Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Astana and Qapshaghay

For one person, living is cheaper in Qapshaghay: $1,077 a month against $1,131 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $650 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Astana outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Qapshaghay
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Qapshaghay Living Index

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Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,131

/mo nomad

Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Astana and in Qapshaghay

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

A single person spends $1,131 per month in Astana vs $1,077 in Qapshaghay, rent included.

Astana $1,131
Qapshaghay $1,077

A couple spends around $1,809 per month in Astana vs $1,621 in Qapshaghay, rent included.

Astana $1,809
Qapshaghay $1,621

A family of three spends $2,486 per month in Astana vs $2,166 in Qapshaghay, rent included.

Astana $2,486
Qapshaghay $2,166

Astana costs about 5% more than Qapshaghay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Astana and Qapshaghay are more affordable than the global median – Astana 16% lower, Qapshaghay 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 ₸4,953

$10.99 ₸4,967

-0.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.48 ₸17.4K

$22.25 ₸10.1K

72.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 ₸3,443

$6.64 ₸3,002

14.76%

Cappuccino

$2.64 ₸1,191

$1.83 ₸827

44.26%

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

$1.11 ₸500

$1.03 ₸464

7.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₸282

$0.65 ₸292

-4.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₸586

$1.29 ₸583

0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ₸988

$1.31 ₸594

67.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ₸578

$1.68 ₸760

-23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ₸286

$0.45 ₸203

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 ₸741

$2.11 ₸952

-22.27%

Eggs

$2.23 ₸1,007

$2.47 ₸1,118

-9.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 ₸5,383

$12.27 ₸5,546

-2.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 ₸2,637

$6.54 ₸2,955

-10.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.46 ₸4,730

$10.87 ₸4,913

-3.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ₸823

$1.79 ₸811

1.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₸1,046

$2.29 ₸1,033

0.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ₸1,001

$2.89 ₸1,305

-23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 ₸985

$2.85 ₸1,289

-23.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸297

$0.75 ₸339

-12.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ₸208

$0.58 ₸263

-20.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 ₸694

$1.62 ₸731

-4.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸397

$0.99 ₸449

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 ₸974

$1.59 ₸720

35.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.24 ₸5,080

$11.22 ₸5,070

0.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸617

$1.26 ₸570

7.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₸1,100

$2.41 ₸1,088

0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₸103

$0.19 ₸85.5

21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.87 ₸7,625

$16.82 ₸7,606

0.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ₸998

$0.81 ₸365

172.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₸509

$0.64 ₸290

76.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.53 ₸2,951

$3.96 ₸1,789

64.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 ₸285

$0.57 ₸260

10.53%

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

$24.4K ₸11.1M

$21.9K ₸9.9M

11.78%

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

$30.7K ₸13.9M

$29.7K ₸13.4M

3.43%

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

$68.5 ₸30.9K

$90.4 ₸40.9K

-24.27%

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

$10.25 ₸4,633

$10.66 ₸4,820

-3.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.92 ₸8,101

$18.21 ₸8,233

-1.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 ₸25.5K

$41.82 ₸18.9K

35.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 ₸9,237

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 ₸2,947

$6.49 ₸2,935

0.46%

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

$369 ₸166.9K

$145 ₸65.7K

154.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

$4,498 ₸2.0M

165.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 ₸29.9K

$90.7 ₸41.0K

-26.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.16 ₸20.9K

$46.03 ₸20.8K

0.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₸53.5K

$141 ₸63.8K

-16.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₸58.9K

$134 ₸60.5K

-2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 ₸261.5K

$441 ₸199.5K

31.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 ₸176.0K

$305 ₸137.7K

27.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 ₸518.1K

$718 ₸324.4K

59.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 ₸346.8K

$495 ₸223.8K

54.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,523 ₸688.6K

$1,191 ₸538.3K

27.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,124 ₸508.2K

$769 ₸347.4K

46.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 ₸400.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.5

20.65

-24.94%

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

Last update for Astana: October 10, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Astana

$389 34.4%

Qapshaghay

$305 28.3% 21.7% $85

Groceries & Markets

Astana

$227 20.1%

Qapshaghay

$246 22.8% 8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Astana

$162 14.4%

Qapshaghay

$185 17.2% 14.1% $23

Eating Out

Astana

$160 14.1%

Qapshaghay

$146 13.5% 9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Astana

$97 8.5%

Qapshaghay

$119 11.1% 23.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Astana

$70 6.2%

Qapshaghay

$55 5.1% 21.2% $15

Getting Around

Astana

$26 2.3%

Qapshaghay

$22 2% 15.7% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $578 in Astana versus $441 in Qapshaghay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Astana versus $22.00 in Qapshaghay. Groceries tell a different story – $227 in Astana vs $246 in Qapshaghay – so Astana wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Astana

🇰🇿 Qapshaghay

🕒 Local time

15:17 3:17 PM

Same time as Astana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

814,400 Capital

42,167

💱 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 Qapshaghay 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Astana
Qapshaghay

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 Qapshaghay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,131 in Astana, $1,077 in Qapshaghay – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,696 per month in Astana and $1,615 in Qapshaghay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qapshaghay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $369 per month in Astana and $145 in Qapshaghay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Astana – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Qapshaghay, where all-in costs run around $1,077, than in Astana at $1,131. In Qapshaghay 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 $1,077 in Qapshaghay to $1,131 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 Qapshaghay. 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.