Cost of living in Kazakhstan

Things to factor in when you plan for your new life

Cost of living in Kazakhstan

The national currency of Kazakhstan is the tenge, which converts as 3,450 KZT to 10 USD; so if you have a lot of savings, or you’re lucky enough to get paid in dollars or euros, your money can go far in Kazakhstan. However, in comparison to the average national wage, living costs can be quite expensive due to the unstable nature of the currency and the fact that nearly everything in Kazakhstan is imported.

Basic food staples in Kazakhstan, such as milk, bread and cheese are incredibly cheap, but it can work out as quite pricey to try to have a more varied, Western diet. Most furniture and electronics are imported so you can expect to pay more here. Cars also don’t depreciate much in value so even if you get a second hand model, you will probably pay quite a lot more for it than you would back home.

The following is a list of commonly used products and services and their average price in Kazakhstan. The following figures are correct as from November 2016.

Groceries

Milk (1 litre, regular): 242 KZT ($0.70 USD)

Loaf of fresh white bread (500g): 89 KZT ($0.30 USD)

Eggs (12): 276 KZT ($0.80 USD)

Local cheese (1kg): 1,441 KZT ($4.30 USD)

Apples (1kg): 337 KZT ($1 USD)

Potatoes (1kg): 121 KZT ($0.36 USD)

Water (1.5 liter bottle): 140 KZT ($0.40 USD)

Bottle of wine (mid-range): 1,500 KZT ($4.50 USD)

Pack of cigarettes (Marlboro): 300 KZT ($0.90 USD)

Clothing And Shoes

Pair of jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar): 14,911 KZT ($45 USD)

Summer dress in a chain store (Zara, H&M, ...): 12,977 KZT ($39 USD)

Pair of Nike running shoes (mid-range): 21,896 KZT ($65 USD)

Pair of men leather business shoes: 28,900 KZT ($86 USD)

Transportation

One-way ticket (local transport) 80 KZT ($0.24 USD)

Taxi 1km (normal tariff) 110 KZT ($0.33 USD)

Petrol (1 litre) 127 KZT ($0.38 USD)

Rental Prices

Rental prices in Kazakhstan may not be as cheap as you would have expected, but if you take the time to look around you’ll find reasonable prices. Average rental prices in Kazakhstan’s main cities are found in our rental prices guide.

Further reading

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