Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taraz and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Taraz: $628 a month against $1,131 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Taraz
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Taraz Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index

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Taraz

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$628

/mo nomad

Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $628 per month in Taraz vs $1,131 in Astana, rent included.

Taraz $628
Astana $1,131

A couple spends around $1,004 per month in Taraz vs $1,809 in Astana, rent included.

Taraz $1,004
Astana $1,809

A family of three spends $1,381 per month in Taraz vs $2,486 in Astana, rent included.

Taraz $1,381
Astana $2,486

Taraz is about 44% cheaper than Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Taraz and Astana are more affordable than the global median – Taraz 54% lower, Astana 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.97 ₸4,056

$10.96 ₸4,953

-18.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.50 ₸10.2K

$38.48 ₸17.4K

-41.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.75 ₸3,051

$7.62 ₸3,443

-11.42%

Cappuccino

$1.53 ₸691

$2.64 ₸1,191

-42.05%

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

$0.85 ₸383

$1.11 ₸500

-23.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₸204

$0.62 ₸282

-27.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₸510

$1.30 ₸586

-13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₸818

$2.19 ₸988

-17.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 ₸491

$1.28 ₸578

-14.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 ₸196

$0.63 ₸286

-31.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 ₸589

$1.64 ₸741

-20.73%

Eggs

$1.68 ₸761

$2.23 ₸1,007

-24.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 ₸4,580

$11.91 ₸5,383

-14.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 ₸2,346

$5.83 ₸2,637

-10.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.39 ₸3,794

$10.46 ₸4,730

-19.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 ₸519

$1.82 ₸823

-36.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ₸997

$2.31 ₸1,046

-4.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 ₸1,122

$2.21 ₸1,001

12.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ₸621

$2.18 ₸985

-37.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 ₸251

$0.66 ₸297

-15.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸181

$0.46 ₸208

-13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ₸411

$1.54 ₸694

-40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₸380

$0.88 ₸397

-4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 ₸1,093

$2.15 ₸974

12.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.41 ₸1,995

$11.24 ₸5,080

-60.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ₸468

$1.36 ₸617

-23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₸696

$2.43 ₸1,100

-36.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸82.4

$0.23 ₸103

-21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.87 ₸7,625

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₸385

$2.21 ₸998

-61.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₸158

$1.13 ₸509

-69.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 ₸1,839

$6.53 ₸2,951

-37.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸301

$0.63 ₸285

4.76%

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

$28.1K ₸12.7M

$24.4K ₸11.1M

15.01%

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

$27.6K ₸12.5M

$30.7K ₸13.9M

-9.96%

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

$47.60 ₸21.5K

$68.5 ₸30.9K

-30.47%

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

$8.76 ₸3,960

$10.25 ₸4,633

-14.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.00 ₸4,068

$17.92 ₸8,101

-49.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.98 ₸16.3K

$56.5 ₸25.5K

-36.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 ₸9,237

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 ₸1,996

$6.52 ₸2,947

-32.21%

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

$58.8 ₸26.6K

$369 ₸166.9K

-84.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.80 ₸12.1K

$66.2 ₸29.9K

-59.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.70 ₸15.7K

$46.16 ₸20.9K

-24.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ₸50.9K

$118 ₸53.5K

-4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 ₸23.8K

$130 ₸58.9K

-59.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ₸121.9K

$578 ₸261.5K

-53.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$110 ₸49.6K

$389 ₸176.0K

-71.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₸203.2K

$1,146 ₸518.1K

-60.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 ₸90.4K

$767 ₸346.8K

-73.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$865 ₸391.1K

$1,523 ₸688.6K

-43.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$611 ₸276.3K

$1,124 ₸508.2K

-45.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$272 ₸123.0K

$886 ₸400.7K

-69.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.83

15.5

15.03%

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

Last update for Taraz: October 12, 2026

Last update for Astana: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taraz

$178 28.3%

Astana

$227 20.1% 27.9% $50

Eating Out

Taraz

$125 19.9%

Astana

$160 14.1% 28.1% $35

Accommodation & Living

Taraz

$110 17.5%

Astana

$389 34.4% 255% $280

Clothing & Footwear

Taraz

$102 16.3%

Astana

$162 14.4% 59.2% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taraz

$65 10.4%

Astana

$97 8.5% 47.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Taraz

$45 7.1%

Astana

$70 6.2% 55.1% $25

Getting Around

Taraz

$3.3 * 0.5%

Astana

$26 2.3% 669% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $270 in Taraz 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.

Salaries run about 226% 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 Taraz versus $38.00 in Astana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $178 vs $227 – making Taraz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Taraz

🇰🇿 Astana

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

Same time as Taraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

431,160

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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Between locations

Taraz Astana 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Taraz
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

Taraz vs Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $628 in Taraz, $1,131 in Astana – roughly 80% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $942 per month in Taraz 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 Taraz, 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 Taraz 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 28% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taraz, where all-in costs run around $628, than in Astana at $1,131. In Taraz 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 $628 in Taraz 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 Taraz. 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.