Kokshetau vs Astana (Nur-Sultan): Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?
Kokshetau costs roughly 8% less than Astana (Nur-Sultan). Astana (Nur-Sultan) scores significantly higher on safety and retiree suitability — worth weighing against the cost gap. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Kokshetau is approximately 14% less expensive than Astana (Nur-Sultan) based on cost of living including rent. This makes Kokshetau a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Kokshetau has a FIRE Score of 79/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 55, suggesting moderate safety levels.
Recommended profile: Kokshetau is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
About Kokshetau
Kokshetau is a cheap, quiet northern Kazakhstan town where a single adult can live on a budget tier of $464/mo, and a one-bedroom outside the center runs $399/mo. That price buys you a small, cold, arid city of 183 thousand with limited English, a small expat community, and a local average net salary of just $599/mo, so remote workers earning abroad get the most out of it. The digital nomad score of 60/100 and retiree score of 52/100 tell the real story: fine for a frugal FIRE stopover, not a place to build a long-term life. Come for the $13/mo internet and $22/mo transport pass, not for the healthcare or the air.
About Kazakhstan
Low English proficiency and limited English-speaking doctors make daily life and healthcare navigation genuinely hard here. Budget-focused remote workers should push through anyway: a flat 10% income tax paired with $555/mo living costs (excluding rent) and $498/mo for a city-center 1BR is tough to beat. Political stability sits near zero and safety scores are middling, so this suits pragmatic savers over comfort-seekers.
$2,226/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Astana (Nur-Sultan)
Astana is a cheap, cold, and quietly competent capital that rewards people who can handle a real winter. A city center one-bedroom at $571/mo and a $17/mo transit pass make it one of the better value plays in the region, and an expat score of 83/100 backs that up. The catch is the local average net salary of $898/mo, which means most newcomers are earning elsewhere, and the arid climate plus an air quality index of 75 will not suit everyone. It is a strong digital nomad pick at 73/100, a weaker retiree one at 65/100.
About Kazakhstan
Low English proficiency and limited English-speaking doctors make daily life and healthcare navigation genuinely hard here. Budget-focused remote workers should push through anyway: a flat 10% income tax paired with $555/mo living costs (excluding rent) and $498/mo for a city-center 1BR is tough to beat. Political stability sits near zero and safety scores are middling, so this suits pragmatic savers over comfort-seekers.
$2,213/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
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| Metric | Kokshetau | Astana (Nur-Sultan) |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $498.91 | $570.75 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $399.13 | $391.14 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $776.08 | $1136.9 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $598.69 | $769.05 |
| Safety Index | 55 | 68 |
| Internet Speed | 60Mbps | 70Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Kokshetau | Astana (Nur-Sultan) |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $819/mo | $835/mo |
| Excluding rent | $420/mo | $444/mo |
| Rent | $399/mo | $391/mo |
| Groceries | $115/mo | $120/mo |
| Dining out | $109/mo | $110/mo |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $84.00/mo | $101/mo |
| Utilities & connectivity | $90.00/mo | $96.00/mo |
| Transport | $22.00/mo | $17.00/mo |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
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