Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktobe and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktobe: $881 a month against $1,131 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Aktobe
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Aktobe Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index

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Aktobe

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$881

/mo nomad

Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $881 per month in Aktobe vs $1,131 in Astana, rent included.

Aktobe $881
Astana $1,131

A couple spends around $1,386 per month in Aktobe vs $1,809 in Astana, rent included.

Aktobe $1,386
Astana $1,809

A family of three spends $1,891 per month in Aktobe vs $2,486 in Astana, rent included.

Aktobe $1,891
Astana $2,486

Aktobe is about 22% cheaper than Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Aktobe and Astana are more affordable than the global median – Aktobe 35% lower, Astana 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.74 ₸3,951

$10.96 ₸4,953

-20.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.63 ₸18.4K

$38.48 ₸17.4K

5.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 ₸3,170

$7.62 ₸3,443

-8.01%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₸1,115

$2.64 ₸1,191

-6.44%

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

$1.26 ₸567

$1.11 ₸500

13.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₸275

$0.62 ₸282

-1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 ₸831

$1.30 ₸586

41.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ₸1,335

$2.19 ₸988

34.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ₸641

$1.28 ₸578

10.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.63 ₸286

-34.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₸421

$1.64 ₸741

-43.29%

Eggs

$1.77 ₸799

$2.23 ₸1,007

-20.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 ₸3,535

$11.91 ₸5,383

-34.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.68 ₸2,569

$5.83 ₸2,637

-2.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.10 ₸4,115

$10.46 ₸4,730

-13.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 ₸733

$1.82 ₸823

-10.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ₸964

$2.31 ₸1,046

-7.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₸1,058

$2.21 ₸1,001

5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 ₸878

$2.18 ₸985

-11.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₸378

$0.66 ₸297

27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸181

$0.46 ₸208

-13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₸494

$1.54 ₸694

-29.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₸312

$0.88 ₸397

-21.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 ₸1,142

$2.15 ₸974

17.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 ₸2,689

$11.24 ₸5,080

-47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 ₸489

$1.36 ₸617

-20.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₸818

$2.43 ₸1,100

-25.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₸90.8

$0.23 ₸103

-13.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.62 ₸7,966

$16.87 ₸7,625

4.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₸487

$2.21 ₸998

-51.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₸511

$1.13 ₸509

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 ₸2,499

$6.53 ₸2,951

-15.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 ₸294

$0.63 ₸285

3.17%

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

$23.1K ₸10.4M

$24.4K ₸11.1M

-5.52%

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

$30.6K ₸13.8M

$30.7K ₸13.9M

-0.16%

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

$55.8 ₸25.2K

$68.5 ₸30.9K

-18.57%

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

$10.35 ₸4,680

$10.25 ₸4,633

0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.93 ₸9,463

$17.92 ₸8,101

16.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.08 ₸21.7K

$56.5 ₸25.5K

-14.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.14 ₸5,490

$20.43 ₸9,237

-40.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 ₸2,458

$6.52 ₸2,947

-16.56%

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

$220 ₸99.6K

$369 ₸166.9K

-40.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,286 ₸1.5M

$12.0K ₸5.4M

-72.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ₸24.6K

$66.2 ₸29.9K

-17.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₸25.2K

$46.16 ₸20.9K

20.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₸53.3K

$118 ₸53.5K

-0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ₸45.3K

$130 ₸58.9K

-23.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 ₸138.8K

$578 ₸261.5K

-46.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 ₸105.5K

$389 ₸176.0K

-40.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$453 ₸204.8K

$1,146 ₸518.1K

-60.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₸162.3K

$767 ₸346.8K

-53.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$846 ₸382.4K

$1,523 ₸688.6K

-44.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$546 ₸247.0K

$1,124 ₸508.2K

-51.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 ₸247.8K

$886 ₸400.7K

-38.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.5

9.68%

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

Last update for Aktobe: October 12, 2026

Last update for Astana: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aktobe

$234 26.5%

Astana

$389 34.4% 66.7% $156

Groceries & Markets

Aktobe

$185 21%

Astana

$227 20.1% 22.8% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Aktobe

$148 16.8%

Astana

$162 14.4% 9.9% $15

Eating Out

Aktobe

$143 16.3%

Astana

$160 14.1% 11.7% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktobe

$87 9.9%

Astana

$97 8.5% 11% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Aktobe

$59 6.7%

Astana

$70 6.2% 17.9% $11

Getting Around

Aktobe

$25 2.9%

Astana

$26 2.3% 1.9% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $307 in Aktobe versus $578 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 62% higher in Astana, 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 $41.00 in Aktobe versus $38.00 in Astana. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Aktobe vs $227 in Astana – so Aktobe wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktobe

🇰🇿 Astana

🕒 Local time

13:09 1:09 PM

14:09 2:09 PM

1 h ahead of Aktobe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

570,452

814,400 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Aktobe Astana 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Aktobe
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

Aktobe vs Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Astana is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,321 per month in Aktobe and $1,696 in Astana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktobe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Astana, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Aktobe and $38.00 in Astana. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aktobe, where all-in costs run around $881, than in Astana at $1,131. In Aktobe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Astana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aktobe – 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 Aktobe. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Astana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.