Central Asia & Caucasus

Money, cards and tipping in Kazakhstan

Capital: Nur-SultanKazakh, RussianUpdated October 2026

KZTTenge

Money in Kazakhstan

Cards almost everywhere Cards work in city shops and cafés; locals mostly pay by Kaspi QR (needs a local account). Carry tenge for bazaars and villages. US$1 ≈ ₸444.08 (03 Oct 2026).

Key facts

Tipping: Many restaurants add a 10–15% service charge; otherwise round up or leave about 10%. App taxis need no tip.
ATMs: Bank ATMs in cities generally take Visa and Mastercard; fees and limits vary by bank, so check the screen.
Paying by phone: Apple Pay and Google Pay with foreign cards work at most terminals; Kaspi QR requires a Kazakh bank account.
Price level: about 33% of US prices (World Bank PPP).

Cash or card, by place

Place	Cards	Notes
Almaty	Cards almost everywhere	Cards and phone pay work in shops and restaurants; carry tenge for bazaars, small cafés and taxis paid in cash.
Astana	Cards almost everywhere	Cards and Apple Pay work widely in shops and restaurants. Keep some tenge for markets and small stalls.

Quick answers

Do you tip in Kazakhstan?

Many restaurants add a 10–15% service charge; otherwise round up or leave about 10%. App taxis need no tip.

Is Kazakhstan cashless?

Cards almost everywhere. Cards work in city shops and cafés; locals mostly pay by Kaspi QR (needs a local account). Carry tenge for bazaars and villages.

What currency does Kazakhstan use?

The Tenge (KZT). US$1 ≈ ₸444.08 (03 Oct 2026).

Sources

Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.