Expats are likely to find that the cost of living in Kazakhstan can vary greatly from city to city, not to mention the ever-fluctuating value of the tenge, which makes it extremely difficult to generalise about common costs.
Mercer's 2019 Cost of Living Survey ranked Almaty as 191st out of 209 cities, indicating that it's a fairly cheap city to live in compared to other popular expat destinations worldwide. The situation remains unpredictable, though, so it's important for expats to make sure they're up to date with Kazakhstan's current financial situation before making any commitments.
Cost of accommodation in Kazakhstan
Some expats are lucky enough to have accommodation provided as part of their employment contract, in which case they need not worry about the expenses involved. While this used to be the norm, it is unfortunately becoming more and more rare, so most expats will need to bear this expense themselves.
Generally, accommodation costs more the closer it is to the city centre. There are a few modern apartment complexes, but old, Soviet-style apartments are more common – naturally, these are cheaper, but might not be up to the standard of living that many expats are used to.
Cost of transport in Kazakhstan
Most public transport is inexpensive. It's comparatively pricier to travel by taxi, though fares are still cheaper than many other countries around the world. It's costly to purchase a car, even second-hand, although petrol prices are usually reasonable.
Cost of food in Kazakhstan
The cost and quality of food in Kazakhstan vary according to season. In summer, local fruit and vegetables are inexpensive and of good quality. In winter, however, fruit and vegetables are expensive and tend to be poor quality goods. To keep costs down, expats should do the bulk of their shopping in local bazaars and markets.
Cost of living in Kazakhstan chart
Prices may vary across Kazakhstan, depending on product and service provider. The list below shows average prices for Almaty in May 2020.
|
Accommodation (monthly rent) |
|
|
Three-bedroom apartment in city centre |
KZT 250,000 - 300,000 |
|
Three-bedroom apartment outside of city centre |
KZT 145,000 - 180,000 |
|
One-bedroom apartment in city centre |
KZT 120,000 - 140,000 |
|
One-bedroom apartment outside of city centre |
KZT 80,000 - 110,000 |
|
Groceries |
|
|
Milk (1 litre) |
KZT 330 |
|
Eggs (dozen) |
KZT 410 |
|
Loaf of white bread |
KZT 110 |
|
Rice (1kg) |
KZT 380 |
|
1 packet of cigarettes (Marlboro) |
KZT 450 |
|
Transportation |
|
|
City centre bus/train fare |
KZT 100 |
|
Taxi rate per kilometre |
KZT 150 |
|
Eating out |
|
|
Big Mac Meal |
KZT 1,800 |
|
Coca-Cola (330ml) |
KZT 185 |
|
Cappuccino |
KZT 800 |
|
Bottle of domestic beer |
KZT 500 |
|
Three-course meal at a mid-range restaurant for two |
KZT 10,000 |
|
Utilities |
|
|
Mobile-to-mobile call rate (per minute) |
KZT 15 |
|
Uncapped ADSL internet (per month) |
KZT 4,000 |
|
Utilities (average per month for standard household) |
KZT 22,000 |
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