Moving to Kazakhstan from Japan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Japan to Kazakhstan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Japan to Kazakhstan, you would find that Kazakhstan is 28.8% cheaper than Japan overall. A ¥12,000,000 salary in Japan would need to be roughly KZT24,500,000 in Kazakhstan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Kazakh and Russian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Astana averages 46°F vs 69°F in Tokyo, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Japan to Kazakhstan.
What does your salary buy?
¥12,000,000 → KZT24,500,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Kazakhstan
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 29.6% more
Groceries
pay 43.8% less
Transportation
pay 41.3% less
Housing
pay 30.3% less
Childcare
pay 45.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 38.3% 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.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Kazakhstan cost about 6% more than cities in Japan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Japan and Kazakhstan stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Japan 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
Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Japan 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
Japan generally does better on infrastructure, though Kazakhstan leads in water stress level.
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
Japan 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
Japan generally does better on family life, though Kazakhstan leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Tax Agency Japan (2016), Tax Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2016), The World Factbook (2013). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Tokyo | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 9°/-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) |
Data:
Japan Meteorological Agency,
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan 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.
Japan passport holder visiting Kazakhstan
Visa Free
Kazakhstan passport holder visiting Japan
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 Japan?
Generally yes: Kazakhstan runs about 29% cheaper than Japan on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Kazakhstan?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ¥12,000,000 comparable salary, that's around KZT6,125,000 in Kazakhstan for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Kazakhstan?
With 15.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Kazakhstan can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Japan and Kazakhstan.
Is Kazakhstan safe for expats?
Japan performs better than Kazakhstan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Kazakhstan is 2.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Japan.
How is healthcare in Kazakhstan compared to Japan?
Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in health coverage index. There are 37.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Kazakhstan, compared to 26.5 in Japan. Kazakhstan scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in Kazakhstan compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Astana is 46°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Astana receives around 12.5 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in Kazakhstan?
The official languages in Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
