Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Astana and Pavlodar

For one person, living is cheaper in Pavlodar: $735 a month against $1,124 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Pavlodar
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Pavlodar Living Index

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Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,124

/mo nomad

Pavlodar

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Astana and in Pavlodar

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

A single person spends $1,124 per month in Astana vs $735 in Pavlodar, rent included.

Astana $1,124
Pavlodar $735

A couple spends around $1,806 per month in Astana vs $1,145 in Pavlodar, rent included.

Astana $1,806
Pavlodar $1,145

A family of three spends $2,489 per month in Astana vs $1,556 in Pavlodar, rent included.

Astana $2,489
Pavlodar $1,556

Astana costs about 53% more than Pavlodar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Astana and Pavlodar are more affordable than the global median – Astana 17% lower, Pavlodar 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.19 ₸5,058

$6.46 ₸2,921

73.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.88 ₸17.1K

$22.18 ₸10.0K

70.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ₸3,562

$8.65 ₸3,908

-8.90%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₸1,185

$1.67 ₸756

56.89%

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

$1.10 ₸498

$1.19 ₸540

-7.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₸286

$0.48 ₸216

31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ₸613

$1.09 ₸494

24.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₸985

$1.34 ₸608

62.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₸567

$0.99 ₸447

26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ₸269

$0.36 ₸164

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₸731

$1.35 ₸610

20.00%

Eggs

$2.15 ₸972

$1.58 ₸716

36.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 ₸5,401

$5.24 ₸2,368

128.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 ₸2,625

$4.81 ₸2,176

20.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ₸4,815

$6.74 ₸3,047

58.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$1.40 ₸633

28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 ₸1,065

$1.73 ₸781

36.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ₸1,000

$1.76 ₸795

25.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 ₸986

$1.65 ₸744

32.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₸302

$0.97 ₸437

-30.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₸206

$0.76 ₸342

-40.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ₸677

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₸402

$0.72 ₸324

23.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 ₸1,062

$2.46 ₸1,111

-4.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 ₸5,068

$6.98 ₸3,156

60.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₸589

$1.31 ₸591

-0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₸1,063

$2.18 ₸985

7.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$0.35 ₸159

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.52 ₸7,466

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 ₸1,008

$1.47 ₸666

51.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ₸490

$1.18 ₸532

-8.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 ₸3,056

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸312

$0.64 ₸287

7.81%

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

$28.3K ₸12.8M

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

$31.5K ₸14.2M

$25.6K ₸11.6M

23.03%

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

$67.1 ₸30.3K

$66.3 ₸30.0K

1.21%

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

$9.97 ₸4,508

$11.26 ₸5,090

-11.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.61 ₸7,962

$26.09 ₸11.8K

-32.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 ₸25.7K

$31.58 ₸14.3K

80.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.84 ₸9,419

$11.14 ₸5,036

87.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.37 ₸2,877

$4.54 ₸2,053

40.31%

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

$364 ₸164.8K

$132 ₸59.9K

175.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ₸5.2M

$4,487 ₸2.0M

158.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 ₸29.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.92 ₸21.2K

$25.31 ₸11.4K

85.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₸53.4K

$74.0 ₸33.5K

59.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ₸58.0K

$99.3 ₸44.9K

29.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 ₸259.9K

$282 ₸127.5K

103.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 ₸173.4K

$225 ₸101.6K

70.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 ₸519.2K

$547 ₸247.2K

110.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 ₸349.1K

$439 ₸198.2K

76.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,558 ₸704.5K

$1,109 ₸501.3K

40.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,138 ₸514.4K

$880 ₸397.7K

29.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$852 ₸385.2K

$719 ₸325.2K

18.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.83

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

Last update for Astana: October 19, 2026

Last update for Pavlodar: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Astana

$384 34.1%

Pavlodar

$225 30.5% 41.4% $159

Groceries & Markets

Astana

$227 20.2%

Pavlodar

$156 * 21.2% 31.2% $71

Eating Out

Astana

$163 14.5%

Pavlodar

$113 15.3% 30.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Astana

$162 14.4%

Pavlodar

$89 * 12.2% 44.8% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Astana

$95 8.4%

Pavlodar

$104 14.1% 9.5% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Astana

$70 6.2%

Pavlodar

$41 5.5% 41.6% $29

Getting Around

Astana

$25 2.2%

Pavlodar

$8.8 * 1.2% 65.2% $16

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 $282 in Pavlodar. 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 18% 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 $22.00 in Pavlodar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $156 – making Pavlodar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Astana

🇰🇿 Pavlodar

🕒 Local time

23:45 11:45 PM

Same time as Astana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

814,400 Capital

334,830

💱 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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Astana Pavlodar 400 km

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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 Pavlodar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,124 in Astana, $735 in Pavlodar – roughly 53% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,686 per month in Astana and $1,103 in Pavlodar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pavlodar, 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 $22.00 in Pavlodar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pavlodar, where all-in costs run around $735, than in Astana at $1,124. In Pavlodar 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 $735 in Pavlodar 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 Pavlodar. 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.