Moving to Kazakhstan from Iceland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Iceland to Kazakhstan? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Iceland to Kazakhstan, you would find that Kazakhstan is 70.1% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,402,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly KZT9,490,294 in Kazakhstan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Kazakh and Russian.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Iceland and Kazakhstan.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,402,000 → KZT9,490,294
To maintain the same standard of living in Kazakhstan
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 75.3% less
Groceries
pay 67.0% less
Transportation
pay 73.8% less
Housing
pay 74.8% less
Childcare
pay 67.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 75.7% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Kazakhstan compared to Iceland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland performs better than Kazakhstan across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kazakhstan leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Iceland performs better than Kazakhstan across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Iceland performs better than Kazakhstan across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though Kazakhstan leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Iceland performs better than Kazakhstan across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate of Internal Revenue, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Reykjavik | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 9°/-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland and Kazakhstan. To live, work, or study long-term in Kazakhstan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Kazakhstan's immigration authority.
Iceland passport holder visiting Kazakhstan
Visa Free
Kazakhstan passport holder visiting Iceland
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kazakhstan than Iceland?
On average Kazakhstan is about 73% less expensive than Iceland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Kazakhstan?
Budget about KZT2,372,574 for 3 months in Kazakhstan (based on a ISK9,402,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Kazakhstan?
Connectivity is usually fine (Kazakhstan: 14.9 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Kazakhstan offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Kazakhstan safe for expats?
Iceland performs better than Kazakhstan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Kazakhstan is 2.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Kazakhstan compared to Iceland?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kazakhstan leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Kazakhstan, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Kazakhstan scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Kazakhstan compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Astana is 46°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Astana receives around 12.5 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Kazakhstan?
The official languages in Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
