Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pavlodar and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Pavlodar: $735 a month against $1,124 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Pavlodar
Learn more

Pavlodar Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
Learn more

Astana Living Index

Jump to prices

Pavlodar

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$735

/mo nomad

Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,124

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $735 per month in Pavlodar vs $1,124 in Astana, rent included.

Pavlodar $735
Astana $1,124

A couple spends around $1,145 per month in Pavlodar vs $1,806 in Astana, rent included.

Pavlodar $1,145
Astana $1,806

A family of three spends $1,556 per month in Pavlodar vs $2,489 in Astana, rent included.

Pavlodar $1,556
Astana $2,489

Pavlodar is about 35% cheaper than Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Pavlodar and Astana are more affordable than the global median – Pavlodar 46% lower, Astana 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 ₸2,921

$11.19 ₸5,058

-42.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.18 ₸10.0K

$37.88 ₸17.1K

-41.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ₸3,908

$7.88 ₸3,562

9.77%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ₸756

$2.62 ₸1,185

-36.26%

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

$1.19 ₸540

$1.10 ₸498

8.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₸216

$0.63 ₸286

-23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₸494

$1.36 ₸613

-19.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₸608

$2.18 ₸985

-38.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 ₸447

$1.25 ₸567

-20.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 ₸164

$0.60 ₸269

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ₸610

$1.62 ₸731

-16.67%

Eggs

$1.58 ₸716

$2.15 ₸972

-26.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.24 ₸2,368

$11.95 ₸5,401

-56.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 ₸2,176

$5.81 ₸2,625

-17.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₸3,047

$10.65 ₸4,815

-36.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 ₸633

$1.80 ₸813

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ₸781

$2.36 ₸1,065

-26.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 ₸795

$2.21 ₸1,000

-20.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 ₸744

$2.18 ₸986

-24.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 ₸437

$0.67 ₸302

44.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 ₸342

$0.45 ₸206

68.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ₸677

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₸324

$0.89 ₸402

-19.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,111

$2.35 ₸1,062

4.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.98 ₸3,156

$11.21 ₸5,068

-37.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₸591

$1.30 ₸589

0.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₸985

$2.35 ₸1,063

-7.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₸159

$0.25 ₸113

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.52 ₸7,466

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ₸666

$2.23 ₸1,008

-34.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 ₸532

$1.08 ₸490

9.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 ₸3,056

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 ₸287

$0.69 ₸312

-7.25%

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

$28.3K ₸12.8M

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

$25.6K ₸11.6M

$31.5K ₸14.2M

-18.72%

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

$66.3 ₸30.0K

$67.1 ₸30.3K

-1.19%

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

$11.26 ₸5,090

$9.97 ₸4,508

12.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.09 ₸11.8K

$17.61 ₸7,962

48.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.58 ₸14.3K

$57.0 ₸25.7K

-44.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.14 ₸5,036

$20.84 ₸9,419

-46.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 ₸2,053

$6.37 ₸2,877

-28.73%

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

$132 ₸59.9K

$364 ₸164.8K

-63.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,487 ₸2.0M

$11.6K ₸5.2M

-61.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 ₸29.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.31 ₸11.4K

$46.92 ₸21.2K

-46.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 ₸33.5K

$118 ₸53.4K

-37.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 ₸44.9K

$128 ₸58.0K

-22.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 ₸127.5K

$575 ₸259.9K

-50.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 ₸101.6K

$384 ₸173.4K

-41.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 ₸247.2K

$1,149 ₸519.2K

-52.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 ₸198.2K

$772 ₸349.1K

-43.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,109 ₸501.3K

$1,558 ₸704.5K

-28.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$880 ₸397.7K

$1,138 ₸514.4K

-22.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$719 ₸325.2K

$852 ₸385.2K

-15.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.83

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

Last update for Pavlodar: October 18, 2026

Last update for Astana: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pavlodar

$225 30.5%

Astana

$384 34.1% 70.7% $159

Groceries & Markets

Pavlodar

$156 * 21.2%

Astana

$227 20.2% 45.4% $71

Eating Out

Pavlodar

$113 15.3%

Astana

$163 14.5% 44.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pavlodar

$104 14.1%

Astana

$95 8.4% 8.7% $9

Clothing & Footwear

Pavlodar

$89 * 12.2%

Astana

$162 14.4% 81% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Pavlodar

$41 5.5%

Astana

$70 6.2% 71.4% $29

Getting Around

Pavlodar

$8.8 * 1.2%

Astana

$25 2.2% 187% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $282 in Pavlodar 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 18% 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 $22.00 in Pavlodar versus $38.00 in Astana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $227 – making Pavlodar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Pavlodar

🇰🇿 Astana

🕒 Local time

18:20 6:20 PM

Same time as Pavlodar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

334,830

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

Pavlodar Astana 400 km

From you

Pavlodar
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

Pavlodar vs Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $735 in Pavlodar, $1,124 in Astana – roughly 53% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,103 per month in Pavlodar 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 Pavlodar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Pavlodar and $38.00 in Astana. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% 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 Pavlodar, where all-in costs run around $735, than in Astana at $1,124. In Pavlodar 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 $735 in Pavlodar 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 Pavlodar. 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.