Moving to Russia from Kazakhstan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Kazakhstan to Russia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Kazakhstan to Russia, you would find that Russia is 35.1% more expensive than Kazakhstan overall. A KZT35,393,750 salary in Kazakhstan would need to be roughly RUB7,680,069 in Russia to maintain the same lifestyle.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Kazakhstan and Russia.
What does your salary buy?
KZT35,393,750 → RUB7,680,069
To maintain the same standard of living in Russia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 15.6% more
Groceries
pay 34.6% more
Transportation
pay 33.5% more
Housing
pay 32.6% more
Childcare
pay 71.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 29.0% 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 Russia cost about 47% more than cities in Kazakhstan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Kazakhstan to Russia.
Who's moving to Russia?
Top countries of origin for Russia's foreign-born residents.
- 3,268,263
-
2.2,558,907
Kazakhstan
- 1,146,175
- 766,918
- 763,879
- 591,025
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Russia 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 Russia leads in road traffic deaths.
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 performs better than Russia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
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 Russia leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Russia 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
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Kazakhstan generally does better on employment & economy, though Russia 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 Russia leads in infant mortality.
Data: Tax Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 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 | Astana | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Astana | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9°/-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) |
| Feb | 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) |
| Mar | 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) |
| May | 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) |
| Jun | 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) |
| Aug | 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) |
| Sep | 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) |
| Nov | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) |
| Dec | 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan,
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kazakhstan and Russia. To live, work, or study long-term in Russia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Russia's immigration authority.
Kazakhstan passport holder visiting Russia
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Russia 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 Russia than Kazakhstan?
On average Russia is around 33% pricier than Kazakhstan, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Russia?
Budget about RUB1,920,017 for 3 months in Russia (based on a KZT35,393,750 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Russia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Russia: 24.8 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Russia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Russia safe for expats?
Kazakhstan generally does better on safety, though Russia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Russia is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.6 in Kazakhstan.
How is healthcare in Russia compared to Kazakhstan?
Kazakhstan performs better than Russia across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 38.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Russia, compared to 40.3 in Kazakhstan. Russia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kazakhstan: 80).
What's the weather like in Russia compared to Kazakhstan?
The average high temperature in Moscow is 48°F, compared to 46°F in Astana. Moscow receives around 27.2 in of rainfall per year, while Astana gets 12.5 in.
What language do they speak in Russia?
The official language in Russia is Russian. In Kazakhstan, the official languages are Kazakh and Russian.
