Moving to Kazakhstan from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Kazakhstan? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Kazakhstan, you would find that Kazakhstan is 32.3% cheaper than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,865 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly KZT23,456,618 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 92°F in Riyadh, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,865 → KZT23,456,618
To maintain the same standard of living in Kazakhstan
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 19.0% more
Groceries
pay 32.2% less
Transportation
pay 42.2% less
Housing
pay 50.4% less
Childcare
pay 39.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 61.5% 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 31% less than cities in Saudi Arabia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Kazakhstan compared to Saudi Arabia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Kazakhstan leads in road traffic deaths.
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 Saudi Arabia leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Kazakhstan performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Kazakhstan leads in water stress level.
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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on employment & economy, though Kazakhstan leads in unemployment 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on family life, though Kazakhstan leads in literacy rate.
Data: Department of Zakat and Income Tax, 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 | Riyadh | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 9°/-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia 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.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Kazakhstan
Visa Free
Kazakhstan passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa on ArrivalData: 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 Saudi Arabia?
On average Kazakhstan is about 34% less expensive than Saudi Arabia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Kazakhstan?
Budget about KZT5,864,154 for 3 months in Kazakhstan (based on a SAR281,865 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: 14.9 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?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Kazakhstan leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Kazakhstan is 2.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Kazakhstan compared to Saudi Arabia?
Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in suicide rate. There are 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Kazakhstan, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Kazakhstan scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Kazakhstan compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Astana is 46°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Astana receives around 12.5 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Kazakhstan?
The official languages in Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
