Kazakhstan living costs 2026

Kazakhstan’s price level is about 30% of the United States level in 2023. That gives a broad sense of how everyday prices compare, but it does not break out the parts of a student budget.

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Price level, against the United States

30%

A basket of goods costing $100 in the United States costs about $30 in Kazakhstan, at market exchange rates. This is a whole-economy average from the World Bank (2023), not a student budget — rent near a university and a student's own habits move it a long way in both directions.

For a student planning to move to Kazakhstan, the clearest number is the overall price level against the United States. At 30%, it points to a lower-cost setting in broad terms, while leaving room for big differences between housing, food, transport, and university-related spending.

This measure is useful for comparing the country as a whole with the United States, but it does not tell you what one month of student life will cost. It also does not show how costs change by city, by campus, or by lifestyle, so your budget can still move a lot depending on where you study and how you live.

The costs that usually matter most are the ones that repeat every month and the ones that can vary sharply by institution. In Kazakhstan, the key budget question is not only whether prices are lower than in the United States, but how much room you will need for the main recurring expenses around study and daily living.

Kazakhstan has 29 universities listed here, including Abylai Khan University, Kazak State University of Agriculture, Aktau State University, Atyrau State University, East Kazakstan State Technical University, and L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. For a move here, the practical takeaway is that the country sits well below the United States on the published price level, but the student budget still depends on the specific mix of costs you face.