Almaty

Almaty is the former capital of Kazakhstan, and remains the country's largest city. As a financial and cultural hub of Central Asia, Almaty boasts moderate-sized expats and visitor communities.
On a clear day, you can see the beautiful rugged, snow-capped mountains just outside the city's southern doorstep. In general, the city slopes from south to north, which makes navigating the streets easy. If you are going uphill, you are going south. There is also a small mountain range bordering the city to the east.
Almaty is in the top 50 most expensive cities in the world for expats according to Mercer Human Research. Although Almaty dropped from 30th in 2007 to 44th in 2008, it is still more expensive than Toronto, Los Angeles or Hamburg. However, if managed carefully - Almaty can be as cheap as many South American and Eastern European cities. It is a wonderful gateway to this special and unexplored country. The people of Kazakhstan are very kind and welcoming, and you will be amazed at their hospitality.
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