Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alga and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Alga: $871 a month against $1,131 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Alga
Learn more

Alga Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
Learn more

Astana Living Index

Jump to prices

Alga

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$871

/mo nomad

Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $871 in Alga versus $1,131 in Astana.

Alga $871
Astana $1,131

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,401 in Alga versus $1,809 in Astana.

Alga $1,401
Astana $1,809

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Alga versus $2,486 in Astana.

Alga $1,930
Astana $2,486

Living in Alga costs roughly 23% less than in Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alga 35% lower, Astana 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.07 ₸4,552

$10.96 ₸4,953

-8.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.09 ₸16.3K

$38.48 ₸17.4K

-6.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 ₸3,860

$7.62 ₸3,443

12.07%

Cappuccino

$2.00 ₸906

$2.64 ₸1,191

-24.24%

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

$0.95 ₸427

$1.11 ₸500

-14.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₸249

$0.62 ₸282

-11.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ₸594

$1.30 ₸586

0.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₸1,017

$2.19 ₸988

2.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ₸654

$1.28 ₸578

13.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸185

$0.63 ₸286

-34.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ₸713

$1.64 ₸741

-3.66%

Eggs

$1.89 ₸854

$2.23 ₸1,007

-15.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.14 ₸4,132

$11.91 ₸5,383

-23.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 ₸2,625

$5.83 ₸2,637

-0.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.27 ₸3,738

$10.46 ₸4,730

-20.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 ₸726

$1.82 ₸823

-11.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 ₸973

$2.31 ₸1,046

-6.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ₸1,079

$2.21 ₸1,001

8.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 ₸1,003

$2.18 ₸985

1.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ₸276

$0.66 ₸297

-7.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₸244

$0.46 ₸208

17.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ₸555

$1.54 ₸694

-20.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₸439

$0.88 ₸397

10.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 ₸1,126

$2.15 ₸974

15.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 ₸3,555

$11.24 ₸5,080

-29.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₸540

$1.36 ₸617

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₸894

$2.43 ₸1,100

-18.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 ₸87.9

$0.23 ₸103

-17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.78 ₸6,681

$16.87 ₸7,625

-12.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₸468

$2.21 ₸998

-53.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₸344

$1.13 ₸509

-32.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 ₸3,058

$6.53 ₸2,951

3.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸327

$0.63 ₸285

14.29%

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

$24.4K ₸11.0M

$24.4K ₸11.1M

-0.15%

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

$34.5K ₸15.6M

$30.7K ₸13.9M

12.40%

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

$72.2 ₸32.6K

$68.5 ₸30.9K

5.39%

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

$9.64 ₸4,359

$10.25 ₸4,633

-5.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.95 ₸8,116

$17.92 ₸8,101

0.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.61 ₸18.4K

$56.5 ₸25.5K

-28.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 ₸9,237

Cinema Ticket

$4.50 ₸2,032

$6.52 ₸2,947

-30.98%

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

$154 ₸69.7K

$369 ₸166.9K

-58.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,813 ₸2.2M

$12.0K ₸5.4M

-59.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 ₸27.3K

$66.2 ₸29.9K

-8.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.94 ₸20.3K

$46.16 ₸20.9K

-2.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 ₸40.1K

$118 ₸53.5K

-25.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₸42.3K

$130 ₸58.9K

-28.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 ₸176.2K

$578 ₸261.5K

-32.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 ₸101.3K

$389 ₸176.0K

-42.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 ₸289.6K

$1,146 ₸518.1K

-44.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₸203.9K

$767 ₸346.8K

-41.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$918 ₸415.0K

$1,523 ₸688.6K

-39.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$903 ₸408.1K

$1,124 ₸508.2K

-19.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 ₸400.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.25

15.5

24.19%

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

Last update for Alga: 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

Alga

$224 25.7%

Astana

$389 34.4% 73.7% $165

Groceries & Markets

Alga

$200 23%

Astana

$227 20.1% 13.4% $27

Eating Out

Alga

$147 16.9%

Astana

$160 14.1% 8.6% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Alga

$129 14.9%

Astana

$162 14.4% 25.6% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alga

$100 11.5%

Astana

$97 8.5% 3.1% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Alga

$50 5.7%

Astana

$70 6.2% 40.2% $20

Getting Around

Alga

$20 2.3%

Astana

$26 2.3% 25.6% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $390 in Alga and $578 in Astana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Alga vs $38.00 in Astana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $227 per month, with Alga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Alga

🇰🇿 Astana

🕒 Local time

13:39 1:39 PM

Same time as Alga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alga Astana 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Alga
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

Alga vs Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alga wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Astana. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,307 in Alga and $1,696 in Astana to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $390 in Alga versus $578 in Astana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $871 per month in Alga versus $1,131 in Astana – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alga runs roughly 14% less than in Astana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $871 in Alga versus $1,131 in Astana, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alga but tight or insufficient in Astana. The gap between the two cities makes Alga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alga delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $871 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alga hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Alga and Astana are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Alga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Astana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.