Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Astana and Semey

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $1,133 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Semey
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Semey Living Index

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Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,133

/mo nomad

Semey

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Astana and in Semey

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

A single person spends $1,133 per month in Astana vs $712 in Semey, rent included.

Astana $1,133
Semey $712

A couple spends around $1,810 per month in Astana vs $1,148 in Semey, rent included.

Astana $1,810
Semey $1,148

A family of three spends $2,486 per month in Astana vs $1,584 in Semey, rent included.

Astana $2,486
Semey $1,584

Astana costs about 59% more than Semey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Astana and Semey are more affordable than the global median – Astana 17% lower, Semey 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 ₸5,018

$4.93 ₸2,235

124.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.01 ₸17.2K

$21.82 ₸9,898

74.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 ₸3,580

$5.49 ₸2,491

43.72%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ₸1,200

$1.70 ₸771

55.88%

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

$1.08 ₸488

$0.76 ₸345

42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₸281

$0.48 ₸216

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ₸609

$0.91 ₸412

47.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₸1,019

$1.35 ₸614

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₸571

$1.03 ₸469

22.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ₸274

$0.37 ₸167

62.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ₸705

$1.86 ₸845

-16.67%

Eggs

$2.18 ₸988

$1.53 ₸693

42.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 ₸5,436

$5.36 ₸2,432

123.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 ₸2,627

$3.86 ₸1,751

50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 ₸4,794

$5.43 ₸2,461

94.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ₸826

$1.23 ₸559

47.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₸1,048

$1.65 ₸748

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ₸1,038

$1.72 ₸781

33.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 ₸991

$1.69 ₸768

29.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸298

$0.39 ₸176

69.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ₸209

$0.60 ₸274

-23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 ₸692

$1.02 ₸461

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸410

$0.99 ₸448

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₸1,075

$2.46 ₸1,116

-3.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.93 ₸4,957

$7.24 ₸3,282

50.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₸588

$1.31 ₸596

-0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₸1,066

$2.20 ₸998

6.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸114

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.60 ₸7,528

$15.69 ₸7,119

5.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 ₸1,027

$1.29 ₸586

75.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₸513

$1.14 ₸515

-0.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 ₸3,003

$6.54 ₸2,968

1.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸311

$0.65 ₸293

6.15%

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

$28.0K ₸12.7M

$32.4K ₸14.7M

-13.39%

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

$31.7K ₸14.4M

$26.3K ₸11.9M

20.45%

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

$68.4 ₸31.0K

$33.66 ₸15.3K

103.21%

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

$10.08 ₸4,573

$9.01 ₸4,088

11.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.13 ₸8,223

$18.84 ₸8,544

-3.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 ₸26.6K

$42.36 ₸19.2K

38.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.67 ₸9,374

$11.23 ₸5,095

84.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 ₸2,844

$4.39 ₸1,993

42.82%

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

$487 ₸221.0K

$132 ₸60.0K

268.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ₸5.3M

$4,406 ₸2.0M

165.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.6 ₸29.3K

$28.90 ₸13.1K

123.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.35 ₸21.0K

$25.47 ₸11.6K

81.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₸54.2K

$100 ₸45.4K

19.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₸57.3K

$76.6 ₸34.7K

64.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$564 ₸255.9K

$339 ₸153.5K

66.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 ₸177.6K

$229 ₸103.8K

71.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 ₸521.9K

$611 ₸276.9K

88.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 ₸348.7K

$489 ₸221.6K

57.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,560 ₸707.5K

$1,205 ₸546.7K

29.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,120 ₸508.0K

$739 ₸335.4K

51.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$867 ₸393.1K

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 Semey: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Astana

$391 34.5%

Semey

$229 32.2% 41.6% $163

Groceries & Markets

Astana

$226 20%

Semey

$154 21.7% 31.7% $72

Eating Out

Astana

$162 14.3%

Semey

$88 12.4% 45.4% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Astana

$161 14.2%

Semey

$104 14.6% 35.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Astana

$97 8.5%

Semey

$62 8.6% 36.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Astana

$71 6.3%

Semey

$51 7.2% 28.2% $20

Getting Around

Astana

$26 2.3%

Semey

$24 3.3% 7.3% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $564 in Astana versus $339 in Semey. 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 in Astana versus $22 in Semey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $154 – making Semey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Astana

🇰🇿 Semey

🕒 Local time

15:07 3:07 PM

Same time as Astana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

814,400 Capital

310,456

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Astana Semey 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Astana
Semey

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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,133 in Astana, $712 in Semey – Semey comes out roughly 37% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,700 per month in Astana and $1,068 in Semey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Semey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $339 there versus $564 in Astana.

Kindergarten costs $487 per month in Astana and $132 in Semey. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Astana, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Semey, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Astana at $1,133. In Semey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Astana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Semey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Semey is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 37% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.