Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Kazakhstan
55
GoScore
Budget/mo
$600
Salary/mo
$900
Turkey
48
GoScore
Budget/mo
$500
Salary/mo
$850
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 $15,000 in Turkey — 23% less than Kazakhstan, saving $4,400.
Kazakhstan wins for working professionals (GoScore 47 vs 36). Professionals in Turkey retain $235/month after expenses — $153/month more than in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 59 vs 50). PR takes ~5 years in Kazakhstan vs ~8 years in Turkey.
Total cost of attendance in Kazakhstan — tuition ($5,000) plus living ($14,400) — is $19,400. In Turkey: $15,000 ($3,000 tuition + $12,000 living).Turkey is 23% cheaper, saving $4,400 over the degree.
In Kazakhstan, 20 hrs/week at $4/hr earns $280/month — covering 93% of outside-city rent. In Turkey, the same hours earn $320/month — covering 145% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Kazakhstan retains $82/month from $900. In Turkey: $235/month from $850. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $9,180. Tech salaries: $1,800/mo (Kazakhstan) vs $1,500/mo (Turkey).
Kazakhstan: PR pathway ~5 years. Turkey: ~8 years. Post-study work visas: 12 months (Kazakhstan) and 12 months (Turkey). Student visa fee: $70 vs $50.
Minimum IELTS band: 5.5 (Kazakhstan) and 5.5 (Turkey).Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 🇹🇷 Turkey |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 55 | 48 |
| Work GoScore | 47 | 36 |
| Settle GoScore | 59 | 50 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $2,500 | $1,500 |
| Monthly student budget | $600 | $500 |
| Avg net salary / month | $900 | $850 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $480/mo | $360/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 12 months | 12 months |
| PR pathway | 5 years | 8 years |
| Safety index | 64 / 100 | 42 / 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
🇹🇷 Turkey
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
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.