Moving to Kazakhstan from Sweden

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Sweden to Kazakhstan, you would find that Kazakhstan is 48.3% cheaper than Sweden overall. A SEK740,000 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly KZT17,500,000 in Kazakhstan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Kazakh and Russian.

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Is Kazakhstan cheaper than Sweden?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 40.0% less

Groceries

pay 47.5% less

Transportation

pay 58.1% less

Housing

pay 54.4% less

Childcare

pay 10.3% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 56.9% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 SEK = 45.72 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.

What salary do you need in Kazakhstan?

What does your salary buy?

SEK740,000 → KZT17,500,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Kazakhstan

Calculate with your salary →

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 21% less than cities in Sweden.

Kazakhstan

Almaty 42%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Kazakhstan compared to Sweden.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

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

per 100,000 people per year

SE
2.1
KZ
12.2

Sweden performs better than Kazakhstan across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

SE
$7,770
KZ
$1,460
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

SE
44.1
KZ
37.5

Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kazakhstan leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SE
8.0
KZ
68.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SE
3.6t
KZ
12.6t

Sweden 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

SE
40.6
KZ
15.3
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SE
3.6%
KZ
34.6%

Sweden performs better than Kazakhstan across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

SE
8.7%
KZ
4.8%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

SE
$63,133
KZ
$14,692

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

SE
84.1 yrs
KZ
74.5 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SE
2.0
KZ
7.4

Sweden performs better than Kazakhstan across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Skatteverket (2016), Tax Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Kazakhstan vs Sweden

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Stockholm Rain: 21.5 in/yr (546 mm)
52° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Almaty Rain: 25.2 in/yr (641 mm)
58° / 39°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Stockholm Almaty
Jan–Mar 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) 36°/18°F (2°/-8°C)
Apr–Jun 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) 71°/51°F (22°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) 81°/59°F (27°/15°C)
Oct–Dec 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) 46°/27°F (8°/-3°C)
View all months
Month Stockholm Almaty
Jan 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) 30°/12°F (-1.3°/-11.1°C)
Feb 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) 32°/15°F (0.2°/-9.5°C)
Mar 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) 45°/28°F (7.1°/-2.4°C)
Apr 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) 62°/42°F (16.5°/5.6°C)
May 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) 71°/52°F (21.7°/10.9°C)
Jun 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C)
Jul 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.6°C)
Aug 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.3°C)
Sep 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) 74°/52°F (23.4°/11.0°C)
Oct 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) 61°/40°F (15.9°/4.6°C)
Nov 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) 43°/26°F (6.2°/-3.3°C)
Dec 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) 33°/16°F (0.4°/-8.8°C)

Data: Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Can you move from Sweden to Kazakhstan?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden 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.

Sweden passport

Sweden passport holder visiting Kazakhstan

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

Kazakhstan passport holder visiting Sweden

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

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 Sweden?

On average Kazakhstan is about 48% less expensive than Sweden, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Kazakhstan?

Budget about KZT4,375,000 for 3 months in Kazakhstan (based on a SEK740,000 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?

Sweden 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 Sweden.

How is healthcare in Kazakhstan compared to Sweden?

Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kazakhstan leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 37.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Kazakhstan, compared to 44.1 in Sweden. Kazakhstan scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).

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

The average high temperature in Almaty is 58°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Almaty receives around 25.2 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.

What language do they speak in Kazakhstan?

The official languages in Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.

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At a Glance

SE KZ
Population 10,596,620 20,843,754
Currency Swedish Krona (SEK) Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT)
Languages Swedish Kazakh, Russian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +46 +7
Time zones 1 2
Emergency number 112 112