Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Astana: $1,131 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $1,131 in Astana, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Astana $1,131

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,809 in Astana, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Astana $1,809

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $2,486 in Astana, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Astana $2,486

Almaty costs about 21% more than Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Astana is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$10.96 ₸4,953

20.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$38.48 ₸17.4K

16.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$7.62 ₸3,443

16.80%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.64 ₸1,191

23.11%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$1.11 ₸500

27.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.62 ₸282

41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$1.30 ₸586

157.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$2.19 ₸988

84.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.28 ₸578

32.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$0.63 ₸286

36.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.64 ₸741

23.78%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$2.23 ₸1,007

8.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$11.91 ₸5,383

4.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$5.83 ₸2,637

15.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$10.46 ₸4,730

3.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$1.82 ₸823

-1.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$2.31 ₸1,046

-2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.21 ₸1,001

31.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$2.18 ₸985

26.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$0.66 ₸297

13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$0.46 ₸208

19.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.54 ₸694

5.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.88 ₸397

19.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$2.15 ₸974

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$11.24 ₸5,080

-0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$1.36 ₸617

-11.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$2.43 ₸1,100

0.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.23 ₸103

13.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$16.87 ₸7,625

30.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$2.21 ₸998

-38.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$1.13 ₸509

-43.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$6.53 ₸2,951

70.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$0.63 ₸285

14.29%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$24.4K ₸11.1M

-7.88%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$30.7K ₸13.9M

-1.32%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$68.5 ₸30.9K

34.11%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$10.25 ₸4,633

4.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$17.92 ₸8,101

-0.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$56.5 ₸25.5K

24.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$20.43 ₸9,237

35.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$6.52 ₸2,947

3.99%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$369 ₸166.9K

21.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$12.0K ₸5.4M

1.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$66.2 ₸29.9K

35.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$46.16 ₸20.9K

1.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$118 ₸53.5K

19.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$130 ₸58.9K

1.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$578 ₸261.5K

39.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$389 ₸176.0K

28.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$1,146 ₸518.1K

24.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$767 ₸346.8K

17.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$1,523 ₸688.6K

64.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$1,124 ₸508.2K

38.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$886 ₸400.7K

-1.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

15.5

33.23%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Astana: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Astana

$389 34.4% 22.1% $110

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Astana

$227 20.1% 9.2% $23

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Astana

$160 14.1% 22% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Astana

$162 14.4% 12.3% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Astana

$97 8.5% 19.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Astana

$70 6.2% 17.1% $14

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Astana

$26 2.3% 7.2% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty 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 2% higher in Astana, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty versus $38.00 in Astana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $227 – making Astana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇰🇿 Astana

🕒 Local time

19:56 7:56 PM

Same time as Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

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

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Between locations

Almaty Astana 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
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

Almaty vs Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty 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 Astana, 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 $45.00 in Almaty and $38.00 in Astana. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $1,131 in Astana. That's a gap of about 21%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Astana, where all-in costs run around $1,131, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Astana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Astana – 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 Astana. 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.