Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaybalay and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Malaybalay: $756 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Malaybalay
🇵🇭 Philippines
$756
/mo nomad
Almaty
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,372
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $756 per month in Malaybalay vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Malaybalay $756
  • Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,182 per month in Malaybalay vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Malaybalay $1,182
  • Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,607 per month in Malaybalay vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

  • Malaybalay $1,607
  • Almaty $2,913

Malaybalay is about 45% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Malaybalay sits 44% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Malaybalay
Almaty
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.89 ₱308
$13.16 ₸5,949
-62.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.45 ₱1,035
$44.86 ₸20.3K
-63.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.51 ₱221
$8.90 ₸4,022
-60.56%
Cappuccino
$2.18 ₱137
$3.25 ₸1,469
-32.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ₱31.14
$1.41 ₸639
-65.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ₱20.93
$0.88 ₸399
-62.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.13 ₱71.2
$3.35 ₸1,513
-66.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 ₱121
$4.04 ₸1,827
-52.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malaybalay
Almaty
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ₱127
$1.69 ₸762
19.53%
White Bread (500g)
$1.13 ₱71.2
$0.86 ₸390
31.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.88 ₱55.2
$2.03 ₸917
-56.65%
Eggs
$1.87 ₱118
$2.43 ₸1,100
-23.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.41 ₱404
$12.46 ₸5,632
-48.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.87 ₱307
$6.71 ₸3,033
-27.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.06 ₱570
$10.85 ₸4,905
-16.50%
Apples (1kg)
$2.77 ₱175
$1.80 ₸813
53.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 ₱67.2
$2.25 ₸1,018
-52.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.39 ₱150
$2.91 ₸1,314
-17.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.14 ₱71.8
$2.75 ₸1,243
-58.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 ₱123
$0.75 ₸337
161.33%
Onion (1kg)
$3.39 ₱213
$0.55 ₸248
516.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 ₱75.3
$1.62 ₸732
-25.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 ₱41.82
$1.05 ₸474
-37.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.47 ₱156
$2.58 ₸1,167
-4.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.77 ₱489
$11.15 ₸5,042
-30.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 ₱80.1
$1.21 ₸547
4.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 ₱102
$2.44 ₸1,104
-33.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Malaybalay
Almaty
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 ₱13.60
$0.26 ₸117
-15.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.70 ₱674
$22.03 ₸9,957
-51.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.84 ₱52.9
$1.35 ₸611
-37.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.40
$0.64 ₸288
-64.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.90 ₱119
$11.16 ₸5,044
-82.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 ₱80.2
$0.72 ₸324
76.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₱1.4M
$22.5K ₸10.2M
-4.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.0K ₱1.2M
$30.3K ₸13.7M
-37.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malaybalay
Almaty
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$109 ₱6,856
$91.8 ₸41.5K
18.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.33 ₱1,217
$10.66 ₸4,820
81.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.17 ₱1,962
$17.86 ₸8,072
74.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malaybalay
Almaty
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.01 ₱1,890
$70.3 ₸31.8K
-57.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.18 ₱263
$27.60 ₸12.5K
-84.86%
Cinema Ticket
$4.86 ₱306
$6.78 ₸3,064
-28.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malaybalay
Almaty
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$106 ₱6,689
$449 ₸202.9K
-76.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,589 ₱477.8K
$12.1K ₸5.5M
-37.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malaybalay
Almaty
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.02 ₱2,079
$89.9 ₸40.7K
-63.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.31 ₱1,216
$47.02 ₸21.3K
-58.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.7 ₱4,451
$142 ₸64.1K
-50.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.7 ₱3,821
$133 ₸60.0K
-54.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malaybalay
Almaty
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$279 ₱17.5K
$805 ₸363.7K
-65.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$173 ₱10.9K
$500 ₸225.9K
-65.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$441 ₱27.8K
$1,429 ₸645.9K
-69.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$403 ₱25.4K
$904 ₸408.8K
-55.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,200 ₱138.5K
$2,503 ₸1.1M
-12.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,006 ₱63.4K
$1,559 ₸704.7K
-35.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malaybalay
Almaty
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$870 ₸393.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.31
20.65
-59.76%

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

Last update for Malaybalay: October 11, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Malaybalay
$199
Almaty
$250 25.6% $51
Accommodation & Living
Malaybalay
$173
Almaty
$500 190% $327
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malaybalay
$159
Almaty
$120 24.5% $39
Eating Out
Malaybalay
$89
Almaty
$205 131% $116
Clothing & Footwear
Malaybalay
$83
Almaty
$185 124% $103
Sport & Entertainment
Malaybalay
$40
Almaty
$84 111% $44
Getting Around
Malaybalay
$14
Almaty
$28 104% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $279 in Malaybalay 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Malaybalay versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $250 – making Malaybalay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Malaybalay
🇰🇿 Almaty
🕒 Local time
02:44 2:44 AM
00:44 12:44 AM
2 h behind Malaybalay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
190,712
1,475,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 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
  • Malaybalay Almaty 6,080 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Malaybalay
  • 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
Malaybalay vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Almaty cheaper than Malaybalay?
Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 81%, 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 $1,134 per month in Malaybalay 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 Malaybalay, 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 Malaybalay or in Almaty?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Malaybalay 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 Malaybalay and in Almaty?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $756 in Malaybalay and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 81%.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Malaybalay or in Almaty?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Malaybalay, where all-in costs run around $756, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Malaybalay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Malaybalay or Almaty more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Malaybalay – 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 Malaybalay. 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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