Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Astana and Taraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Taraz: $626 a month against $1,133 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Taraz
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Taraz Living Index

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Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,133

/mo nomad

Taraz

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Astana and in Taraz

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

A single person spends $1,133 per month in Astana vs $626 in Taraz, rent included.

Astana $1,133
Taraz $626

A couple spends around $1,810 per month in Astana vs $1,001 in Taraz, rent included.

Astana $1,810
Taraz $1,001

A family of three spends $2,486 per month in Astana vs $1,375 in Taraz, rent included.

Astana $2,486
Taraz $1,375

Astana costs about 81% more than Taraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Astana and Taraz are more affordable than the global median – Astana 17% lower, Taraz 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 ₸5,039

$8.83 ₸4,023

25.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.01 ₸17.3K

$22.00 ₸10.0K

72.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 ₸3,596

$6.68 ₸3,043

18.11%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ₸1,205

$1.56 ₸713

69.87%

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

$1.08 ₸490

$0.92 ₸420

17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₸282

$0.42 ₸192

47.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ₸611

$1.13 ₸516

18.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₸1,024

$1.80 ₸820

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₸573

$1.08 ₸493

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ₸275

$0.44 ₸199

36.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ₸708

$1.35 ₸615

14.81%

Eggs

$2.18 ₸992

$1.69 ₸772

28.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 ₸5,459

$10.17 ₸4,634

17.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 ₸2,638

$5.16 ₸2,350

12.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 ₸4,815

$8.26 ₸3,761

27.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ₸830

$1.21 ₸549

50.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₸1,052

$2.17 ₸989

6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ₸1,043

$2.59 ₸1,179

-11.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 ₸996

$1.37 ₸624

59.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸299

$0.51 ₸233

29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ₸210

$0.44 ₸199

4.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 ₸695

$0.88 ₸403

73.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸412

$0.80 ₸365

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₸1,079

$2.39 ₸1,090

-0.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.93 ₸4,978

$4.38 ₸1,993

149.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₸590

$1.08 ₸490

20.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₸1,071

$1.53 ₸696

53.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸114

$0.21 ₸96.4

19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.60 ₸7,560

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 ₸1,032

$0.88 ₸399

157.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₸515

$0.37 ₸170

205.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 ₸3,016

$4.07 ₸1,852

62.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸312

$0.65 ₸298

6.15%

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

$28.0K ₸12.8M

$27.6K ₸12.6M

1.48%

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

$31.7K ₸14.4M

$27.5K ₸12.5M

15.06%

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

$68.4 ₸31.2K

$47.53 ₸21.7K

43.91%

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

$10.08 ₸4,592

$8.64 ₸3,936

16.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.13 ₸8,258

$8.98 ₸4,089

101.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 ₸26.7K

$36.00 ₸16.4K

62.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.67 ₸9,414

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 ₸2,856

$4.54 ₸2,069

38.11%

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

$487 ₸221.9K

$58.8 ₸26.8K

729.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ₸5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.6 ₸29.4K

$26.93 ₸12.3K

139.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.35 ₸21.1K

$34.47 ₸15.7K

34.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₸54.5K

$111 ₸50.4K

8.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₸57.5K

$53.0 ₸24.2K

137.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$564 ₸256.9K

$263 ₸120.0K

114.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 ₸178.3K

$109 ₸49.8K

258.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 ₸524.1K

$435 ₸198.0K

164.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 ₸350.1K

$200 ₸91.1K

284.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,560 ₸710.5K

$858 ₸391.0K

81.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,120 ₸510.2K

$600 ₸273.3K

86.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$867 ₸394.7K

$282 ₸128.2K

207.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.83

17.83

-16.83%

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

Last update for Astana: October 24, 2026

Last update for Taraz: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Astana

$391 34.5%

Taraz

$109 17.5% 72.1% $282

Groceries & Markets

Astana

$226 20%

Taraz

$177 28.4% 21.5% $49

Eating Out

Astana

$162 14.3%

Taraz

$124 19.8% 23.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Astana

$161 14.2%

Taraz

$101 16.2% 36.9% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Astana

$97 8.5%

Taraz

$65 10.4% 32.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Astana

$71 6.3%

Taraz

$45 7.2% 36.7% $26

Getting Around

Astana

$26 2.3%

Taraz

$3.6 * 0.6% 85.9% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $564 in Astana versus $263 in Taraz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Astana are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Astana versus $22 in Taraz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $177 – making Taraz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Astana

🇰🇿 Taraz

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

Same time as Astana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

814,400 Capital

431,160

💱 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 Taraz 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Astana
Taraz

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 Taraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,133 in Astana, $626 in Taraz – Taraz comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,700 per month in Astana and $939 in Taraz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taraz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $263 there versus $564 in Astana.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Astana and $22 in Taraz. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Astana, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Taraz, where all-in costs run around $626, than in Astana at $1,133. In Taraz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Astana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Taraz. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Astana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.