Moving to Kazakhstan from Romania

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Romania to Kazakhstan, you would find that Kazakhstan is 11.0% cheaper than Romania overall. A RON360,000 salary in Romania would need to be roughly KZT30,600,000 in Kazakhstan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Kazakh and Russian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Astana averages 46°F vs 63°F in Bucharest, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Romania and Kazakhstan.

What does your salary buy?

RON360,000 → KZT30,600,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Kazakhstan

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 14.3% less

Groceries

pay 0.9% less

Transportation

pay 32.4% less

Housing

pay 3.0% less

Childcare

pay 36.5% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 21.5% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 RON = 95.35 KZT (October 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 Kazakhstan cost about 12% more than cities in Romania.

Romania

Brasov 39%
Timisoara 37%
Bacau 34%

Kazakhstan

Almaty 42%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Kazakhstan compared to Romania.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

RO
1.1
KZ
2.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

RO
9.6
KZ
12.2

Romania performs better than Kazakhstan across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

RO
$2,614
KZ
$1,460
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

RO
36.2
KZ
37.5

Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in suicide rate.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

RO
46.0
KZ
68.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

RO
3.7t
KZ
12.6t

Romania performs better than Kazakhstan across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

RO
35.8
KZ
15.3
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

RO
7.6%
KZ
34.6%

Romania generally does better on infrastructure, though Kazakhstan leads in electricity per capita.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

RO
6.0%
KZ
4.8%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

RO
$22,538
KZ
$14,692

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

RO
76.5 yrs
KZ
74.5 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

RO
6.0
KZ
7.4

Romania generally does better on family life, though Kazakhstan leads in education spending.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016), Tax Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2016), The World Factbook (2018). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Bucharest Rain: 23.4 in/yr (594 mm)
63° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Bucharest Astana
Jan–Mar 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) 65°/41°F (18°/5°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) 74°/50°F (23°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C)
View all months
Month Bucharest Astana
Jan 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) 9°/-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C)
Feb 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C)
Mar 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C)
Apr 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C)
May 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C)
Jun 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C)
Jul 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C)
Aug 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C)
Sep 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C)
Oct 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C)
Nov 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C)
Dec 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C)

Data: National Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Administration, Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Romania 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.

Romania passport

Romania passport holder visiting Kazakhstan

Visa Free
Romania passport holders can enter Kazakhstan without a visa.
Kazakhstan passport

Kazakhstan passport holder visiting Romania

Visa Required
Kazakhstan passport holders need a visa to enter Romania.

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 Kazakhstan than Romania?

On average Kazakhstan is about 11% less expensive than Romania, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Kazakhstan?

Budget about KZT7,650,000 for 3 months in Kazakhstan (based on a RON360,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Kazakhstan?

Connectivity is usually fine (Kazakhstan: 15.3 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Kazakhstan offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Kazakhstan safe for expats?

Romania performs better than Kazakhstan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Kazakhstan is 2.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Romania.

How is healthcare in Kazakhstan compared to Romania?

Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in suicide rate. There are 37.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Kazakhstan, compared to 36.2 in Romania. Kazakhstan scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Romania: 78).

What's the weather like in Kazakhstan compared to Romania?

The average high temperature in Astana is 46°F, compared to 63°F in Bucharest. Astana receives around 12.5 in of rainfall per year, while Bucharest gets 23.4 in.

What language do they speak in Kazakhstan?

The official languages in Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian. In Romania, the official language is Romanian.

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At a Glance

RO KZ
Population 19,020,271 20,843,754
Currency Romanian Leu (RON) Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT)
Languages Romanian Kazakh, Russian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +40 +7
Time zones 1 2
Emergency number 112 112