Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Astana and Aktau

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $793 a month against $1,131 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index

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Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,131

/mo nomad

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Astana and in Aktau

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

A single person spends $1,131 per month in Astana vs $793 in Aktau, rent included.

Astana $1,131
Aktau $793

A couple spends around $1,809 per month in Astana vs $1,317 in Aktau, rent included.

Astana $1,809
Aktau $1,317

A family of three spends $2,486 per month in Astana vs $1,842 in Aktau, rent included.

Astana $2,486
Aktau $1,842

Astana costs about 43% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Astana and Aktau are more affordable than the global median – Astana 16% lower, Aktau 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 ₸4,953

$11.07 ₸5,005

-0.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.48 ₸17.4K

$43.55 ₸19.7K

-11.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 ₸3,443

$10.17 ₸4,596

-25.07%

Cappuccino

$2.64 ₸1,191

$2.49 ₸1,128

6.02%

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

$1.11 ₸500

$0.74 ₸333

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₸282

$0.48 ₸219

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₸586

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ₸988

$1.53 ₸690

43.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ₸578

$1.41 ₸638

-9.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ₸286

$0.47 ₸211

34.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 ₸741

$1.91 ₸864

-14.14%

Eggs

$2.23 ₸1,007

$1.73 ₸783

28.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 ₸5,383

$9.87 ₸4,463

20.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 ₸2,637

$4.24 ₸1,915

37.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.46 ₸4,730

$8.95 ₸4,044

16.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ₸823

$1.53 ₸689

18.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₸1,046

$2.24 ₸1,013

3.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ₸1,001

$2.35 ₸1,064

-5.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 ₸985

$2.80 ₸1,264

-22.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸297

$0.65 ₸295

1.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ₸208

$0.56 ₸254

-17.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 ₸694

$1.55 ₸700

-0.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸397

$0.94 ₸424

-6.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 ₸974

$2.59 ₸1,172

-16.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.24 ₸5,080

$9.54 ₸4,313

17.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸617

$0.72 ₸326

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₸1,100

$0.87 ₸393

179.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₸103

$0.18 ₸82.6

27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.87 ₸7,625

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ₸998

$1.13 ₸512

95.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₸509

$0.64 ₸290

76.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.53 ₸2,951

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 ₸285

$0.63 ₸283

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

$24.4K ₸11.1M

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

$30.7K ₸13.9M

$31.4K ₸14.2M

-2.39%

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

$68.5 ₸30.9K

$45.69 ₸20.7K

49.84%

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

$10.25 ₸4,633

$7.94 ₸3,587

29.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.92 ₸8,101

$11.01 ₸4,979

62.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 ₸25.5K

$35.98 ₸16.3K

56.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 ₸9,237

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 ₸2,947

$3.18 ₸1,437

105.03%

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

$369 ₸166.9K

$143 ₸64.8K

157.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

$2,621 ₸1.2M

356.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 ₸29.9K

$66.8 ₸30.2K

-0.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.16 ₸20.9K

$40.67 ₸18.4K

13.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₸53.5K

$71.7 ₸32.4K

65.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₸58.9K

$89.6 ₸40.5K

45.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 ₸261.5K

$330 ₸149.2K

75.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 ₸176.0K

$196 ₸88.6K

98.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 ₸518.1K

$551 ₸249.0K

108.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 ₸346.8K

$393 ₸177.8K

95.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,523 ₸688.6K

$813 ₸367.6K

87.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,124 ₸508.2K

$659 ₸297.7K

70.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 ₸400.7K

$564 ₸254.8K

57.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.5

10.71%

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

Last update for Astana: October 10, 2026

Last update for Aktau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Astana

$389 34.4%

Aktau

$196 24.7% 49.6% $193

Groceries & Markets

Astana

$227 20.1%

Aktau

$200 25.3% 11.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Astana

$162 14.4%

Aktau

$121 15.3% 25.5% $41

Eating Out

Astana

$160 14.1%

Aktau

$163 20.6% 2.2% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Astana

$97 8.5%

Aktau

$65 8.2% 33.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Astana

$70 6.2%

Aktau

$42 5.3% 39.1% $27

Getting Around

Astana

$26 2.3%

Aktau

$5.1 * 0.6% 80.2% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $578 in Astana versus $330 in Aktau. 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, 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 $38.00 in Astana versus $44.00 in Aktau. Groceries tell a different story – $227 in Astana vs $200 in Aktau – so Aktau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Astana

🇰🇿 Aktau

🕒 Local time

23:41 11:41 PM

22:41 10:41 PM

1 h behind Astana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

814,400 Capital

273,830

💱 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

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

From you

Astana
Aktau

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

Astana vs Aktau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Astana costs about 43% 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 $1,696 per month in Astana and $1,189 in Aktau. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Astana and $44.00 in Aktau. 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 it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aktau, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Astana at $1,131. In Aktau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Astana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aktau costs $793 versus $1,131 in Astana. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Aktau. 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.