Live 2026 data ยท Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Italy
51
GoScore
Budget/mo
$1,090
Salary/mo
$1,962
Kazakhstan
47
GoScore
Budget/mo
$600
Salary/mo
$900
For Working Professionals
Moving to Italy or Kazakhstan for work? Compare average salaries, tech job market, minimum wage, work permit process, and real purchasing power after living expenses - 2026 benchmarks.
AI insights unavailable
Working Professionals GoScore Ranking
GoScore 0-100 ยท Weights: affordability, PR pathway, safety, career & quality of life
Salary & Work Comparison
Avg net salary / month
Tech / IT salary / month
Graduate salary / month
Minimum wage / month
Work permit fee
Rent 1-bed (city centre) / mo
Purchasing power index
Avg net salary / month
Graduate salary / month
Tech / IT salary / month
Part-time (student) / hr
Minimum wage / month
1-bed apartment (city centre) / mo
1-bed apartment (outside centre) / mo
Utilities / mo
Internet / mo
Affordability index (higher = cheaper)
Purchasing power index
Quick Verdict for Working Professionals - 2026
Italy wins for career-focused professionals with a work GoScore of 51 vs 47 for Kazakhstan. Average monthly net salary is $1,962 (Italy) vs $900 (Kazakhstan) - but after rent and basic expenses, professionals in Italy retain $251/month, which is $169/month more than in Kazakhstan.
Tech salaries: $3,815/month in Italy vs $1,800/month in Kazakhstan. Purchasing power is 75 in Italy and 56 in Kazakhstan - Italy's higher purchasing power means salaries go further in real terms.
Headline salary comparisons are misleading without cost context. In Italy, after rent ($1,199/mo), groceries ($305/mo), transport ($65/mo), and utilities ($142/mo), a professional on the average net salary of $1,962 retains $251/month. In Kazakhstan, the same calculation leaves $82/month from $900. Compounded over 5 years, the disposable income gap totals $10,140 - a significant difference for wealth building and remittances to family in India.
For Indian professionals in IT, software, and engineering - the dominant employment sectors for Indian immigrants - monthly tech salaries are $3,815 in Italy and $1,800 in Kazakhstan. Graduate entry-level roles pay $1,744/mo (Italy) and $700/mo (Kazakhstan). The minimum wage floors are $1,196/mo and $149/mo respectively - relevant for early-career transitions where you may not immediately land a senior role.
A salary figure only has meaning relative to what it buys. Purchasing power index in Italy is 75 and in Kazakhstan is 56(100 = New York City; higher = more purchasing power). The cost of living index is 55 vs 33 (lower = cheaper). Even if gross salaries appear similar, Italy's stronger purchasing power means a better practical standard of living.
Work permit government fees: $142 in Italy and $100 in Kazakhstan. For professionals planning to stay long-term, the PR pathway is the critical variable: Italy takes ~5 years; Kazakhstan takes ~5 years. Kazakhstan offers a 0-year faster route to settlement - which significantly affects total visa costs and planning horizon.
| Metric | ๐ฎ๐น Italy | ๐ฐ๐ฟ Kazakhstan |
|---|---|---|
| Avg net salary / month | $1,962 | $900 |
| Tech / IT salary / month | $3,815 | $1,800 |
| Graduate salary / month | $1,744 | $700 |
| Minimum wage / month | $1,196 | $149 |
| Work permit fee | $142 | $100 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $1,199/mo | $480/mo |
| Purchasing power index | 75 | 56 |
| Cost of living index | 55 | 33 |
| PR pathway | 5 years | 5 years |
| Safety index | 55 / 100 | 64 / 100 |
The average monthly net salary in Italy is $1,962 after tax. In Kazakhstan, it is $900. But gross salary only tells part of the story. After rent ($1,199/mo in Italy vs $480/mo in Kazakhstan), groceries ($305 vs $220), and transport ($65 vs $18), the real disposable income gap often differs substantially from the headline salary comparison. For tech roles specifically: Italy pays $3,815/month in IT/software, vs $1,800/month in Kazakhstan - a segment that employs a large share of Indian professionals abroad.
Securing a work permit in Italy costs approximately $142 in government fees. In Kazakhstan, the fee is $100. Kazakhstan's lower work permit fee reduces initial visa costs for sponsored workers.The minimum wage provides the salary floor: $1,196/month in Italy and $149/month in Kazakhstan. Graduate-level roles start at $1,744/month (Italy) and $700/month (Kazakhstan).
Purchasing power index - a measure of what your take-home salary can actually buy - is 75 in Italy and 56 in Kazakhstan(100 = New York City baseline; higher means more purchasing power). Italy's higher purchasing power means salaries go further in real terms, even if the cost of living index seems comparable.The overall cost of living index is 55 for Italy vs 33 for Kazakhstan(higher = more expensive relative to New York City).
For professionals planning to stay long-term: Italy's PR pathway runs approximately 5 years, while Kazakhstan's takes 5 years. Kazakhstan offers a 0-year faster route to PR - significant for professionals who want to put down roots rather than cycle between visas.English proficiency in the general population is rated medium in Italy; medium in Kazakhstan - affecting both professional networking ease and long-term integration.
Italy scores 55/100 on safety, 6.27/10 on the UN Happiness Index, and 174 on the Numbeo quality of life index.Kazakhstan scores 64/100, 6.01/10 (happiness), and 142 (quality of life). Healthcare access - critical for professionals with families - rates Italy at 69 and Kazakhstan at 62. For Indian professionals, the size of the established Indian community also matters for social integration: Italy has a small community;Kazakhstan has a small one.
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets - unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
๐ฎ๐น Italy
Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites (58) than any country in the world - uniquely valuable for students in architecture, art history, and design.
Source: UNESCO 2024
The University of Bologna, founded in 1088, is the world's oldest continuously operating university.
Italy's fashion, luxury, and automotive industries (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Gucci, Prada, Armani) collectively employ over 1.5 million people, creating unique career paths unavailable elsewhere.
Italy introduced the Digital Nomad Visa in 2024, targeting remote workers earning โฌ28,000+/year with a straightforward application process.
Source: Italian Ministry of Interior 2024
Italian public universities charge โฌ0โ4,000/year for non-EU students - with some of the world's cheapest engineering and medical degrees.
Source: MIUR Italy 2024
๐ฐ๐ฟ Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan holds 2% of the world's proven oil reserves and is the world's largest landlocked country - creating strong demand for petroleum and mining engineers.
Source: EIA 2024
Astana (Nur-Sultan) is the world's 2nd coldest capital city after Ulaanbaatar - and one of the world's youngest planned capital cities (1997).
Kazakhstan's Nazarbayev University partners directly with Cambridge, Duke, and Wisconsin - offering internationally accredited degrees at a fraction of Western tuition.
Source: NU Kazakhstan 2024
Kazakhstan produces 40% of the world's uranium - nuclear energy engineers and geologists are among the country's most sought-after professionals.
Source: World Nuclear Association 2024
Popular Comparisons
Ready to take the next step?
You'll need IELTS to study in any of these countries. Take a free full-length mock test to know exactly where you stand.
Data Sources
Editorial
Compiled by mockDe Editorial Team
Verified by IELTS-certified advisors with study-abroad counselling experience.
Freshness
Data reflects 2026 benchmarks.
Last reviewed June 2026.
AI verdict cached permanently; regenerated on data change.
All figures in USD. AI insights by Gemini Pro. Values are indicative - verify official sources before making relocation decisions.