Moving to Kazakhstan from Latvia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Latvia to Kazakhstan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Latvia to Kazakhstan, you would find that Kazakhstan is 46.0% cheaper than Latvia overall. A €65,700 salary in Latvia would need to be roughly KZT22,450,964 in Kazakhstan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Kazakh and Russian.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Latvia to Kazakhstan.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → KZT22,450,964
To maintain the same standard of living in Kazakhstan
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 46.3% less
Groceries
pay 35.6% less
Transportation
pay 48.4% less
Housing
pay 41.6% less
Childcare
pay 67.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 54.0% 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?
Real numbers on people moving from Latvia to Kazakhstan, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Kazakhstan?
Top countries of origin for Kazakhstan's foreign-born residents.
- 2,476,018
- 355,751
- 296,511
- 72,761
- 64,829
- 50,912
- · · ·
-
17.1,170
Latvia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Latvia and Kazakhstan stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Latvia generally does better on safety, though Kazakhstan 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 performs significantly better than Latvia 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
Latvia performs better than Kazakhstan across all environment metrics.
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
Latvia generally does better on infrastructure, though Kazakhstan leads in electricity per capita.
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 Latvia leads in gdp per capita.
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
Latvia performs better than Kazakhstan across all family life metrics.
Data: State Revenue Service, Latvia, 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 | Riga | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) | 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) | 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) | 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riga | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) | 9°/-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) |
| Feb | 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) | 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) |
| Mar | 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) | 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) |
| Apr | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) |
| May | 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) | 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) |
| Jun | 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) | 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) | 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) |
| Aug | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) | 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) |
| Sep | 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) | 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) |
| Oct | 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) | 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) |
| Nov | 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) |
| Dec | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) | 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) |
Data:
Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre,
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Latvia and Kazakhstan. To live, work, or study long-term in Kazakhstan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Kazakhstan's immigration authority.
Latvia passport holder visiting Kazakhstan
Visa Free
Kazakhstan passport holder visiting Latvia
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kazakhstan than Latvia?
Generally yes: Kazakhstan runs about 37% cheaper than Latvia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Kazakhstan?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,700 comparable salary, that's around KZT5,612,741 in Kazakhstan for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Kazakhstan?
With 14.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Kazakhstan can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Latvia and Kazakhstan.
Is Kazakhstan safe for expats?
Latvia generally does better on safety, though Kazakhstan leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Kazakhstan is 2.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.6 in Latvia.
How is healthcare in Kazakhstan compared to Latvia?
Kazakhstan performs significantly better than Latvia across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Kazakhstan, compared to 33.8 in Latvia. Kazakhstan scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Latvia: 75).
What's the weather like in Kazakhstan compared to Latvia?
The average high temperature in Astana is 46°F, compared to 50°F in Riga. Astana receives around 12.5 in of rainfall per year, while Riga gets 24.9 in.
What language do they speak in Kazakhstan?
The official languages in Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian. In Latvia, the official language is Latvian.
