Moving to Kazakhstan from Russia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Russia to Kazakhstan — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Russia to Kazakhstan, you would find that Kazakhstan is 20.8% cheaper than Russia overall. A RUB5,776,862 salary in Russia would need to be roughly KZT26,622,707 in Kazakhstan to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Russia to Kazakhstan.
What does your salary buy?
RUB5,776,862 → KZT26,622,707
To maintain the same standard of living in Kazakhstan
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 12.6% less
Groceries
pay 23.4% less
Transportation
pay 17.5% less
Housing
pay 6.4% less
Childcare
pay 41.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.7% 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 32% less than cities in Russia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Russia to Kazakhstan, based on official data.
Who's moving to Kazakhstan?
Top countries of origin for Kazakhstan's foreign-born residents.
-
1.2,476,018
Russia
- 355,751
- 296,511
- 72,761
- 64,829
- 50,912
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Russia to Kazakhstan.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Russia 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 Russia 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
Russia generally does better on environment, though Kazakhstan leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Russia 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
share of people below the poverty line
Russia 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Kazakhstan generally does better on family life, though Russia leads in infant mortality.
Data: Federal Tax Service of Russia, 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 | Moscow | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) | 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) | 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) |
View all months
| Month | Moscow | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) | 9°/-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) |
| Feb | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) | 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) |
| Mar | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) | 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) |
| Apr | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) |
| May | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) | 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) |
| Jun | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) | 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) |
| Jul | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) | 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) | 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) |
| Sep | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) | 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) |
| Oct | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) | 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) |
| Nov | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) |
| Dec | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) | 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) |
Data:
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring,
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Russia 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.
Russia passport holder visiting Kazakhstan
Visa Free
Kazakhstan passport holder visiting Russia
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 Russia?
Yes — Kazakhstan is on average about 25% cheaper than Russia. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Kazakhstan?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly KZT6,655,677 in Kazakhstan on a RUB5,776,862 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Kazakhstan?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Kazakhstan has 14.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Kazakhstan safe for expats?
Russia 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 6.8 in Russia.
How is healthcare in Kazakhstan compared to Russia?
Kazakhstan performs significantly better than Russia across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Kazakhstan, compared to 38.3 in Russia. Kazakhstan scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).
What's the weather like in Kazakhstan compared to Russia?
The average high temperature in Astana is 46°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Astana receives around 12.5 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.
What language do they speak in Kazakhstan?
The official languages in Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian. In Russia, the official language is Russian.
