How Kazakhstan compares across key indices
Cost of Living
38 vs NYC
100 = NYC
Safety Index
79/100
Healthcare
59/100
Quality of Life
162/200
How far your money goes in Kazakhstan
Cost of Living
38
100 = NYC baseline
Rent Index
28
100 = NYC rent
Groceries
38
100 = NYC groceries
Restaurant Prices
39
100 = NYC dining
How safe residents feel in Kazakhstan - based on surveys of people living there
Safety Index
79/100
Crime Index
10/100
Lower is better
0 point drop from day to night
Kazakhstan has 83 modeled cities; this view starts with 40 curated or popular options. Monthly costs for a single person range from $743 in Shchuchinsk to $919 in Astana. Shchuchinsk leads on safety, scoring 83/100. Shchuchinsk ranks highest for quality of life at 169/200.
Shchuchinsk
$743/mo
Shchuchinsk
83/100
Shchuchinsk
169/200
Almaty
67/100
| City | Monthly Cost | Safety | Quality of Life | Healthcare | Pollution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astana | $919 | 77/100 | 166/200 | 66/100 | 43 |
| Almaty | $889 | 75/100 | 165/200 | 67/100 | 46 |
| Shymkent | $869 | 76/100 | 165/200 | 65/100 | 45 |
| Aktobe | $834 | 78/100 | 166/200 | 63/100 | 41 |
| Karagandy | $834 | 78/100 | 166/200 | 63/100 | 41 |
| Taraz | $821 | 79/100 | 166/200 | 62/100 | 40 |
| Kyzylorda | $821 | 79/100 | 166/200 | 61/100 | 40 |
| Oral | $818 | 79/100 | 167/200 | 61/100 | 39 |
| Pavlodar | $818 | 79/100 | 167/200 | 61/100 | 39 |
| Ust-Kamenogorsk | $817 | 79/100 | 167/200 | 61/100 | 39 |
| Semey | $813 | 79/100 | 167/200 | 61/100 | 39 |
| Atyrau | $813 | 79/100 | 167/200 | 61/100 | 39 |
| Turkestan | $803 | 80/100 | 167/200 | 60/100 | 38 |
| Kostanay | $800 | 80/100 | 167/200 | 60/100 | 38 |
| Petropavl | $798 | 80/100 | 167/200 | 60/100 | 38 |
| Temirtau | $792 | 80/100 | 167/200 | 59/100 | 37 |
| Kokshetau | $787 | 81/100 | 167/200 | 59/100 | 36 |
| Aktau | $786 | 81/100 | 167/200 | 59/100 | 36 |
| Rudnyy | $779 | 81/100 | 168/200 | 58/100 | 36 |
| Ekibastuz | $778 | 81/100 | 168/200 | 58/100 | 36 |
| Taldykorgan | $776 | 81/100 | 168/200 | 58/100 | 35 |
| Zhezqazghan | $772 | 82/100 | 168/200 | 58/100 | 35 |
| Zhanaozen | $772 | 82/100 | 168/200 | 57/100 | 35 |
| Balqash | $762 | 82/100 | 168/200 | 57/100 | 34 |
| Sarqant | $761 | 82/100 | 168/200 | 57/100 | 34 |
| Baikonur | $757 | 82/100 | 168/200 | 56/100 | 33 |
| Satpayev | $757 | 82/100 | 168/200 | 56/100 | 33 |
| Kentau | $749 | 83/100 | 168/200 | 56/100 | 33 |
| Ridder | $745 | 83/100 | 169/200 | 55/100 | 32 |
| Qulsary | $744 | 83/100 | 169/200 | 55/100 | 32 |
| Shchuchinsk | $743 | 83/100 | 169/200 | 55/100 | 32 |
| Stepnogorsk | $743 | 83/100 | 169/200 | 55/100 | 32 |
| Altay | $743 | 83/100 | 169/200 | 55/100 | 32 |
| Aksu | $743 | 83/100 | 169/200 | 55/100 | 32 |
| Zhitikara | $743 | 83/100 | 169/200 | 55/100 | 32 |
| Saran | $743 | 83/100 | 169/200 | 55/100 | 32 |
| Talghar | $743 | 83/100 | 169/200 | 55/100 | 32 |
| Konayev | $743 | 83/100 | 169/200 | 55/100 | 32 |
| Arkalyk | $743 | 83/100 | 169/200 | 55/100 | 32 |
| Shakhtinsk | $743 | 83/100 | 169/200 | 55/100 | 32 |
Freedom Abroad estimates are modeled for a single person including rent. Pollution: lower score = cleaner air. Click column headers to sort.
Compare Cities Side by Side
Detailed comparison of cost of living, safety, and quality of life
Verified school profiles for families comparing language model, grade range, credentials, and admissions next steps in Kazakhstan. Tuition appears only when published in verified public sources.
50
Verified records
7
Cities covered
7
Credential signals
Ages and grades
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Ages and grades
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Ages and grades
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Ages and grades
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Ages and grades
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Primary, Middle school, High school
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Ages and grades
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Primary, Middle school, High school
Tuition
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Ages and grades
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Primary, High school
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Astana
Ages and grades
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High school, International curriculum
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Ages and grades
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Primary, Middle school
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Ages and grades
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Primary, Middle school
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Ages and grades
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Primary, Middle school
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Almaty
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Almaty
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Almaty
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Astana
Ages and grades
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High school
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Astana
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High school
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Atyrau
Ages and grades
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High school
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Atyrau
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High school
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International curriculum
Tuition
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Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
International curriculum
Tuition
Contact school
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Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
International curriculum
Tuition
Contact school
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Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
Primary, Middle school, High school
Tuition
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Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
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Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
International curriculum
Tuition
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Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
International curriculum
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Almaty
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High school
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Almaty
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High school
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Almaty
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High school
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Nur-Sultan
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
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Nur-Sultan
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
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Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
International curriculum
Tuition
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Astana
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
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Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
International curriculum
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Nur-Sultan
Ages and grades
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High school
Tuition
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Astana
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
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Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
International curriculum
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Almaty City
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
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Shymkent
Ages and grades
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High school
Tuition
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Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
International curriculum
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Almaty
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
International curriculum
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Almaty
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
International curriculum
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Almaty
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Astana
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
Primary, Middle school, High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
Middle school, High school
Tuition
Contact school
Confirm current fees directly with the school.
Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
Primary
Tuition
Contact school
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Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
Middle school
Tuition
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Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
Primary
Tuition
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School records are maintained from direct school pages, public credential directories, public registry claims, and carefully labeled directory/community sources. Admissions, seat availability, and tuition can change quickly, so Freedom Abroad treats unpublished costs as “Contact school” instead of estimating.
Healthcare system overview for Kazakhstan
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Air quality, water, and environmental conditions in Kazakhstan
Pollution Index
40/100
Lower is better
PM2.5
20.0ug/m3
Moderate
Based on 0 survey responses. Perception scores are 0–100 where higher is better unless noted.
Common questions about living in Kazakhstan, answered with data
Kazakhstan has a cost of living index of 38 relative to New York City (100). It is significantly cheaper than the US. Monthly costs for a single person start around $772 in Zhezqazghan and reach $919 in Astana.
Zhezqazghan is the most affordable city in Kazakhstan in Freedom Abroad estimates, with estimated monthly costs of $772 for a single person including rent. Zhanaozen is the next most affordable at $772/mo.
Kazakhstan has a safety index of 79/100, making it very safe for expats and travellers. Among cities with data, Zhezqazghan scores highest on safety at 82/100.
Zhezqazghan ranks highest for quality of life in Kazakhstan, scoring 168/200 in Freedom Abroad's modeled quality-of-life estimate. Monthly costs there run around $772/mo for a single person.
Kazakhstan scores 59/100 in Freedom Abroad's modeled healthcare estimate, making it adequate by global standards. This estimate reflects open public indicators for health outcomes and system capacity.
Yes. Kazakhstan's cost of living is roughly 62% lower than New York City and generally cheaper than most major US cities. Rent specifically is around 72% cheaper. This makes it a popular destination for remote workers looking to stretch their dollar.
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Cost of living, safety, school, and quality-of-life figures on this page are Freedom Abroad estimates or verified public records modeled from open sources. Data sources
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