Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Astana and Alga

For one person, living is cheaper in Alga: $847 a month against $1,133 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Alga
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Alga Living Index

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Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,133

/mo nomad

Alga

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$847

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Astana and in Alga

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 Alga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,133 in Astana versus $847 in Alga.

Astana $1,133
Alga $847

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,810 in Astana versus $1,363 in Alga.

Astana $1,810
Alga $1,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,486 in Astana versus $1,878 in Alga.

Astana $2,486
Alga $1,878

Living in Astana is roughly 34% more expensive than in Alga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Astana 17% lower, Alga 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 ₸5,039

$8.86 ₸4,035

24.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.01 ₸17.3K

$35.51 ₸16.2K

7.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 ₸3,596

$6.76 ₸3,081

16.72%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ₸1,205

$2.39 ₸1,088

10.88%

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

$1.08 ₸490

$1.19 ₸540

-9.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₸282

$0.51 ₸231

21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ₸611

$1.39 ₸632

-3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₸1,024

$1.98 ₸902

13.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₸573

$1.20 ₸549

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ₸275

$0.40 ₸181

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ₸708

$1.51 ₸689

2.65%

Eggs

$2.18 ₸992

$1.80 ₸821

21.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 ₸5,459

$10.16 ₸4,626

17.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 ₸2,638

$5.59 ₸2,545

3.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 ₸4,815

$8.22 ₸3,746

28.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ₸830

$1.69 ₸769

7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₸1,052

$2.19 ₸999

5.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ₸1,043

$2.44 ₸1,112

-6.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 ₸996

$2.27 ₸1,036

-3.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸299

$0.61 ₸280

8.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ₸210

$0.44 ₸201

4.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 ₸695

$1.21 ₸550

26.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸412

$0.96 ₸437

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₸1,079

$2.37 ₸1,078

Wine (Bottle)

$10.93 ₸4,978

$7.93 ₸3,614

37.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₸590

$1.24 ₸563

4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₸1,071

$1.97 ₸896

19.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸114

$0.22 ₸98.4

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.60 ₸7,560

$14.92 ₸6,797

11.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 ₸1,032

$1.12 ₸510

102.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₸515

$0.77 ₸349

46.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 ₸3,016

$5.76 ₸2,622

14.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸312

$0.56 ₸254

23.21%

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

$28.0K ₸12.8M

$26.6K ₸12.1M

5.60%

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

$31.7K ₸14.4M

$28.0K ₸12.8M

12.89%

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

$68.4 ₸31.2K

$61.1 ₸27.8K

11.91%

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

$10.08 ₸4,592

$9.94 ₸4,529

1.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.13 ₸8,258

$16.32 ₸7,434

11.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 ₸26.7K

$43.08 ₸19.6K

36.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.67 ₸9,414

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 ₸2,856

$5.30 ₸2,412

18.30%

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

$487 ₸221.9K

$126 ₸57.2K

288.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ₸5.3M

$4,779 ₸2.2M

144.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.6 ₸29.4K

$65.2 ₸29.7K

-0.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.35 ₸21.1K

$39.13 ₸17.8K

18.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₸54.5K

$87.5 ₸39.9K

36.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₸57.5K

$92.4 ₸42.1K

36.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$564 ₸256.9K

$299 ₸136.1K

88.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 ₸178.3K

$220 ₸100.0K

78.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 ₸524.1K

$599 ₸272.7K

92.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 ₸350.1K

$431 ₸196.1K

78.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,560 ₸710.5K

$1,081 ₸492.4K

44.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,120 ₸510.2K

$975 ₸444.2K

14.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$867 ₸394.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.83

19.25

-22.96%

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

Last update for Astana: October 24, 2026

Last update for Alga: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Astana

$391 34.5%

Alga

$220 25.9% 43.9% $172

Groceries & Markets

Astana

$226 20%

Alga

$200 23.6% 11.5% $26

Eating Out

Astana

$162 14.3%

Alga

$138 16.2% 15.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Astana

$161 14.2%

Alga

$128 15.1% 20.3% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Astana

$97 8.5%

Alga

$87 10.3% 9.6% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Astana

$71 6.3%

Alga

$54 6.3% 24.6% $18

Getting Around

Astana

$26 2.3%

Alga

$21 2.5% 18.7% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $564 in Astana and $299 in Alga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Astana vs $36 in Alga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $200 per month, with Alga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Astana

🇰🇿 Alga

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

Same time as Astana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

Astana Alga 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Astana
Alga

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 Alga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alga wins on cost – living expenses run 25% 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 $1,700 in Astana and $1,270 in Alga 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: $564 in Astana versus $299 in Alga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,133 per month in Astana versus $847 in Alga – Alga is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Alga runs roughly 10% less than in Astana. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Alga is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Alga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Astana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.