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

$19.8K ₱1.2M

$29.3K ₸13.3M

-32.49%

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

$155 ₱9,726

$87.8 ₸39.8K

76.70%

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

$15.90 ₱997

$10.83 ₸4,909

46.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.67 ₱2,049

$17.40 ₸7,887

87.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 ₱3,473

$69.7 ₸31.6K

-20.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.51 ₱910

$26.58 ₸12.1K

-45.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 ₱438

$6.68 ₸3,031

4.49%

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

$783 ₱49.1K

$446 ₸202.2K

75.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,340 ₱460.4K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-38.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ₱3,738

$93.7 ₸42.5K

-36.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.48 ₱2,351

$46.91 ₸21.3K

-20.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 ₱5,171

$143 ₸64.7K

-42.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₱6,383

$133 ₸60.5K

-23.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 ₱51.9K

$773 ₸350.6K

7.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 ₱26.1K

$497 ₸225.5K

-16.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,318 ₱145.4K

$1,390 ₸630.4K

66.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 ₱66.9K

$880 ₸398.9K

21.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,082 ₱381.5K

$2,546 ₸1.2M

138.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,765 ₱236.1K

$1,506 ₸683.0K

149.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$616 ₱38.6K

$834 ₸377.9K

-26.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

20.65

-63.68%

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

Last update for Makati: October 6, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$416 33.8%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 19.5% $81

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$230 18.7%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 9.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$204 16.5%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 43% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.3%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 48.1% $61

Eating Out

Makati

$123 10%

Almaty

$205 15% 66.7% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 19.8% $14

Getting Around

Makati

$63 5.1%

Almaty

$27 2% 56.7% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $828 in Makati 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 35% 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 $40.00 in Makati versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $251 – making Makati the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

18:11 6:11 PM

16:11 4:11 PM

2 h behind Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

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 = 70.28 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 = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Makati Almaty 5,250 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Makati
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

Makati vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,885 per month in Makati 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 Makati, 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 $40.00 in Makati 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 $1,257 in Makati and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 10%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Makati, where all-in costs run around $1,257, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Makati it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Makati – 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 Makati. 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.