Moving to Kazakhstan from New Zealand
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Zealand to Kazakhstan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New Zealand to Kazakhstan, you would find that Kazakhstan is 54.7% cheaper than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,152 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly KZT18,508,572 in Kazakhstan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Kazakh and Russian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Astana averages 46°F vs 62°F in Wellington, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from New Zealand to Kazakhstan.
What does your salary buy?
NZ$130,152 → KZT18,508,572
To maintain the same standard of living in Kazakhstan
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 55.9% less
Groceries
pay 51.7% less
Transportation
pay 57.7% less
Housing
pay 67.6% less
Childcare
pay 69.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 59.1% 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.
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 Kazakhstan cost about 34% less than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How New Zealand 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
New Zealand performs better than Kazakhstan across all safety metrics.
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 New Zealand leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
New Zealand 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
New Zealand performs 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
New Zealand generally does better on employment & economy, though Kazakhstan leads in top income tax 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
New Zealand performs better than Kazakhstan across all family life metrics.
Data: New Zealand Inland Revenue Department, 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 | Wellington | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) | 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) | 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) |
View all months
| Month | Wellington | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) | 9°/-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) | 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) |
| Mar | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) | 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) |
| Apr | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) |
| May | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) | 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) |
| Jun | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) | 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) |
| Jul | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) | 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) |
| Aug | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) | 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) |
| Sep | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) | 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) |
| Oct | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) | 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) |
| Nov | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) |
| Dec | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) | 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand 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.
New Zealand passport holder visiting Kazakhstan
Visa Free
Kazakhstan passport holder visiting New Zealand
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 New Zealand?
Generally yes: Kazakhstan runs about 48% cheaper than New Zealand 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 NZ$130,152 comparable salary, that's around KZT4,627,143 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 New Zealand and Kazakhstan.
Is Kazakhstan safe for expats?
New Zealand performs better than Kazakhstan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Kazakhstan is 2.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in New Zealand.
How is healthcare in Kazakhstan compared to New Zealand?
Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in health coverage index. There are 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Kazakhstan, compared to 35.7 in New Zealand. Kazakhstan scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in Kazakhstan compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Astana is 46°F, compared to 62°F in Wellington. Astana receives around 12.5 in of rainfall per year, while Wellington gets 37.7 in.
What language do they speak in Kazakhstan?
The official languages in Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
