Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktau and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $790 a month against $1,133 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index

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Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$790

/mo nomad

Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aktau and in Astana

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aktau and in Astana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $790 per month in Aktau vs $1,133 in Astana, rent included.

Aktau $790
Astana $1,133

A couple spends around $1,315 per month in Aktau vs $1,810 in Astana, rent included.

Aktau $1,315
Astana $1,810

A family of three spends $1,840 per month in Aktau vs $2,486 in Astana, rent included.

Aktau $1,840
Astana $2,486

Aktau is about 30% cheaper than Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Aktau and Astana are more affordable than the global median – Aktau 42% lower, Astana 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.03 ₸5,023

$11.06 ₸5,039

-0.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.54 ₸19.8K

$38.01 ₸17.3K

14.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 ₸4,511

$7.89 ₸3,596

25.48%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₸1,182

$2.65 ₸1,205

-2.26%

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

$0.79 ₸358

$1.08 ₸490

-26.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₸223

$0.62 ₸282

-20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₸623

$1.34 ₸611

2.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₸723

$2.25 ₸1,024

-29.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ₸672

$1.26 ₸573

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₸229

$0.60 ₸275

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 ₸864

$1.55 ₸708

22.58%

Eggs

$1.69 ₸771

$2.18 ₸992

-22.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 ₸4,562

$11.98 ₸5,459

-16.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 ₸1,893

$5.79 ₸2,638

-28.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 ₸3,909

$10.57 ₸4,815

-18.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ₸696

$1.82 ₸830

-15.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 ₸1,059

$2.31 ₸1,052

0.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₸1,068

$2.29 ₸1,043

2.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 ₸1,268

$2.19 ₸996

26.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸303

$0.66 ₸299

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 ₸261

$0.46 ₸210

23.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ₸676

$1.53 ₸695

-3.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₸414

$0.90 ₸412

1.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 ₸1,181

$2.37 ₸1,079

9.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 ₸4,267

$10.93 ₸4,978

-14.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₸356

$1.30 ₸590

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₸418

$2.35 ₸1,071

-60.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ₸70.7

$0.25 ₸114

-36.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.60 ₸7,560

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 ₸498

$2.27 ₸1,032

-51.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸292

$1.13 ₸515

-43.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 ₸3,016

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸302

$0.69 ₸312

-4.35%

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

$28.0K ₸12.8M

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

$31.4K ₸14.3M

$31.7K ₸14.4M

-0.76%

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

$45.62 ₸20.8K

$68.4 ₸31.2K

-33.30%

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

$8.07 ₸3,678

$10.08 ₸4,592

-19.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ₸4,872

$18.13 ₸8,258

-40.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.05 ₸16.4K

$58.7 ₸26.7K

-38.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.67 ₸9,414

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 ₸1,379

$6.27 ₸2,856

-51.67%

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

$146 ₸66.5K

$487 ₸221.9K

-70.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,678 ₸1.2M

$11.7K ₸5.3M

-77.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 ₸30.7K

$64.6 ₸29.4K

4.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 ₸18.1K

$46.35 ₸21.1K

-14.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ₸32.6K

$120 ₸54.5K

-40.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 ₸40.6K

$126 ₸57.5K

-29.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 ₸149.6K

$564 ₸256.9K

-41.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 ₸88.1K

$391 ₸178.3K

-50.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 ₸247.7K

$1,151 ₸524.1K

-52.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₸179.0K

$769 ₸350.1K

-48.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$806 ₸367.3K

$1,560 ₸710.5K

-48.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$657 ₸299.1K

$1,120 ₸510.2K

-41.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$553 ₸251.9K

$867 ₸394.7K

-36.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.83

-5.60%

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

Last update for Aktau: October 25, 2026

Last update for Astana: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Aktau

$200 25.3%

Astana

$226 20% 13% $26

Accommodation & Living

Aktau

$193 24.5%

Astana

$391 34.5% 102% $198

Eating Out

Aktau

$164 20.8%

Astana

$162 14.3% 1.4% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Aktau

$121 15.3%

Astana

$161 14.2% 33.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktau

$64 8.2%

Astana

$97 8.5% 50.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Aktau

$42 5.3%

Astana

$71 6.3% 69.1% $29

Getting Around

Aktau

$4.9 * 0.6%

Astana

$26 2.3% 419% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $328 in Aktau versus $564 in Astana. 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 57% higher in Astana. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Aktau versus $38 in Astana. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Aktau vs $226 in Astana – so Aktau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktau

🇰🇿 Astana

🕒 Local time

12:11 12:11 PM

Same time as Aktau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,830

814,400 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Aktau Astana 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Aktau
Astana

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

Aktau vs Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Astana costs about 44% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,185 per month in Aktau and $1,700 in Astana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $328 there versus $564 in Astana.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Aktau and $38 in Astana. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Astana, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Aktau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Aktau. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Astana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.