Although the national average wage in Kazakhstan is quite low, most expats are able to earn a decent salary and live comfortably, particularly if they have skills which are in high demand.
The minimum wage in Kazakhstan is 22,859 KZT which works out at around $70 USD per month. Expats, however, can expect to earn much more than this, especially when working in mineral and oil trade, and earn an average of $2,000 USD per month. A lot of expat jobs with international companies also come with good housing, education and medical insurance included and are tax exempt.
Even working as an English teacher you can expect to earn a decent wage, averaging around $1,000 USD per month, depending on your qualifications. Some teaching positions in private schools even offer salaries of up to $5,000 USD but these jobs are much harder to get and require a substantial amount of experience and knowledge.
If you sign a Kazakh labour contract that is not with an international company, be prepared that 10% of your salary will go on taxes. Most places pay their employees once at the end of the month, so make sure you have sufficient savings to keep you going during those first weeks.
Employees in Kazakhstan are entitled to 18 calendar days of paid annual leave, with extra paid leave offered to those who work in dangerous or harmful conditions, or who engage in heavy manual work, as determined by the public authority for the industry. Kazakhstan also celebrates 20 public holidays throughout the year, which will be exempt from your calendar days of paid leave.