Moving to Kazakhstan from Turkey

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Turkey to Kazakhstan — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Turkey to Kazakhstan, you would find that Kazakhstan is 28.0% cheaper than Turkey overall. A TRY3,523,838 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly KZT22,546,291 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 64°F in Ankara, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Turkey to Kazakhstan.

What does your salary buy?

TRY3,523,838 KZT22,546,291

To maintain the same standard of living in Kazakhstan

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 11.6% less

Groceries

pay 7.9% less

Transportation

pay 45.3% less

Housing

pay 22.4% less

Childcare

pay 60.5% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 35.2% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 TRY = 10.04 KZT (July 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 35% less than cities in Turkey.

Turkey

Istanbul 49%

Kazakhstan

Almaty 34%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Turkey to Kazakhstan, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
49,353 ↑ 5% vs 2015

people born in Turkey live in Kazakhstan · UN DESA

Who's moving to Kazakhstan?

Top countries of origin for Kazakhstan's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Turkey and Kazakhstan stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

TR
2.7
KZ
2.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

TR
6.5
KZ
12.2

Turkey generally does better on safety, though Kazakhstan leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

TR
$1,769
KZ
$1,460
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

TR
21.7
KZ
40.3

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

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

TR
39.0
KZ
68.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

TR
5.4t
KZ
12.6t

Turkey performs better than Kazakhstan across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

TR
22.3
KZ
14.9
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

TR
43.4%
KZ
34.1%

Kazakhstan generally does better on infrastructure, though Turkey leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

TR
9.4%
KZ
4.8%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

TR
$34,400
KZ
$35,500

Kazakhstan performs significantly better than Turkey across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

TR
76.2 yrs
KZ
72.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

TR
19.4
KZ
19.2

Kazakhstan generally does better on family life, though Turkey leads in life expectancy.

Data: Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Ankara Rain: 15.0 in/yr (382 mm)
64° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Ankara Astana
Jan–Mar 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) 65°/41°F (18°/5°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) 74°/50°F (23°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C)
View all months
Month Ankara Astana
Jan 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) /-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C)
Feb 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C)
Mar 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C)
Apr 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C)
May 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C)
Jun 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C)
Jul 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C)
Aug 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C)
Sep 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C)
Oct 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C)
Nov 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C)
Dec 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C)

Data: Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service, 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 Turkey 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.

Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting Kazakhstan

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

Kazakhstan passport holder visiting Turkey

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

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 Turkey?

Generally yes: Kazakhstan runs about 36% cheaper than Turkey on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Kazakhstan?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a TRY3,523,838 comparable salary, that's around KZT5,636,573 in Kazakhstan for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Kazakhstan?

With 14.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Kazakhstan can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Turkey and Kazakhstan.

Is Kazakhstan safe for expats?

Turkey 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 2.7 in Turkey.

How is healthcare in Kazakhstan compared to Turkey?

Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in suicide rate. There are 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Kazakhstan, compared to 21.7 in Turkey. Kazakhstan scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).

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

The average high temperature in Astana is 46°F, compared to 64°F in Ankara. Astana receives around 12.5 in of rainfall per year, while Ankara gets 15.0 in.

What language do they speak in Kazakhstan?

The official languages in Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.

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At a Glance

TR KZ
Population 83,047,706 19,398,331
Currency Turkish Lira (TRY) Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT)
Languages Turkish Kazakh, Russian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +90 +7
Time zones 1 2
Emergency number 112 112