Abstract
Abstract This study addresses the gap between formal statistical indicators of development and residents’ perceptions of quality of life amid socio-economic transformation. The aim is to analyze discrepancies between objective living conditions and subjective well-being in two contrasting urban contexts. A dual approach was applied, combining the calculation of the Sustainable Urban Development Index (SUDI) based on 27 statistical indicators for 2022 and the analysis of data from a stratified sociological survey ( N = 200) conducted in July-August 2024 in the capital city of Astana and the regional center of Kyzylorda. Data processing was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 23. The analysis reveals a structural imbalance. Astana demonstrates a higher overall SUDI score (0.634) and strong infrastructure but reports lower subjective ratings in several domains, reflecting higher expectations. Kyzylorda, despite a moderate index value (0.527) and pronounced environmental challenges (0.287), exhibits a “satisfaction paradox,” whereby deficits in material conditions are partly offset by social capital. The findings confirm that improvements in quantitative indicators do not automatically lead to higher subjective well-being. The novelty of the study lies in demonstrating the compensatory role of social ties in resource-constrained urban contexts and in highlighting the value of integrating objective indicators and subjective assessments in urban sustainability analysis.