Astana vs Xi'an
Xi'an comes out ahead overall, winning 5 of 7 criteria.
Summary
Xi'an comes out clearly ahead of Astana overall (6.6 vs 5.9, winning 5 of 7 criteria), though Astana still leads on environment & air quality — worth weighing if that happens to be a priority for you.
Quick answers
Safety: Xi'an (8/10 vs 7/10).
Climate: Xi'an (5/10 vs 3/10).
Overall, Xi'an scores higher (6.6/10 vs 5.9/10) across all seven criteria combined.
Cost of living: Xi'an (7/10 vs 6/10).
Xi'an — Xi'an scores higher once we weight toward households with kids prioritizing safety, healthcare and clean air (5.8 vs 6.6 for Astana vs Xi'an), driven largely by safety.
Xi'an — Xi'an scores higher once we weight toward remote workers who need fast internet and an affordable, pleasant base (6.0 vs 6.7 for Astana vs Xi'an), driven largely by cost of living.
Where each city wins
- +Environment & air quality: slightly better than Xi'an (5.0 vs 4.0)
- +Climate: notably better than Astana (5.0 vs 3.0)
- +Cost of living: slightly better than Astana (7.0 vs 6.0)
- +Safety: slightly better than Astana (8.0 vs 7.0)
Which city fits your profile?
Xi'an comes out ahead for nearly every profile we tested — digital nomad, freelancer, young family, budget-conscious mover, safety-first mover and retiree, among others — winning 10 of 10 weighted comparisons against Astana. There's no profile in our set where Astana pulls ahead.
See the full breakdown by profile
Xi'an scores higher once we weight toward remote workers who need fast internet and an affordable, pleasant base (6.0 vs 6.7 for Astana vs Xi'an), driven largely by cost of living.
Xi'an scores higher once we weight toward independent workers balancing cost of living against healthcare access (5.9 vs 6.7 for Astana vs Xi'an), driven largely by cost of living.
Xi'an scores higher once we weight toward households with kids prioritizing safety, healthcare and clean air (5.8 vs 6.6 for Astana vs Xi'an), driven largely by safety.
Xi'an scores higher once we weight toward movers for whom affordability outweighs every other factor (5.9 vs 6.6 for Astana vs Xi'an), driven largely by cost of living.
Xi'an scores higher once we weight toward people relocating somewhere unfamiliar who weigh personal safety above all (5.9 vs 6.6 for Astana vs Xi'an), driven largely by safety.
Xi'an scores higher once we weight toward retirees prioritizing healthcare, climate and a calm environment over nightlife or internet speed (5.5 vs 6.3 for Astana vs Xi'an), driven largely by climate.
Xi'an scores higher once we weight toward students who need affordability, transit and a lively social scene (6.0 vs 6.8 for Astana vs Xi'an), driven largely by cost of living.
Xi'an scores higher once we weight toward expatriates relocating for work who lean on safety, healthcare and internet to stay settled and connected (6.2 vs 6.8 for Astana vs Xi'an), driven largely by safety.
Xi'an scores higher once we weight toward founders and small business owners who need reliable connectivity and a livable base without big-city costs (6.1 vs 6.8 for Astana vs Xi'an), driven largely by internet & connectivity.
Xi'an scores higher once we weight toward early-career movers who want nightlife and transit within budget, without yet prioritizing healthcare or climate (6.2 vs 6.8 for Astana vs Xi'an), driven largely by cost of living.
Which city should you choose?
Pick Xi'an instead if you're more of a digital nomad, freelancer, or young family.