Living in Sumqayıt, Azerbaijan

Sumqayıt is a mid-sized coastal city in Sumqayit, Azerbaijan (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 16°C over the year with about 219 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,115 a month to live centrally. For foreigners, long-term residency in Azerbaijan is possible, with conditions.

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Est. cost: €2,115; a month for a couple
Climate: 16°C; 219 mm rain a year
Size: Mid-sized; 250,000 to 1 million people
Safety: 62/100; country-level
Residency: Possible, with conditions; for most foreigners

Limited data for Azerbaijan. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Azerbaijan are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Azerbaijan, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

What stands out about Sumqayıt

More affordable than 87% of the cities we compare
Dry: about 219 mm of rain a year
On or near the sea

Climate

Sumqayıt averages 16°C across the year with about 219 mm of rain, which makes it mild and very dry. It is warmer than 34% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €2,115 a month to live centrally in Sumqayıt, 22% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 87% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Healthcare

Azerbaijan scores 58 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 24% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Azerbaijan: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Residency and visas

Possible, with conditions. Long-term residency runs mainly through a modest capital route (real estate, a term bank deposit, or securities) or an employer-sponsored work permit for qualified specialists; there is no passive-income or sufficient-means route.

The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Azerbaijan:

Investment: about $59k (Azerbaijan temporary residence permit via AZN 100,000 in real estate, a term bank deposit, or securities (1 AZN = 0.588 USD, manat pegged at 1.70 per USD, June 2026); as of June 2026)

For short visits, 19 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 86 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 93 need a visa in advance.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Safety and stability

Azerbaijan scores 62 out of 100 on safety, safer than 55% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 2.9 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Azerbaijan: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2023) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Questions couples ask about Sumqayıt

Is Sumqayıt a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Sumqayıt scores well on affordability. It is weaker on healthcare and political stability. Our figures for Azerbaijan are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a mild, very dry climate (16°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Sumqayıt and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Sumqayıt?

We estimate about €2,115 a month for a couple living centrally, 22% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Azerbaijan, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Azerbaijan long term?

Our assessment: possible, with conditions. Long-term residency runs mainly through a modest capital route (real estate, a term bank deposit, or securities) or an employer-sponsored work permit for qualified specialists; there is no passive-income or sufficient-means route. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $59k (as of 2026-06).

What is the weather like in Sumqayıt?

Sumqayıt averages 16°C across the year with about 219 mm of rain, which makes it mild and very dry. It is warmer than 34% of the cities we track.