Ubud vs Kostanay (Kustanay): Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?
The two cities are closely matched — lifestyle preference and visa options are likely the deciding factors. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Kostanay (Kustanay) is approximately 4% less expensive than Ubud based on cost of living including rent. This makes Kostanay (Kustanay) a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Kostanay (Kustanay) has a FIRE Score of 88/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 65, which is relatively safe.
Recommended profile: Kostanay (Kustanay) is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
About Ubud
Ubud is a bargain for renters who can live on local wages, but the numbers expose the catch: a $168/mo average net salary cannot touch $544/mo city-center rent, so this town runs on foreign income, not local opportunity. The $2,000/mo income floor on both the Indonesia Retirement Visa (KITAS) and the Indonesia Remote Worker Visa (E33G) tells you exactly who Ubud is built for. Internet at 20 Mbps and a 57/100 digital nomad score make remote work possible but not painless, and healthcare rated only Fair is the real long-term risk. Come for the $3 meals and $2 cappuccinos, stay only if you have a first-world paycheck and a high tolerance for humid, monsoon-soaked air.
About Indonesia
Skip this if you need English-speaking doctors or a fast path to citizenship, both weak here. But budget retirees can live well on $429.70/mo excl. rent plus sub-$320 rent, and the $2,000/mo Retirement KITAS is achievable. Best suited for low-cost-focused retirees, not remote workers facing the $387/mo nomad visa threshold.
$2,280/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Kostanay (Kustanay)
Kostanay is a brutally affordable city where a single adult can live comfortably on $965 a month, including rent, but the local average salary of $492 a month tells you exactly who this place is for: expats with remote income. The rent gap between city center and outskirts is laughably small, with a three-bedroom downtown costing only $615, so there is no real reason to live anywhere else. The digital nomad visa demands a $3,900 monthly income, which is absurdly high relative to local costs, making the city a better fit for retirees on a Permanent Residence Permit or FIRE seekers who value the 88/100 FIRE score over English proficiency or nightlife.
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.
$2,287/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
Which visa fits your move?
Compare income thresholds, fees and residency paths for routes in these countries.
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| Metric | Ubud | Kostanay (Kustanay) |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $544.43 | $525.71 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $406.81 | $372.84 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $1935.77 | $615.19 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $1395.99 | $492.15 |
| Safety Index | 70 | 65 |
| Internet Speed | 20Mbps | 30Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Ubud | Kostanay (Kustanay) |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $736/mo | $815/mo |
| Excluding rent | $329/mo | $442/mo |
| Rent | $407/mo | $373/mo |
| Groceries | $113/mo | $134/mo |
| Dining out | $28.00/mo | $112/mo |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $83.00/mo | $80.00/mo |
| Utilities & connectivity | $105/mo | $116/mo |
| Transport | N/A | N/A |
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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