Moving to South Carolina from Kazakhstan

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Kazakhstan to South Carolina? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Kazakhstan to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 3.5 times more expensive than Kazakhstan overall. A KZT34,570,541 salary in Kazakhstan would need to be roughly $162,294 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbia averages 66°F vs 46°F in Astana, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Kazakhstan and South Carolina.

What does your salary buy?

KZT34,570,541 $162,294

To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 3.1 times more

Groceries

pay 3.9 times more

Transportation

pay 2.2 times more

Housing

pay 4.8 times more

Childcare

pay 6.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.1 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 KZT = 0.0022 USD (August 2026)

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 South Carolina.

Moved in 2023
2,570 ↑ 57% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in South Carolina compared to Kazakhstan.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

KZ
21.0%
SC
35.4%

Kazakhstan performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

KZ
86.0%
SC
87.0%

South Carolina performs significantly better than Kazakhstan across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

KZ
4.8%
SC
4.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

KZ
$35,500
SC
$49,914

Kazakhstan generally does better on employment & economy, though South Carolina leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

KZ
72.5 yrs
SC
74.8 yrs

South Carolina 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.

Astana Rain: 12.5 in/yr (318 mm)
46° / 25°F

Avg. annual high / low

Columbia Rain: 46.3 in/yr (1175 mm)
66° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Astana Columbia
Jan–Mar 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) 76°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) 86°/65°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) 55°/36°F (13°/2°C)
View all months
Month Astana Columbia
Jan /-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C)
Feb 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C)
Mar 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C)
Apr 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C)
May 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C)
Jun 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C)
Jul 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C)
Aug 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C)
Sep 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C)
Oct 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C)
Nov 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C)
Dec 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C)

Data: Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, National Weather Service 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

Kazakhstan passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Kazakhstan passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Kazakhstan

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Kazakhstan without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in South Carolina than Kazakhstan?

On average South Carolina is around 116% pricier than Kazakhstan, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to South Carolina?

Budget about $40,574 for 3 months in South Carolina (based on a KZT34,570,541 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from South Carolina?

From major South Carolina cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Kazakhstan and South Carolina are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Kazakhstan?

Kazakhstan performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Kazakhstan?

The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 46°F in Astana. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Astana gets 12.5 in.

What language do they speak in South Carolina?

The official language in South Carolina is English. In Kazakhstan, the official languages are Kazakh and Russian.

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At a Glance

KZ
Population 19,398,331 4,625,364
Currency Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Kazakh, Russian English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +7 +1
Time zones 2 11
Emergency number 112 911