Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktau and Shymkent

For one person, living costs are similar in Aktau and in Shymkent: $793 and $803 a month, rent and utilities included.

39

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$793

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$803

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aktau and in Shymkent

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aktau and in Shymkent actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $793 per month in Aktau vs $803 in Shymkent, rent included.

Aktau $793
Shymkent $803

A couple spends around $1,317 per month in Aktau vs $1,389 in Shymkent, rent included.

Aktau $1,317
Shymkent $1,389

A family of three spends $1,842 per month in Aktau vs $1,975 in Shymkent, rent included.

Aktau $1,842
Shymkent $1,975

Aktau is about 1% cheaper than Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Aktau and Shymkent are more affordable than the global median – Aktau 41% lower, Shymkent 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.07 ₸5,005

$11.05 ₸4,997

0.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.55 ₸19.7K

$33.24 ₸15.0K

31.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 ₸4,596

$6.62 ₸2,992

53.63%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ₸1,128

$2.47 ₸1,117

0.81%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₸333

$1.08 ₸490

-31.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₸219

$0.51 ₸232

-5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₸586

$1.08 ₸490

20.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₸690

$1.35 ₸609

13.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ₸638

$1.43 ₸644

-1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 ₸211

$0.44 ₸198

6.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₸864

$1.83 ₸829

4.37%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$1.75 ₸789

-1.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 ₸4,463

$10.11 ₸4,569

-2.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 ₸1,915

$5.16 ₸2,335

-17.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.95 ₸4,044

$9.00 ₸4,070

-0.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ₸689

$1.20 ₸540

27.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 ₸1,013

$2.15 ₸971

4.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ₸1,064

$2.53 ₸1,145

-7.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 ₸1,264

$1.37 ₸620

104.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₸295

$0.52 ₸234

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ₸254

$0.40 ₸183

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 ₸700

$0.88 ₸400

76.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₸424

$0.85 ₸386

10.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 ₸1,172

$2.46 ₸1,111

5.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 ₸4,313

$4.47 ₸2,019

113.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₸326

$1.07 ₸483

-32.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸393

$1.60 ₸721

-45.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸82.6

$0.18 ₸79.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 ₸512

$0.87 ₸393

29.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸290

$0.35 ₸157

82.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 ₸4,333

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 ₸283

$0.61 ₸277

3.28%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.0K ₸12.7M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.4K ₸14.2M

$29.3K ₸13.2M

7.24%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$45.69 ₸20.7K

$46.22 ₸20.9K

-1.15%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.94 ₸3,587

$9.48 ₸4,283

-16.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.01 ₸4,979

$14.78 ₸6,683

-25.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.98 ₸16.3K

$38.80 ₸17.5K

-7.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.95 ₸4,047

Cinema Ticket

$3.18 ₸1,437

$5.57 ₸2,517

-42.91%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$143 ₸64.8K

$58.0 ₸26.2K

147.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,621 ₸1.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 ₸30.2K

$36.79 ₸16.6K

81.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.67 ₸18.4K

$34.22 ₸15.5K

18.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 ₸32.4K

$185 ₸83.8K

-61.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 ₸40.5K

$52.0 ₸23.5K

72.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$330 ₸149.2K

$340 ₸153.7K

-2.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ₸88.6K

$203 ₸91.7K

-3.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 ₸249.0K

$705 ₸318.7K

-21.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₸177.8K

$557 ₸251.7K

-29.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$813 ₸367.6K

$1,093 ₸494.2K

-25.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$659 ₸297.7K

$994 ₸449.3K

-33.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$564 ₸254.8K

$451 ₸203.7K

25.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

-23.29%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aktau: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Aktau

$200 25.3%

Shymkent

$186 23.1% 7.4% $15

Accommodation & Living

Aktau

$196 24.7%

Shymkent

$203 25.3% 3.4% $6.7

Eating Out

Aktau

$163 20.6%

Shymkent

$152 19% 6.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Aktau

$121 15.3%

Shymkent

$139 17.3% 14.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktau

$65 8.2%

Shymkent

$70 8.8% 9% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Aktau

$42 5.3%

Shymkent

$50 6.2% 17.9% $7.6

Getting Around

Aktau

$5.1 * 0.6%

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4% 34.9% $1.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $330 in Aktau versus $340 in Shymkent. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 25% higher in Aktau, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Aktau versus $33.00 in Shymkent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $186 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktau

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

08:24 8:24 AM

09:24 9:24 AM

1 h ahead of Aktau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,830

1,222,055

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Aktau Shymkent 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Aktau
Shymkent

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aktau vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shymkent costs about 1% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,189 per month in Aktau and $1,205 in Shymkent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Aktau and $33.00 in Shymkent. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Shymkent – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $793 in Aktau and $803 in Shymkent, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Aktau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aktau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shymkent makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.