Moving to Kazakhstan from United States
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from United States to Kazakhstan — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from United States to Kazakhstan, you would find that Kazakhstan is 60.7% cheaper than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly KZT13,535,376 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 66°F in Washington, making it significantly cooler.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from United States to Kazakhstan.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → KZT13,535,376
To maintain the same standard of living in Kazakhstan
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 63.7% less
Groceries
pay 58.0% less
Transportation
pay 56.6% less
Housing
pay 79.7% less
Childcare
pay 83.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 66.7% 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 65% less than cities in United States.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from United States to Kazakhstan.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Kazakhstan performs significantly better than United States 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 United States leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
United States 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
United States 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
United States 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
United States performs better than Kazakhstan across all family life metrics.
Data: Internal 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 | Washington | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 9°/-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting Kazakhstan
Visa Free
Kazakhstan passport holder visiting United States
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 United States?
Yes — Kazakhstan is on average about 62% cheaper than United States. 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 KZT3,383,844 in Kazakhstan on a $75,000 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?
Kazakhstan performs significantly better than United States across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Kazakhstan is 2.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.4 in United States.
How is healthcare in Kazakhstan compared to United States?
Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index. There are 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Kazakhstan, compared to 36.1 in United States. Kazakhstan scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United States: 86).
What's the weather like in Kazakhstan compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Astana is 46°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Astana receives around 12.5 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in Kazakhstan?
The official languages in Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian. In United States, the official language is English.
