Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Astana and Kostanay

For one person, living is cheaper in Kostanay: $962 a month against $1,124 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Kostanay
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Kostanay Living Index

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Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,124

/mo nomad

Kostanay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Astana and in Kostanay

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

A single person spends $1,124 per month in Astana vs $962 in Kostanay, rent included.

Astana $1,124
Kostanay $962

A couple spends around $1,806 per month in Astana vs $1,452 in Kostanay, rent included.

Astana $1,806
Kostanay $1,452

A family of three spends $2,489 per month in Astana vs $1,943 in Kostanay, rent included.

Astana $2,489
Kostanay $1,943

Astana costs about 17% more than Kostanay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Astana and Kostanay are more affordable than the global median – Astana 17% lower, Kostanay 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.19 ₸5,058

$5.60 ₸2,532

99.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.88 ₸17.1K

$28.73 ₸13.0K

31.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ₸3,562

$7.05 ₸3,186

11.77%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₸1,185

$2.18 ₸988

20.18%

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

$1.10 ₸498

$1.12 ₸506

-1.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₸286

$0.86 ₸389

-26.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ₸613

$1.45 ₸656

-6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₸985

$2.61 ₸1,181

-16.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₸567

$1.22 ₸550

2.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ₸269

$0.52 ₸235

15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₸731

$1.05 ₸474

54.29%

Eggs

$2.15 ₸972

$2.27 ₸1,026

-5.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 ₸5,401

$10.21 ₸4,614

17.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 ₸2,625

$5.72 ₸2,585

1.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ₸4,815

$8.33 ₸3,767

27.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$1.61 ₸730

11.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 ₸1,065

$2.37 ₸1,071

-0.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ₸1,000

$1.84 ₸831

20.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 ₸986

$2.32 ₸1,047

-6.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₸302

$0.58 ₸264

15.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₸206

$0.68 ₸308

-33.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ₸677

$1.21 ₸548

23.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₸402

$0.88 ₸399

1.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 ₸1,062

$2.51 ₸1,135

-6.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 ₸5,068

$8.47 ₸3,827

32.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₸589

$1.10 ₸495

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₸1,063

$2.37 ₸1,071

-0.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$0.31 ₸142

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.52 ₸7,466

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 ₸1,008

$0.95 ₸430

134.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ₸490

$1.14 ₸516

-5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 ₸3,056

$6.09 ₸2,755

11.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸312

$0.58 ₸263

18.97%

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

$28.3K ₸12.8M

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-6.43%

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

$31.5K ₸14.2M

$30.5K ₸13.8M

3.21%

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

$67.1 ₸30.3K

$76.8 ₸34.7K

-12.64%

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

$9.97 ₸4,508

$10.97 ₸4,961

-9.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.61 ₸7,962

$15.99 ₸7,229

10.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 ₸25.7K

$48.26 ₸21.8K

18.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.84 ₸9,419

$20.11 ₸9,091

3.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.37 ₸2,877

$4.40 ₸1,989

44.77%

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

$364 ₸164.8K

$209 ₸94.5K

74.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ₸5.2M

$6,498 ₸2.9M

78.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 ₸29.9K

$96.3 ₸43.5K

-31.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.92 ₸21.2K

$53.8 ₸24.3K

-12.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₸53.4K

$107 ₸48.6K

9.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ₸58.0K

$93.7 ₸42.3K

37.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 ₸259.9K

$402 ₸181.7K

43.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 ₸173.4K

$321 ₸144.9K

19.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 ₸519.2K

$598 ₸270.1K

92.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 ₸349.1K

$494 ₸223.4K

56.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,558 ₸704.5K

$1,218 ₸550.5K

27.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,138 ₸514.4K

$925 ₸418.0K

23.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$852 ₸385.2K

$657 ₸297.0K

29.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.83

18.5

-19.84%

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

Last update for Astana: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kostanay: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Astana

$384 34.1%

Kostanay

$321 33.4% 16.4% $63

Groceries & Markets

Astana

$227 20.2%

Kostanay

$202 21% 10.9% $25

Eating Out

Astana

$163 14.5%

Kostanay

$113 11.7% 30.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Astana

$162 14.4%

Kostanay

$158 16.4% 2.3% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Astana

$95 8.4%

Kostanay

$104 10.8% 9.6% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Astana

$70 6.2%

Kostanay

$57 5.9% 18.1% $13

Getting Around

Astana

$25 2.2%

Kostanay

$7.9 * 0.8% 68.6% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $575 in Astana versus $402 in Kostanay. 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 30% 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 $29.00 in Kostanay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $202 – making Kostanay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Astana

🇰🇿 Kostanay

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

Same time as Astana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

814,400 Capital

264,446

💱 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

Astana Kostanay 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Astana
Kostanay

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 Kostanay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,124 in Astana, $962 in Kostanay – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,686 per month in Astana and $1,443 in Kostanay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kostanay, 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 $29.00 in Kostanay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% 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 Kostanay, where all-in costs run around $962, than in Astana at $1,124. In Kostanay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Astana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Astana has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $962 in Kostanay to $1,124 in Astana. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Kostanay. 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.