Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandaluyong and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandaluyong: $841 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Mandaluyong
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Mandaluyong Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Mandaluyong

🇵🇭 Philippines

$841

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $841 per month in Mandaluyong vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Mandaluyong $841
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,389 per month in Mandaluyong vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Mandaluyong $1,389
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,936 per month in Mandaluyong vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Mandaluyong $1,936
Almaty $2,913

Mandaluyong is about 39% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mandaluyong sits 38% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱297

$13.16 ₸5,949

-64.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.62 ₱1,046

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-62.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.53 ₱223

$8.90 ₸4,022

-60.34%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ₱137

$3.25 ₸1,469

-32.92%

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

$0.99 ₱62.1

$1.41 ₸639

-29.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.84

$0.88 ₸399

-44.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱76.7

$3.35 ₸1,513

-63.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱152

$4.04 ₸1,827

-40.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₱105

$1.69 ₸762

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ₱81.6

$0.86 ₸390

51.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.8

$2.03 ₸917

-49.26%

Eggs

$2.21 ₱139

$2.43 ₸1,100

-9.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.18 ₱326

$12.46 ₸5,632

-58.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 ₱305

$6.71 ₸3,033

-27.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 ₱429

$10.85 ₸4,905

-37.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ₱213

$1.80 ₸813

87.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₱119

$2.25 ₸1,018

-16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 ₱194

$2.91 ₸1,314

6.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 ₱116

$2.75 ₸1,243

-32.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 ₱139

$0.75 ₸337

194.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 ₱166

$0.55 ₸248

378.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₱39.08

$1.62 ₸732

-61.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.84

$1.05 ₸474

-53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱185

$2.58 ₸1,167

13.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 ₱564

$11.15 ₸5,042

-19.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.0

$1.21 ₸547

-21.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₱130

$2.44 ₸1,104

-15.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₱23.73

$0.26 ₸117

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.59

$1.35 ₸611

-46.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.47

$0.64 ₸288

-64.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 ₱122

$11.16 ₸5,044

-82.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱76.5

$0.72 ₸324

69.44%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$22.5K ₸10.2M

-6.52%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-36.20%

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

$138 ₱8,711

$91.8 ₸41.5K

50.70%

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

$17.70 ₱1,114

$10.66 ₸4,820

66.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.54 ₱1,545

$17.86 ₸8,072

37.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 ₱1,989

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-55.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.11 ₱385

$6.78 ₸3,064

-9.88%

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

$131 ₱8,261

$449 ₸202.9K

-70.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ₱553.4K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

-27.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.06 ₱1,830

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-67.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.11 ₱1,707

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-42.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ₱4,481

$142 ₸64.1K

-49.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,454

$133 ₸60.0K

-58.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 ₱39.1K

$805 ₸363.7K

-22.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ₱15.1K

$500 ₸225.9K

-51.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 ₱74.1K

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-17.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₱45.6K

$904 ₸408.8K

-19.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,810 ₱176.9K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

12.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$533 ₱33.6K

$870 ₸393.3K

-38.71%

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 Mandaluyong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mandaluyong

$241 28.6%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 108% $259

Groceries & Markets

Mandaluyong

$200 23.7%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 25.3% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandaluyong

$181 21.5%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 33.4% $60

Eating Out

Mandaluyong

$91 10.9%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 125% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Mandaluyong

$82 9.7%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 126% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Mandaluyong

$44 5.2%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 91.5% $40

Getting Around

Mandaluyong

$3.4 * 0.4%

Almaty

$28 2% 717% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $622 in Mandaluyong 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 63% 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 Mandaluyong versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $250 – making Mandaluyong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mandaluyong

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

04:12 4:12 AM

2 h behind Mandaluyong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

425,758

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 17, 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 17, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mandaluyong Almaty 5,250 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Mandaluyong
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

Mandaluyong vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,262 per month in Mandaluyong 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 Mandaluyong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $841 in Mandaluyong and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 63%.

Kindergarten costs $131 per month in Mandaluyong and $449 in Almaty. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mandaluyong, where all-in costs run around $841, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Mandaluyong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mandaluyong – 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 Mandaluyong. 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.