Welcome to Astana!

The intent of this document is to quickly introduce you to the services\places\infrastructure of our city. But most of the information is applicable to Almaty as well.

Useful apps and services

Currency exchange

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Navigation

2GIS: https://2gis.kz or 2gis app in AppStore\PlayGoogle

All information about shops, cafe&restaurants, hotels, recreational locations etc.: working hours, average bill cost, ranking & reviews
Excellent for finding routes & public transport info, bus stop locations. See

Figure 1

Yandex Navigator: app in AppStore\PlayGoogle

Excellent for drivers, best route calculation algorithms (including traffic jams etc), precise ETA

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Transportation

Yandex.Taxi (Yandex.Go)

#1 taxi service
has some limited information about businesses\shop\cafe\restaurant\hotel etc.
integrated food delivery service
payment: card, cash, kaspi.kz (hybrid of card\cash)

InDriver

Pro’s:

You set your price for the ride
You can choose a different (and distant) destination point (another city etc)

Con’s:

no centralized QA\QC\Support service like in Yandex

Bus - 90 tenge

QR code - via Kaspi.kz
2GIS

finding way from A to B i
convenient interface, easy to choose best route from available options

If you have Beeline sim-card, you can pay for a bus ride by sending SMS containing the terminal number (6 digits on a terminal screen) to 2505

Food delivery

Glovo - app
Wolt - app
Chocofood - app
dodopizza.kz \ app
Instagram in-app delivery

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Grocery delivery

arbuz.kz \ app
froot.kz \ app
magnumGo app

Payment systems

Kaspi.kz - Kaz\Rus

#1 cash\card payment type, literally everyone has it, no need to carry cash
QR payments
In-app payments for the majority of service providers
easy free-of-charge cash transfers, you just need to provide recipient’s phone number (nobody in Astana uses real cash nowadays)
Has built-in Ashyq scanner, no need for separate app (COVID-19 status \ tracking)
Built-in online store of everything with delivery
Built-in Flight\Train tickets service
Big number of cash-in terminals

HalykBank \ homebank.kz - Kaz\Rus\Eng

big number of ATMs \ Bank offices
In-app payments for the majority of service providers
Multi Currency cards (USD\KZT\EUR)
Rakhmet app

payments via QR codes
need to register your VISA\MasterCard in the app
great cashback offers
not many organizations accept this type of payment. Mainly recreational and food
in-app list of organizations accepting this payment with reviews & ratings, average bill

Apple Pay
Google Pay
Samsung Pay

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Activity advisers

General

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Marketplace

marwin.kz - books, toys, gadgets, hobbies, board games, everything for toddlers and children
Gadgets, electronics, technics

olx.kz - analog of craigslist.org, but better :)
satu.kz
wildberries.kz \ app - delivery time ~ 1 week because all goods come from Russia

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Apartment \ car rental

krisha.kz \ app - buy\rent an apartment or a house
AirBnB, Booking.com - yes, they work here too
kolesa.kz \ app - buy\rent a car

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The most popular locations

Shopping \ recreation all-in-1

Mega Silkway
Keruen
Khan Shatyr
Keruen
Asiapark

Grocery markets

Artem (Astanalyk)
Magnum
A2
Anvar
Small
Interfood

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Phone \ notebook service. Repair, accessories

Esil
Business Center Alma-Ata

Advices

Communication

Tele2 \ Beeline are the best choices for mobile(cellular). Both offer a variety of payment plans with unlimited 4G mobile internet. You will need to provide national or foreigner’s identity number to register your SIM card and your phone
Beeline.kz