Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Astana: $1,102 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $35,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Astana
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,102
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London 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 London and in Astana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,086 per month in London vs $1,102 in Astana, rent included.

  • London $4,086
  • Astana $1,102

A couple spends around $5,816 per month in London vs $1,788 in Astana, rent included.

  • London $5,816
  • Astana $1,788

A family of three spends $7,546 per month in London vs $2,474 in Astana, rent included.

  • London $7,546
  • Astana $2,474

London costs about 271% more than Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

London sits 205% above the global median, while Astana is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Astana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.62 £20.12
$10.89 ₸4,901
144.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £81.3
$37.77 ₸17.0K
184.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.39 £7.86
$7.71 ₸3,470
34.76%
Cappuccino
$5.79 £4.38
$2.50 ₸1,125
131.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 £2.27
$1.11 ₸500
171.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 £1.63
$0.67 ₸300
220.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.35 £7.07
$1.29 ₸582
624.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.84 £5.93
$2.23 ₸1,005
251.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Astana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.79 £1.35
$1.25 ₸563
43.20%
White Bread (500g)
$2.06 £1.56
$0.59 ₸266
249.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.31 £1.74
$1.62 ₸729
42.59%
Eggs
$5.05 £3.82
$2.22 ₸1,000
127.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.57 £9.50
$11.83 ₸5,325
6.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.66 £8.05
$5.67 ₸2,552
88.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.13 £12.95
$10.25 ₸4,615
67.12%
Apples (1kg)
$3.03 £2.29
$1.80 ₸810
68.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 £1.07
$2.33 ₸1,049
-39.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.05 £2.31
$2.28 ₸1,028
33.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.38 £2.56
$2.21 ₸996
52.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.67 £1.26
$0.66 ₸296
153.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 £1.31
$0.42 ₸191
311.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 £1.07
$1.46 ₸657
-3.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 £1.35
$0.92 ₸415
94.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.22 £17.55
$2.25 ₸1,013
932.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.99 £9.82
$10.74 ₸4,833
20.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.18 £2.41
$1.32 ₸596
140.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 £3.34
$2.37 ₸1,068
86.08%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Astana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.87 £2.93
$0.23 ₸103
1582.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$250 £189
$16.27 ₸7,324
1436.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.71 £4.31
$2.15 ₸966
165.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 £2.51
$1.11 ₸498
200.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$57.9 £43.77
$6.41 ₸2,883
803.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.04 £1.54
$0.62 ₸278
229.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.5K £28.4K
$24.1K ₸10.9M
55.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.9K
$30.2K ₸13.6M
35.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Astana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$376 £284
$65.7 ₸29.6K
472.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.88 £13.51
$9.81 ₸4,416
82.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.01 £30.25
$17.72 ₸7,978
125.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Astana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.2 £46.23
$56.6 ₸25.5K
8.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.07 £15.93
$20.12 ₸9,059
4.72%
Cinema Ticket
$17.95 £13.57
$6.46 ₸2,906
177.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Astana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,865 £2,166
$365 ₸164.1K
686.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.7K
$11.6K ₸5.2M
204.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Astana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £87.7
$63.6 ₸28.6K
82.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.1 £40.88
$46.04 ₸20.7K
17.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 £95.7
$117 ₸52.7K
8.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159 £120
$125 ₸56.3K
27.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Astana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,853 £2,157
$561 ₸252.4K
408.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,301 £1,740
$379 ₸170.6K
507.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,201 £3,932
$1,103 ₸496.7K
371.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,723 £2,814
$767 ₸345.4K
385.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$19.0K £14.4K
$1,553 ₸699.3K
1123.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,881 £5,957
$1,117 ₸503.0K
605.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Astana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,818 £3,642
$876 ₸394.6K
449.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.65
15.5
-70.00%

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

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Last update for Astana: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Astana
$379 83.5% $1.9K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$434
Astana
$93 78.5% $341
Eating Out
London
$397
Astana
$158 60.1% $238
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Astana
$224 35.9% $125
Getting Around
London
$288
Astana
$25 91.4% $263
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Astana
$158 22.9% $47
Sport & Entertainment
London
$97
Astana
$70 28.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,853 in London versus $561 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 450% higher in London, 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 $108 in London versus $38.00 in Astana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $224 – making Astana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇰🇿 Astana
🕒 Local time
08:38 8:38 AM
13:38 1:38 PM
5 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
814,400 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Astana 4,770 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • 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
London vs Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in London and in Astana compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $4,086 in London, $1,102 in Astana – roughly 271% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in London compared to Astana?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,129 per month in London and $1,653 in Astana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between London and Astana?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Astana, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between London and Astana?
Kindergarten costs $2,865 per month in London and $365 in Astana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 56% more in London, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Astana, where all-in costs run around $1,102, than in London at $4,086. In Astana it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between London and Astana?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,102 in Astana to $4,086 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is London or Astana safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between London and Astana?
If budget matters most, go with Astana. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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