Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qapshaghay and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Qapshaghay: $1,077 a month against $1,131 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $650 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Astana outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

53

Cost of Living Index in Qapshaghay
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Qapshaghay Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
Learn more

Astana Living Index

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Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,077

/mo nomad

Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,077 per month in Qapshaghay vs $1,131 in Astana, rent included.

Qapshaghay $1,077
Astana $1,131

A couple spends around $1,621 per month in Qapshaghay vs $1,809 in Astana, rent included.

Qapshaghay $1,621
Astana $1,809

A family of three spends $2,166 per month in Qapshaghay vs $2,486 in Astana, rent included.

Qapshaghay $2,166
Astana $2,486

Qapshaghay is about 5% cheaper than Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Qapshaghay and Astana are more affordable than the global median – Qapshaghay 20% lower, Astana 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.99 ₸4,967

$10.96 ₸4,953

0.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.25 ₸10.1K

$38.48 ₸17.4K

-42.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 ₸3,002

$7.62 ₸3,443

-12.86%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ₸827

$2.64 ₸1,191

-30.68%

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

$1.03 ₸464

$1.11 ₸500

-7.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₸292

$0.62 ₸282

4.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₸583

$1.30 ₸586

-0.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₸594

$2.19 ₸988

-40.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₸760

$1.28 ₸578

31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 ₸203

$0.63 ₸286

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 ₸952

$1.64 ₸741

28.66%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,118

$2.23 ₸1,007

10.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 ₸5,546

$11.91 ₸5,383

3.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 ₸2,955

$5.83 ₸2,637

12.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,913

$10.46 ₸4,730

3.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸811

$1.82 ₸823

-1.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₸1,033

$2.31 ₸1,046

-0.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 ₸1,305

$2.21 ₸1,001

30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 ₸1,289

$2.18 ₸985

30.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸339

$0.66 ₸297

13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸263

$0.46 ₸208

26.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸731

$1.54 ₸694

5.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸449

$0.88 ₸397

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.59 ₸720

$2.15 ₸974

-26.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 ₸5,070

$11.24 ₸5,080

-0.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₸570

$1.36 ₸617

-7.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,088

$2.43 ₸1,100

-0.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 ₸85.5

$0.23 ₸103

-17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.82 ₸7,606

$16.87 ₸7,625

-0.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₸365

$2.21 ₸998

-63.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸290

$1.13 ₸509

-43.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ₸1,789

$6.53 ₸2,951

-39.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 ₸260

$0.63 ₸285

-9.52%

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

$21.9K ₸9.9M

$24.4K ₸11.1M

-10.54%

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

$29.7K ₸13.4M

$30.7K ₸13.9M

-3.32%

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

$90.4 ₸40.9K

$68.5 ₸30.9K

32.05%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$10.25 ₸4,633

4.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.21 ₸8,233

$17.92 ₸8,101

1.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 ₸18.9K

$56.5 ₸25.5K

-25.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 ₸9,237

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ₸2,935

$6.52 ₸2,947

-0.46%

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

$145 ₸65.7K

$369 ₸166.9K

-60.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,498 ₸2.0M

$12.0K ₸5.4M

-62.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 ₸41.0K

$66.2 ₸29.9K

36.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.03 ₸20.8K

$46.16 ₸20.9K

-0.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 ₸63.8K

$118 ₸53.5K

19.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸60.5K

$130 ₸58.9K

2.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 ₸199.5K

$578 ₸261.5K

-23.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₸137.7K

$389 ₸176.0K

-21.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$718 ₸324.4K

$1,146 ₸518.1K

-37.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₸223.8K

$767 ₸346.8K

-35.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 ₸538.3K

$1,523 ₸688.6K

-21.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 ₸347.4K

$1,124 ₸508.2K

-31.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 ₸400.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

15.5

33.23%

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

Last update for Qapshaghay: October 10, 2026

Last update for Astana: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Qapshaghay

$305 28.3%

Astana

$389 34.4% 27.8% $85

Groceries & Markets

Qapshaghay

$246 22.8%

Astana

$227 20.1% 7.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Qapshaghay

$185 17.2%

Astana

$162 14.4% 12.3% $23

Eating Out

Qapshaghay

$146 13.5%

Astana

$160 14.1% 9.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qapshaghay

$119 11.1%

Astana

$97 8.5% 19% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Qapshaghay

$55 5.1%

Astana

$70 6.2% 26.8% $15

Getting Around

Qapshaghay

$22 2%

Astana

$26 2.3% 18.6% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $441 in Qapshaghay versus $578 in Astana. 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 $22.00 in Qapshaghay versus $38.00 in Astana. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Qapshaghay vs $227 in Astana – so Astana wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Astana

🕒 Local time

00:13 12:13 AM

Same time as Qapshaghay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,167

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

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Highest

Between locations

Qapshaghay Astana 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Qapshaghay
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

Qapshaghay vs Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,077 in Qapshaghay, $1,131 in Astana – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,615 per month in Qapshaghay and $1,696 in Astana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $145 per month in Qapshaghay and $369 in Astana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Astana – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Qapshaghay, where all-in costs run around $1,077, than in Astana at $1,131. In Qapshaghay 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 $1,077 in Qapshaghay to $1,131 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 Qapshaghay. 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.