Moving to United States from Kazakhstan

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Kazakhstan to United States — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Kazakhstan to United States, you would find that United States is 3.7 times more expensive than Kazakhstan overall. A KZT35,404,499 salary in Kazakhstan would need to be roughly $196,176 in United States to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Washington averages 66°F vs 46°F in Astana, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Kazakhstan to United States.

What does your salary buy?

KZT35,404,499 $196,176

To maintain the same standard of living in United States

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 3.0 times more

Groceries

pay 3.8 times more

Transportation

pay 2.7 times more

Housing

pay 5.1 times more

Childcare

pay 6.6 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.6 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 KZT = 0.0021 USD (July 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.

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 United States cost about 187% more than cities in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan

Almaty 34%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Kazakhstan to United States, and how the trend has changed.

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

How Kazakhstan and United States stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

KZ
2.6
US
6.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

KZ
12.2
US
14.2

Kazakhstan performs better than United States across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

KZ
$1,460
US
$13,473
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

KZ
40.3
US
36.1

Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

KZ
68.0
US
14.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

KZ
12.6t
US
13.6t

Kazakhstan generally does better on environment, though United States leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

KZ
14.9
US
37.8
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

KZ
34.1%
US
28.2%

United States performs significantly better than Kazakhstan across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

KZ
4.8%
US
3.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

KZ
$35,500
US
$73,600

Kazakhstan generally does better on employment & economy, though United States leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

KZ
72.5 yrs
US
80.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

KZ
19.2
US
5.2

United States performs significantly better than Kazakhstan across all family life metrics.

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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Washington Rain: 41.5 in/yr (1055 mm)
66° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Astana Washington
Jan–Mar 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) 75°/51°F (24°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) 85°/62°F (29°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) 57°/35°F (14°/2°C)
View all months
Month Astana Washington
Jan /-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C)
Feb 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C)
Mar 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C)
Apr 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C)
May 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C)
Jun 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C)
Jul 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C)
Aug 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C)
Sep 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C)
Oct 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C)
Nov 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C)
Dec 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°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 United States than Kazakhstan?

Day-to-day costs in United States run about 162% higher than Kazakhstan on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to United States?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a KZT35,404,499 comparable salary, that's around $49,044 in United States for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from United States?

With 37.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United States can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Kazakhstan and United States.

Is United States safe for expats?

Kazakhstan performs better than United States across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United States is 6.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.6 in Kazakhstan.

How is healthcare in United States compared to Kazakhstan?

Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United States, compared to 40.3 in Kazakhstan. United States scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kazakhstan: 80).

What's the weather like in United States compared to Kazakhstan?

The average high temperature in Washington is 66°F, compared to 46°F in Astana. Washington receives around 41.5 in of rainfall per year, while Astana gets 12.5 in.

What language do they speak in United States?

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

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At a Glance

KZ US
Population 19,398,331 337,341,954
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