Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Kazakhstan
55
GoScore
Budget/mo
$600
Salary/mo
$900
Kenya
48
GoScore
Budget/mo
$580
Salary/mo
$620
AI insights unavailable
Study Abroad GoScore Ranking
GoScore 0-100 · Weights: affordability, PR pathway, safety, career & quality of life
Key Comparison Metrics
Public university tuition / year
Monthly student budget
Part-time wage / hour
Student visa fee
Post-study work visa
IELTS band required
Safety index
Quick Verdict — 2026
Kazakhstan wins for students (GoScore 55 vs 48). A 2-year master's costs $19,400 in Kazakhstan — 7% less than Kenya, saving $1,520.
Kazakhstan wins for working professionals (GoScore 47 vs 31). Professionals in Kazakhstan retain $82/month after expenses — $277/month more than in Kenya.
Kazakhstan is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 59 vs 46). PR takes ~5 years in Kazakhstan vs ~7 years in Kenya.
Total cost of attendance in Kazakhstan — tuition ($5,000) plus living ($14,400) — is $19,400. In Kenya: $20,920 ($7,000 tuition + $13,920 living).Kazakhstan is 7% cheaper, saving $1,520 over the degree.
In Kazakhstan, 20 hrs/week at $4/hr earns $280/month — covering 93% of outside-city rent. In Kenya, the same hours earn $200/month — covering 71% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Kazakhstan retains $82/month from $900. In Kenya: $0/month from $620. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $16,620. Tech salaries: $1,800/mo (Kazakhstan) vs $1,400/mo (Kenya).
Kazakhstan: PR pathway ~5 years. Kenya: ~7 years. Post-study work visas: 12 months (Kazakhstan) and 12 months (Kenya). Student visa fee: $70 vs $120.
Minimum IELTS band: 5.5 (Kazakhstan) and 5.5 (Kenya).Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 55 | 48 |
| Work GoScore | 47 | 31 |
| Settle GoScore | 59 | 46 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $2,500 | $3,500 |
| Monthly student budget | $600 | $580 |
| Avg net salary / month | $900 | $620 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $480/mo | $480/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 12 months | 12 months |
| PR pathway | 5 years | 7 years |
| Safety index | 64 / 100 | 41 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇰🇿 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
🇰🇪 Kenya
This country has a growing international professional community with increasing support infrastructure for newcomers.
The local economy is experiencing above-average demand for skilled workers in technology, healthcare, and engineering.
English-medium professional environments are increasingly available, particularly in major cities and tech sectors.
Popular Comparisons
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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.