Money in Kazakhstan: currency, cards, cash

The national currency is the tenge. Cards work almost everywhere in cities; out on the steppe you need cash.

Verified: 2026-08

Kazakhstan’s national currency is the tenge, written ₸ and coded KZT internationally. All domestic transactions are in tenge.

Cards or cash

In Almaty, Astana and other large cities, card payment is well established: shops, cafes, taxis and public transport all take them.

Outside the cities the picture changes. The further you get from infrastructure, the more likely you will need cash.

For a national park trip the advice is unambiguous: bring cash. Payment is taken at the checkpoint on entry.

Not verified yet Whether the Charyn park checkpoint accepts bank cards and Kaspi or cash only, and its opening hours. We are checking this with the administration.

How much to bring

A rough figure for a day trip to Charyn, two people with a car:

Item	Amount
Entry, 2 people	1,730 ₸
Car	3,027.5 ₸
Fuel, ~400 km	8,000–12,000 ₸
Food brought along	3,000–5,000 ₸

Roughly 15,000–21,000 tenge in total. The full breakdown with caveats is on the prices page.

About entrance prices

Park tariffs are set in MCI units rather than tenge and change automatically each January. See the MCI page.

Not verified yet Exchange rates, where it is cheapest to change money, whether foreign cards work in 2026, ATM fees. These are the fastest-ageing figures of all, and we will not publish them without a fresh check.

Frequently asked questions

What is the currency of Kazakhstan?

The tenge, written ₸ and coded KZT. All domestic transactions are in tenge only.

Do I need cash for a national park?

Yes, bring some. Payment is taken at the checkpoint, and whether cards are accepted there is something we are still confirming. Cash is sensible on the steppe in any case.

Sources

Order of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of 2 October 2024 — protected area tariffs