Moving to Kyrgyzstan from Kazakhstan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan, you would find that Kyrgyzstan is 18.7% cheaper than Kazakhstan overall. A KZT34,000,000 salary in Kazakhstan would need to be roughly KGS5,320,000 in Kyrgyzstan to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bishkek averages 90°F vs 46°F in Astana, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
What does your salary buy?
KZT34,000,000 → KGS5,320,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Kyrgyzstan
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 35.3% less
Groceries
pay 28.5% less
Transportation
pay 5.6% less
Housing
pay 9.7% less
Childcare
pay 25.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.3% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan.
Who's moving to Kyrgyzstan?
Top countries of origin for Kyrgyzstan's foreign-born residents.
- 108,854
- 26,066
-
3.12,599
Kazakhstan
- 9,684
- 8,940
- 4,554
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Kyrgyzstan compared to Kazakhstan.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Kazakhstan generally does better on safety, though Kyrgyzstan leads in homicide rate.
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 Kyrgyzstan 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
Kazakhstan generally does better on environment, though Kyrgyzstan leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Kazakhstan performs better than Kyrgyzstan 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
Kazakhstan generally does better on employment & economy, though Kyrgyzstan leads in unemployment 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Kazakhstan generally does better on family life, though Kyrgyzstan leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2018). 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 | Astana | Bishkek |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) | 73°/-9°F (23°/-22°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) | 98°/28°F (36°/-2°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) | 105°/40°F (40°/5°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) | 83°/-5°F (28°/-21°C) |
View all months
| Month | Astana | Bishkek |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9°/-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) | 67°/-13°F (19.2°/-25.0°C) |
| Feb | 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) | 68°/-10°F (20.2°/-23.2°C) |
| Mar | 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) | 85°/-3°F (29.4°/-19.2°C) |
| Apr | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) | 91°/18°F (33.0°/-7.5°C) |
| May | 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) | 96°/25°F (35.6°/-4.0°C) |
| Jun | 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) | 106°/40°F (40.9°/4.2°C) |
| Jul | 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) | 109°/50°F (42.8°/9.9°C) |
| Aug | 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) | 105°/39°F (40.5°/3.8°C) |
| Sep | 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) | 100°/32°F (37.9°/0.1°C) |
| Oct | 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) | 94°/12°F (34.2°/-11.2°C) |
| Nov | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) | 82°/-10°F (27.9°/-23.3°C) |
| Dec | 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) | 72°/-17°F (22.1°/-27.1°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzhydromet
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. To live, work, or study long-term in Kyrgyzstan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Kyrgyzstan's immigration authority.
Kazakhstan passport holder visiting Kyrgyzstan
Visa Free
Kyrgyzstan 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 Kyrgyzstan than Kazakhstan?
On average Kyrgyzstan is about 19% less expensive than Kazakhstan, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Kyrgyzstan?
Budget about KGS1,330,000 for 3 months in Kyrgyzstan (based on a KZT34,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Kyrgyzstan?
Connectivity is usually fine (Kyrgyzstan: 7.8 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Kyrgyzstan offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Kyrgyzstan safe for expats?
Kazakhstan generally does better on safety, though Kyrgyzstan leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Kyrgyzstan is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.5 in Kazakhstan.
How is healthcare in Kyrgyzstan compared to Kazakhstan?
Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kyrgyzstan leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 15.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Kyrgyzstan, compared to 37.5 in Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan scores 69 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kazakhstan: 80).
What's the weather like in Kyrgyzstan compared to Kazakhstan?
The average high temperature in Bishkek is 90°F, compared to 46°F in Astana. Bishkek receives around 17.8 in of rainfall per year, while Astana gets 12.5 in.
What language do they speak in Kyrgyzstan?
The official languages in Kyrgyzstan are Kyrgyz and Russian. In Kazakhstan, the official languages are Kazakh and Russian.
