Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mambajao and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Mambajao: $508 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Mambajao
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Mambajao Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Mambajao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$508

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $508 per month in Mambajao vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Mambajao $508
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $817 per month in Mambajao vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Mambajao $817
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,126 per month in Mambajao vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Mambajao $1,126
Almaty $2,913

Mambajao is about 63% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mambajao sits 62% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.36 ₱85.9

$13.16 ₸5,949

-89.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.83 ₱997

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-64.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.40 ₱214

$8.90 ₸4,022

-61.80%

Cappuccino

$2.28 ₱144

$3.25 ₸1,469

-29.85%

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

$0.38 ₱24.02

$1.41 ₸639

-73.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₱16.81

$0.88 ₸399

-69.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₱64.6

$3.35 ₸1,513

-69.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 ₱70.6

$4.04 ₸1,827

-72.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 ₱56.8

$1.69 ₸762

-46.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ₱39.56

$0.86 ₸390

-26.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₱41.56

$2.03 ₸917

-67.49%

Eggs

$1.26 ₱79.5

$2.43 ₸1,100

-48.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 ₱372

$12.46 ₸5,632

-52.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 ₱270

$6.71 ₸3,033

-36.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.50 ₱346

$10.85 ₸4,905

-49.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ₱160

$1.80 ₸813

41.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₱103

$2.25 ₸1,018

-27.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ₱141

$2.91 ₸1,314

-23.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.3

$2.75 ₸1,243

-58.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ₱81.3

$0.75 ₸337

72.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₱130

$0.55 ₸248

274.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₱56.8

$1.62 ₸732

-44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₱34.37

$1.05 ₸474

-47.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 ₱158

$2.58 ₸1,167

-2.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 ₱467

$11.15 ₸5,042

-33.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₱62.0

$1.21 ₸547

-18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱70.9

$2.44 ₸1,104

-53.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.47

$0.26 ₸117

-23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.71 ₱675

$22.03 ₸9,957

-51.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₱43.54

$1.35 ₸611

-48.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱12.97

$0.64 ₸288

-67.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 ₱107

$11.16 ₸5,044

-84.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.3

$0.72 ₸324

77.78%

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

$21.9K ₱1.4M

$22.5K ₸10.2M

-2.54%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-28.12%

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

$64.9 ₱4,083

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-29.36%

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

$16.36 ₱1,030

$10.66 ₸4,820

53.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.10 ₱1,266

$17.86 ₸8,072

12.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.72 ₱1,745

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-60.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.68 ₱295

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-83.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 ₱312

$6.78 ₸3,064

-26.99%

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

$127 ₱7,995

$449 ₸202.9K

-71.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,993 ₱566.2K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

-25.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.83 ₱1,941

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-65.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.01 ₱1,386

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-53.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ₱4,553

$142 ₸64.1K

-49.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.1 ₱3,975

$133 ₸60.0K

-52.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 ₱6,360

$805 ₸363.7K

-87.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.3 ₱3,542

$500 ₸225.9K

-88.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 ₱14.9K

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-83.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 ₱9,973

$904 ₸408.8K

-82.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,172 ₱136.7K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

-13.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$990 ₱62.3K

$1,559 ₸704.7K

-36.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$153 ₱9,616

$870 ₸393.3K

-82.44%

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 Mambajao: 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

Mambajao

$156 30.7%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 60.6% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mambajao

$101 20%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 18.8% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Mambajao

$85 16.7%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 119% $100

Eating Out

Mambajao

$59 11.5%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 250% $146

Accommodation & Living

Mambajao

$56 11.1%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 788% $443

Sport & Entertainment

Mambajao

$38 7.4%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 123% $46

Getting Around

Mambajao

$13 2.6%

Almaty

$28 2% 109% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $101 in Mambajao 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 470% 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 $16.00 in Mambajao versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $250 – making Mambajao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mambajao

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

00:48 12:48 AM

2 h behind Mambajao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,094

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 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 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).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mambajao Almaty 5,960 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Mambajao
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

Mambajao vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 170%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $761 per month in Mambajao and $2,058 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mambajao, 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 $16.00 in Mambajao and $45.00 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 $508 in Mambajao and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 170%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mambajao, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Mambajao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mambajao – 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 Mambajao. 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.