Home › Kazakhstan › On a budget
Kazakhstan on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Kazakhstan works well on a budget in the cities, though the mountain trips push costs up. A realistic minimum is about ₸22,000 (very roughly US$45) per person per day: bed ₸9,000, food ₸7,000, sights ₸3,000 and transport ₸3,000.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | ₸9,000 | ₸20,000 | ₸50,000 |
| Food & drink | ₸7,000 | ₸14,000 | ₸28,000 |
| Sights & tickets | ₸3,000 | ₸8,000 | ₸15,000 |
| Local transport | ₸3,000 | ₸12,000 | ₸40,000 |
| Per person, per day | ₸22,000 | ₸54,000 | ₸133,000 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Kazakhstan day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Panfilov Park and the wooden Ascension (Zenkov) Cathedral
- The Green Bazaar (browsing and tasting)
- Zhibek Zholy pedestrian street and its buskers
- Republic Square and the Independence Monument
- Climbing the dam steps above Medeu in summer
- Walking Nurzhol Boulevard in Astana past Baiterek and Khan Shatyr
Cheap eats
- Samsa from a tandoor oven: a few hundred tenge each
- Lagman (hand-pulled noodles) in an Uyghur canteen: about ₸2,500-3,500
- Plov from a stolovaya: about ₸1,500-2,500
- Shashlik skewers at a street grill: about ₸1,000-2,000 per skewer
- Baursak (fried dough) and tea: very cheap
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in hostels and guesthouses around the Green Bazaar and Zhibek Zholy in Almaty, with doubles about ₸12,000-22,000 and dorm beds less. Astana has hostels near the railway station and the Right Bank.
Getting around cheaply
Use the Almaty metro (about ₸120) and buses (about ₸200), and Yandex Go for short taxi rides. From Almaty airport, buses run to the centre; a taxi costs ₸3,000-5,000. For the lakes and Charyn, shared tours are the cheapest practical option.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Panfilov Park, the Zenkov Cathedral and the Green Bazaar (free)
- Lunch: lagman and samsa in an Uyghur canteen (about ₸3,000)
- Afternoon: Central State Museum (about ₸1,000) and Republic Square
- Evening: Kok-Tobe cable car for sunset (about ₸2,500-3,000)
- Total: about ₸22,000 including a hostel room
More ways to save
- Travel between Almaty and Astana by overnight train in a sleeper berth.
- Book mountain tours on weekdays, when shared groups are easier to join.
- Get an Onay card or use a bank card for metro and bus fares.
- Buy dried fruit, nuts and bread at the Green Bazaar for hiking days.
- Skip the full Shymbulak gondola in bad weather; views disappear in cloud.
- Choose guesthouses with breakfast included, often very generous.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Common questions
How much do I need per day in Kazakhstan?
About ₸22,000 per person on a budget, with hostels, canteens and city transport.
Can I visit Charyn Canyon without a tour?
Public transport is impractical. Shared tours or a hired driver are the realistic options.
Do I need a visa for Kazakhstan?
Many nationalities can enter visa-free for 30 days. Check the rules for your passport before travel.