Kazakhstan, Almaty

Country Full Name: Republic of Kazakhstan.

Location: Kazakhstan is in Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Zhayyq) River in eastern-most Europe.

Country Climate: Continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid.

Country Terrain: Vast flat steppe extending from the Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of western Siberia in the north to oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south.

Major Languages: Kazakh, Russian.

Major Religions: Islam, Christianity.

Population: 1.422 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Kazakhstan is the largest economy in Central Asia. It possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves as well as minerals and metals. It also has considerable agricultural potential with its vast steppe lands accommodating both livestock and grain production, as well as developed space infrastructure, which took over all launches to the International Space Station from the Space Shuttle. Energy is the leading economic sector which includes the production of crude oil and natural gas condensate.

Currency: Kazakhstan Tenge (KZT) .

Inflation: 7.9% (2011 est.).

Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan.

Almaty is the major commercial centre of Kazakhstan.

The cost of living in Almaty in Kazakhstan is high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Almaty in Kazakhstan is currently ranked 291 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very high compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 44 places that are more expensive, and 735 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are high compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 202 places that are more expensive, and 577 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very high compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 93 places that are more expensive, and 686 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are average compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 389 places that are more expensive, and 390 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 52 places that are more expensive, and 727 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 576 places that are more expensive, and 203 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are average compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 385 places that are more expensive, and 394 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are average compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 341 places that are more expensive, and 438 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 527 places that are more expensive, and 252 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very high compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 70 places that are more expensive, and 709 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are average compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 405 places that are more expensive, and 374 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 68 places that are more expensive, and 711 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are average compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 449 places that are more expensive, and 330 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Almaty in Kazakhstan are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Almaty in Kazakhstan is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Almaty in Kazakhstan are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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