Moving to Iowa from Kazakhstan
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Kazakhstan to Iowa — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Kazakhstan to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 3.1 times more expensive than Kazakhstan overall. A KZT34,570,541 salary in Kazakhstan would need to be roughly $137,604 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Des Moines averages 60°F vs 46°F in Astana, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Kazakhstan to Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
KZT34,570,541 → $137,604
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.7 times more
Groceries
pay 3.2 times more
Transportation
pay 2.0 times more
Housing
pay 3.8 times more
Childcare
pay 5.4 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.3 times more
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 Iowa cost about 80% more than cities in Kazakhstan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Kazakhstan to Iowa, based on official data.
people moved from Kazakhstan to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
107.36,353
Kazakhstan
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Kazakhstan to Iowa.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Kazakhstan performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Iowa performs significantly 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
share of people below the poverty line
Iowa generally does better on employment & economy, though Kazakhstan leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Iowa performs significantly better than Kazakhstan across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Astana | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Astana | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9°/-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kazakhstan and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Kazakhstan passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Kazakhstan
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than Kazakhstan?
No — Iowa is on average about 83% more expensive than Kazakhstan. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $34,401 in Iowa on a KZT34,570,541 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Iowa?
Usually fine from major cities in Iowa. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Kazakhstan?
Kazakhstan performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Kazakhstan?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 46°F in Astana. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Astana gets 12.5 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
The official language in Iowa is English. In Kazakhstan, the official languages are Kazakh and Russian.
