Moving to Kazakhstan from South Africa
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Africa to Kazakhstan? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Africa to Kazakhstan, you would find that Kazakhstan is 21.2% cheaper than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,233,188 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly KZT30,762,261 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 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between South Africa and Kazakhstan.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,233,188 → KZT30,762,261
To maintain the same standard of living in Kazakhstan
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 17.6% less
Groceries
pay 21.2% less
Transportation
pay 42.7% less
Housing
pay 44.0% less
Childcare
pay 8.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 25.7% 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 8% less than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Kazakhstan compared to South Africa.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Kazakhstan performs significantly better than South Africa 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 South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
South Africa 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
Kazakhstan performs significantly better than South Africa 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
Kazakhstan performs significantly better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
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 South Africa leads in education spending.
Data: South African Revenue Service, 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 | Pretoria | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 9°/-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa 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.
South Africa passport holder visiting Kazakhstan
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Kazakhstan passport holder visiting South Africa
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 South Africa?
On average Kazakhstan is about 13% less expensive than South Africa, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Kazakhstan?
Budget about KZT7,690,565 for 3 months in Kazakhstan (based on a ZAR1,233,188 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?
Kazakhstan performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Kazakhstan is 2.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Kazakhstan compared to South Africa?
Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Kazakhstan, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Kazakhstan scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Kazakhstan compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Astana is 46°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Astana receives around 12.5 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Kazakhstan?
The official languages in Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Kazakhstan
At a Glance
ZA
|
KZ
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 19,398,331 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Kazakh, Russian |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +7 |
| Time zones | 1 | 2 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 112 |