Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $931 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
Learn more

Manila Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$931

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $931 per month in Manila vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Manila $931
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,519 per month in Manila vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Manila $1,519
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $2,106 per month in Manila vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Manila $2,106
Almaty $2,883

Manila is about 33% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Manila sits 31% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.61 ₱353

$13.31 ₸5,991

-57.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.39 ₱1,722

$43.37 ₸19.5K

-36.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ₱248

$8.80 ₸3,959

-55.11%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$3.30 ₸1,486

-22.42%

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

$1.42 ₱89.3

$1.37 ₸616

3.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₱51.1

$0.90 ₸406

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.4

$3.13 ₸1,409

-62.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₱148

$4.10 ₸1,847

-42.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.66 ₸749

16.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ₱88.2

$0.90 ₸403

55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.3

$2.06 ₸927

-50.49%

Eggs

$2.29 ₱144

$2.37 ₸1,067

-3.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 ₱494

$12.64 ₸5,689

-37.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 ₱307

$6.62 ₸2,978

-26.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱426

$10.87 ₸4,893

-37.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ₱213

$1.86 ₸839

81.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₱117

$2.37 ₸1,067

-21.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₱186

$2.99 ₸1,348

-1.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$2.83 ₸1,273

-36.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₱141

$0.77 ₸345

190.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱169

$0.58 ₸262

363.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 ₱138

$1.59 ₸718

38.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.35

$0.99 ₸446

-40.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 ₱197

$2.54 ₸1,145

23.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.42 ₱593

$11.04 ₸4,969

-14.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.21 ₸546

9.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$2.41 ₸1,085

-17.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.54

$0.25 ₸113

88.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.58 ₱791

$21.84 ₸9,831

-42.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.91

$1.28 ₸577

-39.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.47

$0.64 ₸289

-64.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$10.74 ₸4,836

-81.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$0.69 ₸312

92.75%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$22.3K ₸10.0M

-4.20%

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

$19.7K ₱1.2M

$29.3K ₸13.2M

-32.90%

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

$121 ₱7,635

$87.8 ₸39.5K

38.33%

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

$16.04 ₱1,009

$10.83 ₸4,874

48.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.25 ₱1,525

$17.40 ₸7,831

39.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.44 ₱2,732

$69.7 ₸31.4K

-37.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 ₱371

$26.58 ₸12.0K

-77.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 ₱417

$6.68 ₸3,009

-0.75%

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

$613 ₱38.5K

$446 ₸200.8K

37.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,953 ₱563.1K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-24.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 ₱3,657

$93.7 ₸42.2K

-37.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.18 ₱1,709

$46.91 ₸21.1K

-42.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 ₱4,875

$143 ₸64.3K

-45.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.0 ₱3,583

$133 ₸60.1K

-57.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 ₱33.6K

$773 ₸348.1K

-30.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ₱18.0K

$497 ₸223.9K

-42.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱120.5K

$1,390 ₸625.9K

37.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₱42.6K

$880 ₸396.0K

-23.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,439 ₱279.1K

$2,546 ₸1.1M

74.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,556 ₱160.8K

$1,506 ₸678.2K

69.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$485 ₱30.5K

$834 ₸375.2K

-41.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

20.65

-64.02%

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

Last update for Manila: October 4, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$287 30.2%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 73.3% $210

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$221 23.3%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 13.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$162 17%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 28.3% $46

Eating Out

Manila

$107 11.3%

Almaty

$205 15% 92.1% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$99 10.4%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 89.6% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 46.5% $26

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Almaty

$27 2% 66.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $534 in Manila 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 72% 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 $27.00 in Manila versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $251 – making Manila the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

11:42 11:42 AM

09:42 9:42 AM

2 h behind Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

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 = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 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 = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manila Almaty 5,250 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Manila
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

Manila vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,396 per month in Manila 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 Manila, 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 $27.00 in Manila 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 $931 in Manila and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 49%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Manila, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Manila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Manila – 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 Manila. 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.