How Much Does Mobile App Development Cost in Kazakhstan
We break down the cost of mobile app development in Kazakhstan: what goes into the price, realistic ranges by app type, timelines, and what affects the budget.
Mobile app development in Kazakhstan starts from 1 500 000 ₸ for a simple app with a basic feature set and goes up to 15 000 000 ₸ and beyond for a complex product with payments, integrations, and high load. The timeline ranges from 2 to 6 months. Below we break down what makes up this figure and why the range is so wide.
How much an app costs: ranges by type
The price depends first and foremost on the number of screens, the complexity of the logic, and the number of external integrations. Here are the benchmarks we use ourselves for an initial estimate.
| App type | Cost | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| MVP — a minimal version to test the idea | from 1 500 000 ₸ | 2–3 months |
| Catalog app: storefront, search, request form | 2 000 000 – 4 000 000 ₸ | 2.5–4 months |
| Service with a personal account and online payment | 4 000 000 – 8 000 000 ₸ | 3–5 months |
| Marketplace or fintech with high security requirements | from 8 000 000 ₸ | 5 months and up |
What makes up the cost
Development is not just writing code. The budget of any project breaks down roughly like this.
Analysis and planning — 10–15% of the budget
Breaking down the business task, describing use-case scenarios, and structuring the screens. This is the stage people most often try to skip to save money — and almost always pay for it later through rework. A logic error caught at the prototype stage costs an hour of work. The same error caught after release costs a week.
Interface design — 15–20%
Prototypes, layouts of every screen, element states, and adaptation to different device sizes. Good design lowers support costs: the clearer the interface, the fewer support requests and the higher user retention.
Development — 45–55%
The main part of the budget: the client side of the app, the server-side logic, the database, and integrations with external services. This also includes the admin panel through which the client manages content.
Testing — 10–15%
Testing on real devices across different models and OS versions. Cutting corners at this stage leads to one-star reviews in the very first week after release, and repairing your reputation in the stores is far more expensive than testing in advance.
Publishing and launch — 5%
Preparing descriptions and screenshots, developer accounts, and passing review in the App Store and Google Play. Apple's review can take anywhere from a day to a week and sometimes requires changes — this is a normal part of the process and should be factored into the timeline.
Why Flutter is cheaper than two native apps
The classic approach is to build a separate app for iOS and a separate one for Android. That means two different languages, two teams, and essentially double the cost. Flutter lets you write a single codebase that runs on both platforms.
In our experience, the savings amount to 1.5 to 2 times compared with two native apps. An additional benefit shows up later: any update is made once rather than twice, so maintenance is cheaper too.
What increases the cost
- Online payments — require integration with a payment provider, a separate security layer, and thorough testing of failure scenarios
- Offline mode — the app must work without internet and sync correctly when the connection is restored; this noticeably complicates the logic
- Integration with existing systems — 1C, CRM, accounting systems: the complexity depends on whether they have a ready-made API
- Geolocation and maps — background tracking, route building, working with mapping services
- Multiple user roles — customer, employee, administrator: each role is effectively a separate set of screens
- High security requirements — mandatory for financial and medical apps
What happens after launch
An app is not a one-time purchase. After release there are recurring costs that should be planned for in advance.
| Expense item | Approximate amount |
|---|---|
| Apple developer account | about $99 per year |
| Google Play developer account | $25 one-time |
| Servers and hosting | from 15 000 ₸ per month, depending on load |
| Support and improvements | discussed separately; often 10–20% of the development cost per year |
It is also worth remembering operating-system updates: Apple and Google release new versions of iOS and Android every year, and the app needs to be adapted to them. Without this it will gradually start working incorrectly and may then be removed from the store.
How to save without losing quality
- 1Start with an MVP. Build a minimal version with one key feature, test demand, and only then expand. This is cheaper than building everything at once and discovering that half the features are unnecessary
- 2Skip custom animation in the first version. It noticeably increases the budget and has almost no effect on the user's decision to stay
- 3Use cross-platform development unless you are building a game or an app with heavy graphics
- 4Write a technical specification before work begins. Every change of requirements along the way costs more than the same decision made at the start
FAQ
How much does mobile app development cost in Kazakhstan?
From 1 500 000 ₸ for an MVP to 8 000 000 ₸ and up for a complex service with payments and integrations. The exact price depends on the number of screens, the complexity of the logic, and the number of external integrations.
How long does app development take?
MVP — 2–3 months, a medium-sized app — 3–5 months, a complex product — 5 months and up. Timelines are fixed in the contract.
Is it cheaper to build an app with Flutter?
Yes, in our experience — 1.5–2 times cheaper than two separate native apps, because a single codebase is used for iOS and Android. Maintenance is also cheaper, since an update is made once.
Do you have to pay for the app after launch?
Yes. An Apple account costs about $99 per year, Google Play — $25 one-time, servers — from 15 000 ₸ per month. Plus adaptation to new versions of iOS and Android.
Can an app be made for less than a million tenge?
As a rule, no — if we are talking about a full-fledged app with a server side and publication in the stores. For a smaller amount it is realistic to build a web app that opens in a browser and requires no installation.