Almaty - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
We are in a townhouse which is very spacious and beautiful, it has four levels and four bedrooms. We also have a good size yard and are in a compound which has a playground and soccer field. It is not exclusively US housing compound, as most of our neighbors are locals. Another large complex where most of US mission families live consists of apartments in a few buildings. All in the same part of town, not far from the offices. Commute varies from 10 min walk to 20 min drive depending on your location and location of your office. - Sep 2023
Almost everyone lives in apartments. They are mostly in the downtown area and are small by typical foreign service standards. Most people walk to their offices depending on where they live in the city. Apartment quality ranges from amazing to tacky. - Aug 2015
All houses in the Embassy are apartments. You can get very nice houses for the same prices. - Jul 2013
USG housing is all apartments. Other diplomatic missions and companies use houses. Almaty houses are often huge, but they are located far from the city center and work. Traffic can be bad and commuting a problem. It's the same trade-off you see in many cities. - Feb 2013
The US government community is in apartments exclusively. They are quite large and nice, and many have underground parking for cars in the winter. I have a 35-minute walking commute or a 10-minute taxi ride. Most people have about the same, although we're starting to expand to apartments a bit further away. - May 2012
Most USG housing is apartments due to a policy. The apartments are very nice in general. Some are closer to the Embassy (walking distance) and some are closer to USAID. - Mar 2010
Housing is pretty good, but a dramatic increase in rent prices has made it difficult for the Mission to keep some very nice properties. Most are happy with their houses, with most families that have children being placed in houses, and singles/empty-nesters into apartments. The housing is not clustered, but all within about 20 mintues of the USG buildings in the city. - Mar 2008
