Kazakhstan (KZ)
Kazakhstan is the world's ninth-largest country by area and the largest landlocked nation — a vast Central Asian republic stretching from the Caspian Sea to the Altai Mountains, encompassing endless steppes, dramatic canyons, and the remnants of the ancient Silk Road.
Daily Life
Practical day-to-day information for living in Kazakhstan.
🛒 Supermarkets
Kazakhstan's largest supermarket chain. Wide range of local and imported products. Found in all major cities.
Discount chain with good value on staples, dairy, and meat. Popular with locals. Limited imported goods.
Large-format hypermarkets in Almaty. Good range of international products, household goods, and electronics.
Russian-style hypermarkets popular in larger cities. Wide assortment including European imports.
Health food stores in Almaty and Astana. Higher prices but European-standard organic produce and imported health foods.
Traditional markets are the cheapest and best source for fresh produce, meat, dairy, and spices. Zelyony Bazar in Almaty is iconic — haggling is expected.
Opening Hours
Supermarkets: Most open daily 8am–10pm or 24/7 in cities. Bazaars: 7am–7pm daily. Banks: Mon–Fri 9am–6pm, some Saturdays 9am–2pm. Government offices (ЦОН): Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, some Saturdays 9am–1pm. Pharmacies: 8am–9pm, many 24/7 locations in cities.
Sunday Rules
Kazakhstan has no general Sunday closing law. Most shops, supermarkets, cafés, and malls are open 7 days a week. Government offices and banks are typically closed Sundays. Bazaars may have reduced hours on Sundays but are usually open.
Recycling
Waste separation is not yet mandatory for residents in most areas, but is being rolled out in major cities. Basic recycling points (синие контейнеры for paper, жёлтые for plastics) are appearing in residential courtyards in Almaty and Astana. Dedicated recycling centres (Eco-Park in Almaty) accept electronics, batteries, and hazardous waste. In 2026, new EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) legislation is expanding separate collection infrastructure nationwide.
Dining Out
Kazakh cuisine restaurants and chaikhanas (teahouses) offer excellent value: ₸1,500–4,000 for a full meal. Mid-range restaurants in Almaty/Astana: ₸3,000–8,000 per main. International cuisine is well-represented in both cities. Business lunches (бизнес-ланч) available Mon–Fri from ₸1,500–2,500 and are the best value. Alcohol widely available except during Ramadan when some restaurants reduce service.
Utilities & Internet
Electricity: supplied by local distribution companies, extremely cheap (₸15–30/kWh). Gas: Qazaq Gas and local distributors, inexpensive. Internet: Beeline, Kcell, Tele2, Jusan (ALTEL) offer broadband — FTTH speeds up to 1Gbps in cities for ₸3,000–8,000/month. Mobile data is very cheap. Utility payments via Kaspi Bank app are instant and free.
Cultural Tips for Expats
- → The Kaspi Bank super-app is essential for daily life — payments, utilities, shopping, food delivery, tickets. Download and verify immediately upon arrival.
- → 2GIS maps app is more accurate than Google Maps for Kazakhstan addresses and navigation.
- → Bread (nan/lepyoshka) is sacred in Kazakh culture — never throw it away or step over it.
- → Hospitality is paramount — if invited to a Kazakh home, bring a small gift and expect to be fed regardless of the hour.
- → Russian is widely understood in cities and is the lingua franca for business. Kazakh language use is increasing and locals appreciate any effort to learn basic phrases.
- → Noise sensitivity in apartment buildings: neighbours tolerate more noise than in Western Europe, but still avoid loud music after midnight.
Quiet Hours
Kazakhstan does not have the strict enforced quiet-hours legislation found in Germany or Switzerland, but most apartment buildings have informal house rules (pravila obshezhitiya / dom rules) and some newer complexes have formal Hausordnung-style rules. Local noise ordinances exist under the Administrative Code but enforcement is complaint-driven. In practice, noise disturbances between 11pm and 7am can be reported to the police (102), and chronic issues can involve the akimat (local administration). The general expectation is consideration for neighbours, especially in high-rise apartment blocks.
Informal standard across most residential buildings in Almaty and Astana. No loud music, power tools, or disruptive noise. Some luxury complexes enforce stricter 10pm cutoff.
Sanctioned renovation work hours in residential buildings. Drilling and demolition work on Sundays or public holidays is strongly discouraged and can trigger complaints to the akimat.
No formal all-day quiet requirement on public holidays, but respectful noise levels expected in residential areas.
- •Hosting loud gatherings on weeknights that run past midnight — neighbours will knock.
- •Loud TV or music through thin apartment walls at night.
- •Starting renovation work early on a Saturday before 9am.
- •Slamming heavy metal apartment doors (common in Soviet-era buildings) late at night.
Report to local police (102) for acute disturbances. Chronic issues go to the Housing Inspection or akimat. Fines under the Administrative Offences Code range from ₸10,000–50,000 for persistent noise violations. Kazakhstan's Soviet-era apartment buildings have minimal sound insulation — many expats invest in earplugs or white noise machines.
Postal Services
Kazpost (kazpost.kz) is the national postal operator. For important documents — immigration (DVMK), banking, legal notices — use DHL, FedEx or Kaspi Delivery, which are more reliable and faster than Kazpost for both domestic and international delivery. Kaspi Bank's delivery network (kaspi.kz) has become the dominant e-commerce logistics platform in Kazakhstan and is often more convenient than traditional postal services.
Kaspi Postamat automated lockers are widely available at supermarkets, shopping centres and residential buildings across Almaty and Astana — expanding nationwide. CDEK (Russian courier) and other carriers also operate pickup points. Kazpost has postal terminals (pochtamaty) in larger cities. Collect parcels with ID and the PIN sent to your registered phone number.
Bring your passport or IIN (Individual Identification Number) document to collect registered mail and international parcels from Kazpost. For bank account opening: passport plus IIN card or biometric registration at any ЦОН (Centre of Government Services) are required. For SIM card registration: passport is mandatory (real-name registration).
Kazpost offers registered mail (zakaznoe pismo) for tracked domestic and international delivery with signature confirmation. For government, tax (KGD) and immigration (DVMK) correspondence, official notices are legally binding once sent — collect registered mail promptly and do not ignore yellow notification cards. CDEK and DHL are preferred for important domestic documents due to better tracking and reliability.
Kazpost does not operate a reliable automatic mail forwarding service. Before moving, update your address directly with KGD (tax authority; kgd.gov.kz), your bank (Kaspi, Halyk, Jusan), DVMK (migration), employer and insurance provider. Many expats use a Kaspi Bank e-address for financial correspondence and update it through the Kaspi app.
- →Download the Kaspi app immediately on arrival — it handles utilities, e-commerce delivery, transfers and bill payments in one platform.
- →DHL Kazakhstan is reliable for international express shipping; service centre in Almaty and Astana.
- →Customs duty applies to imported goods above the duty-free threshold (approx. €200 per shipment per individual, monthly); declare accurately.
- →International parcels from Russia may be affected by sanctions logistics — allow extra transit time.
- →CDEK is the dominant domestic express courier used by most Kazakh online retailers.