Cost of living in Kazakhstan – 2015

How much does it cost to live in Kazakhstan?

I have an Expat teachers contract which gives you a comfortable life in Kazakhstan.

> accommodation prices
     - Covered by employer (rent here ranges from $1500 USD up to $4500 USD per month)

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.)
     - Transportation to/from work covered by employer
     - Ekotaxi Runs from 800 - 2500 Tenge per trip
     - Gypsy Taxi from 500 - 700 Tenge per trip
     - I budget about $150 USD per month just for taxis

> food prices (your monthly budget)
   - Approximately 60,000 Tenge per month (does not include eating out).  This is a bit high since I sometimes shop at the local stores nearby which have higher prices than Ramstore.  If you can, go to the bazaars.

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
    - Covered by employer
    - Even if you have medical insurance that covers prescriptions, it will still be cheaper to bring your own medications from overseas.  I get mine from Vietnam.

> education prices (if you need to pay)
    - NA but if I had a child, it would be covered by employer

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
   - Covered by employer

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
    - 1200 Tenge/month (Cable)
    - 2000 Tenge/month (2 Beeline Unlimited 3G simcards)
    - 4500 Tenge/month (Altel 4G - 4000 Tenge covered by employer)
    - 500 Tenge/month (Kcell mobile service) - I mostly communicate with 3G since I have two simcards on my mobile.

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant
     - 1500-2500 Tenge (hamburger or Turkish food at Mega)

> price for a coffee or a drink
     - 1000-1500 Tenge for a good mocha at Costa

> Gym membership
     - 20,000 Tenge/month (Crossfit Brute Force)

Hi kevmille,

Thank you for this sharing of information

Priscilla

I would have to disagree with kevmille about some of the information provided.  I am an expat teacher also, but find the lifestyle otherwise.

> accommodation prices

The cost of my current flat, which is what one might think of a single room flat (bedroom and living room combined), with bathroom and kitchen.  This is often the kind of thing a teacher working in the private sector can expect to live in.  This can vary between 80,000 tenge and more.  I personally pay 100,000 per month, which runs to about $540.  An employer should cover this and you can expect more if you work in a foreign school.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.)

All buses (trolley buses, auto buses and the standard sort), trams and the short metro system cost 80 tenge ($0.43) per ride, regardless of the distance you travel. 

You can take a taxi you wave down from anywhere between 200 and 500 tenge, but you shouldn't pay more.  500 tenge will take you across the city (but basic Russian or Kazakh will help you here as you must negotiate with the taxi driver).

Taxis which you call are more expensive, but there are a variety of them and therefore the prices vary wildly also the aforementioned Ekotaxis are generally most expensive on the market, but can also sometimes be waved down for much less if the driver decides to pick you up.

I generally budget only about $25 a month for taxis, but I often use public transport or walk instead.

Trains between the cities are not very expensive, but they do often take hours upon hours, if not days, therefore if you have the option I would always take a flight.  Although if you are concerned about personal safety I would recommend flying with AirAstana rather than one of its competitors (as the others are not even allowed to fly outside this part of the world).

> food prices (your monthly budget)

The general rule of thumb is to go to the green market, where the price of food is much lower, or you can try the hypermarkets (such as magnum), if you use these options you can expect to buy enough for two people on the sum of about 40,000 tenge ($215) per month.

However shopping at the other supermarkets such as Ramstore or Galmart will afford you a great deal more option, but you will pay more for most of the items you buy, yet it is easier and more convenient on a day to day basis.

Personally I would agree with kevmille with his assesment of 60,000, but that money is enough for myself and my wife for home cooking purposes.

The cost of eating out varies hugely, as you can get a very good version of kuksi from the green market for just 450 tenge or go to another Korean restaurant and pay 3000 or more.  Just because a place is more expensive doesn't mean its better in Almaty, you really have to pick and choose and decide for yourself.  Therefore my eating out budget changes each month depending upon the style I wish to eat.  Shashlyk and Korean food are generally the cheapest aside from standard Kazakh fast food (samsas etc).

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)

This is not covered for ESL teachers and therefore it would be best to have private international health care insurance, because frankly you aren't going to get much help at the hospitals without cover, although your employer should still be able to help you out with any kind of emergency you should run up against.  If you are considering Kazakhstan from another country I would discuss this with your potential employer.

> education prices (if you need to pay)

Again an expat in my position is going to have to pay for education.  However I do not have children.

But if I were to take adult classes they generally range from about 3000 per hour and up, more so if you are taking individual classes.

> energy prices (oil, electricity)

Roughly on a monthly basis it costs between 10,000 and 20,000, this depends upon time of year, the winter is the most expensive as the heating is government controlled and priced, so it is on when the say and you pay what they say.  And you will also see a mild increase in summer if you use your air conditioning because if it is a hot month you may find the need to use it at night.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)

Tele 2 sim (10gb internet each month) 10,000 single payment for the year. Then pay as you go for calling and sms, but with the internet credit goes a long way.
Beeline internet (unlimited 10mb/s) 3000 per month
Alma-TV (English included) 2000 per month

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant

Traditional Kazakh restaurants are few and far between and if you are lucky enough o find one it will be incredibly expensive, you are better making some Kazakh friends and going to their house for homemade food, which will be better frankly.

A good three course meal in an ab restaurant (franchise of different styles) will set a person about about 5000 each.  However as mentioned earlier you can get good food for far less and far more.

> price for a coffee or a drink

Decent coffee will cost about 600 tenge per cup.  But if you want to pay the earth you can go over to Costa coffee, 1500 looks great from the outside, but by comparison for the average person in Kazakhstan they could eat an entire meal in a canteen for the same price with money to spare at the end.

> price for cinema tickets

At Esentai Mall (Kino Park 11) they have films in English, normally three or four each month and a ticket will cost about 1500 per person.  The food in the cinema is still expensive but not as extortionate as you would fins in either the USA or the UK.

> Alcohol

If you want the company of other expats you're going to have to pay for it, there are a few expat bars in one particular part of the city and they serve expat drinks and food and their prices meet the expectations of what you would pay abroad.  So you may pay 700 tenge or more for a beer.  But the same glass of beer will cost only 300 in a local establishment.

I live in Astana.
Sorry for my English ).

> accommodation prices
about 70 000 tenge/month (lease-purchase)

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.)
buse - 90 tenge for one away
I prefer walking

> food prices (your monthly budget)
About 60 000 tenge for my family (4 people, including me)

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
Of necessity

> education prices (if you need to pay)
Of necessity, depending on what kind of training

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
About 8 000 - 10 000 tenge

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
1400 - internet
4500 - telephone
1000 - TV
4000 - mobile phone

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant

About 7 000 - 10 000 tenge for one people

> price for a coffee or a drink

1500 tenge

> price for cinema tickets

1500 - 2000 tenge

Hello,

thank you for the three advises about pricing ...
the first we don't know from, the secon from Almati and th last from Astana.

I can see a big difference in apartment costs,
and we only know the size of the one in Almati.

Can you explain better at which kind of apartment you are referring?

thanks