Astana vs Shymkent
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Shymkent edges it, 55 to 47, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Astana is stronger on nothing outright; Shymkent on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Planned steppe capital with bold architecture
Full Astana profile →Where to stay in Astana →Kazakhstan's warm third city, the gateway to Turkistan and the Uzbek border
Full Shymkent profile →Where to stay in Shymkent →Where they differ
- Air quality. Shymkent leads on air quality, 71 to 0, against Astana. PM2.5: 60 µg/m³ vs 17.9 µg/m³.
- Internet. Astana leads on internet, 42 to 33, against Shymkent. Measured download: 7.3 Mbps vs 4.5 Mbps.
- Climate. Shymkent leads on climate, 33 to 25, against Astana. Comfortable months: 3 vs 4.
Where they are close. Within five points on safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Astana if you want
- faster internet (7.3 Mbps measured)
Pick Shymkent if you want
- cleaner air
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Astana | Shymkent |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | no data | no data |
| Safety | 61 | 61 |
| Healthcare | 69 | 69 |
| Internet | 42 ✓ | 33 |
| Visa ease | 60 | 60 |
| Getting there & around | 56 ✓ | 49 |
| Climate | 25 | 33 ✓ |
| Air quality | 0 | 71 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 61 | 61 |
Cost
| Metric | Astana | Shymkent |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | no data | no data |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Astana | Shymkent |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 2.55 | 2.55 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 62 | 62 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 83 | 83 |
| Life expectancy | 70.3 yrs | 70.3 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Astana | Shymkent |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 7.3 Mbps ✓ | 4.5 Mbps |
| Upload | 6.1 Mbps ✓ | 4.2 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Astana | Shymkent |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Neo Nomad visa (B12-1) | Neo Nomad visa (B12-1) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,000/mo | $3,000/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 30 days | 30 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 30 days | 30 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 30 days | 30 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Astana | Shymkent |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 60 ✓ | 32 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Astana | Shymkent |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 4 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 60 µg/m³ | 17.9 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Astana or Shymkent?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Astana or Shymkent safer?
- Astana scores higher on safety (61 vs 61), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Astana or Shymkent?
- Astana: a measured median of 7.3 Mbps versus 4.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.