Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karaganda and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaganda: $929 a month against $1,124 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Karaganda
Learn more

Karaganda Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
Learn more

Astana Living Index

Jump to prices

Karaganda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$929

/mo nomad

Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,124

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karaganda and in Astana

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Karaganda and in Astana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $926 per month in Karaganda vs $1,124 in Astana, rent included.

Karaganda $926
Astana $1,124

A couple spends around $1,492 per month in Karaganda vs $1,806 in Astana, rent included.

Karaganda $1,492
Astana $1,806

A family of three spends $2,058 per month in Karaganda vs $2,489 in Astana, rent included.

Karaganda $2,058
Astana $2,489

Karaganda is about 18% cheaper than Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Karaganda and Astana are more affordable than the global median – Karaganda 31% lower, Astana 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 ₸4,483

$11.19 ₸5,058

-11.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.77 ₸15.7K

$37.88 ₸17.1K

-8.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 ₸2,540

$7.88 ₸3,562

-28.68%

Cappuccino

$1.90 ₸861

$2.62 ₸1,185

-27.48%

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

$0.87 ₸392

$1.10 ₸498

-20.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₸290

$0.63 ₸286

1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₸618

$1.36 ₸613

0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₸1,271

$2.18 ₸985

28.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 ₸602

$1.25 ₸567

6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 ₸219

$0.60 ₸269

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ₸605

$1.62 ₸731

-17.28%

Eggs

$1.87 ₸845

$2.15 ₸972

-13.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.37 ₸6,043

$11.95 ₸5,401

11.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 ₸2,510

$5.81 ₸2,625

-4.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ₸5,043

$10.65 ₸4,815

4.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 ₸683

$1.80 ₸813

-16.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₸857

$2.36 ₸1,065

-19.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 ₸1,255

$2.21 ₸1,000

25.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 ₸944

$2.18 ₸986

-4.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ₸284

$0.67 ₸302

-5.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₸245

$0.45 ₸206

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₸469

$1.50 ₸677

-30.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₸315

$0.89 ₸402

-21.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 ₸985

$2.35 ₸1,062

-7.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 ₸3,798

$11.21 ₸5,068

-25.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸616

$1.30 ₸589

4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₸955

$2.35 ₸1,063

-10.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₸104

$0.25 ₸113

-8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.45 ₸6,982

$16.52 ₸7,466

-6.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ₸558

$2.23 ₸1,008

-44.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 ₸562

$1.08 ₸490

14.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 ₸1,457

$6.76 ₸3,056

-52.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 ₸236

$0.69 ₸312

-24.64%

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

$21.6K ₸9.8M

$28.3K ₸12.8M

-23.65%

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

$32.3K ₸14.6M

$31.5K ₸14.2M

2.42%

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

$72.6 ₸32.8K

$67.1 ₸30.3K

8.14%

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

$9.86 ₸4,457

$9.97 ₸4,508

-1.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.82 ₸5,342

$17.61 ₸7,962

-32.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.55 ₸20.6K

$57.0 ₸25.7K

-20.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 ₸8,179

$20.84 ₸9,419

-13.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 ₸2,390

$6.37 ₸2,877

-16.95%

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

$133 ₸59.9K

$364 ₸164.8K

-63.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ₸5.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 ₸27.4K

$66.2 ₸29.9K

-8.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 ₸26.0K

$46.92 ₸21.2K

22.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 ₸35.7K

$118 ₸53.4K

-33.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 ₸38.7K

$128 ₸58.0K

-33.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 ₸180.6K

$575 ₸259.9K

-30.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₸123.7K

$384 ₸173.4K

-28.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ₸330.1K

$1,149 ₸519.2K

-36.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₸245.7K

$772 ₸349.1K

-29.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,053 ₸475.8K

$1,558 ₸704.5K

-32.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$695 ₸314.0K

$1,138 ₸514.4K

-38.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$566 ₸256.1K

$852 ₸385.2K

-33.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.25

14.83

29.80%

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

Last update for Karaganda: October 17, 2026

Last update for Astana: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Karaganda

$274 29.5%

Astana

$384 34.1% 40.1% $110

Groceries & Markets

Karaganda

$216 23.3%

Astana

$227 20.2% 4.8% $10

Eating Out

Karaganda

$138 14.8%

Astana

$163 14.5% 18.3% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Karaganda

$127 13.7%

Astana

$162 14.4% 27.1% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karaganda

$94 10.2%

Astana

$95 8.4% 0.5% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Karaganda

$56 6%

Astana

$70 6.2% 24.2% $14

Getting Around

Karaganda

$24 2.6%

Astana

$25 2.2% 5.7% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Karaganda versus $575 in Astana. 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 50% 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 $35.00 in Karaganda versus $38.00 in Astana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $227 – making Karaganda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Karaganda

🇰🇿 Astana

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

Same time as Karaganda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,486

814,400 Capital

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karaganda Astana 190 km

From you

Karaganda
Astana

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

Karaganda vs Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $926 in Karaganda, $1,124 in Astana – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,389 per month in Karaganda and $1,686 in Astana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $135 per month in Karaganda and $364 in Astana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% 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 Karaganda, where all-in costs run around $926, than in Astana at $1,124. In Karaganda 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 $926 in Karaganda 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 Karaganda. 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.