Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktobe and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $803 a month against $881 in Aktobe, rent and utilities included – about $940 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Aktobe
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Aktobe Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Aktobe

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$881

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$803

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aktobe 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 Aktobe and in Shymkent actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $881 per month in Aktobe vs $803 in Shymkent, rent included.

Aktobe $881
Shymkent $803

A couple spends around $1,386 per month in Aktobe vs $1,389 in Shymkent, rent included.

Aktobe $1,386
Shymkent $1,389

A family of three spends $1,891 per month in Aktobe vs $1,975 in Shymkent, rent included.

Aktobe $1,891
Shymkent $1,975

Aktobe costs about 10% more than Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Aktobe and Shymkent are more affordable than the global median – Aktobe 35% lower, Shymkent 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.74 ₸3,951

$11.05 ₸4,997

-20.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.63 ₸18.4K

$33.24 ₸15.0K

22.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 ₸3,170

$6.62 ₸2,992

5.89%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₸1,115

$2.47 ₸1,117

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

$1.26 ₸567

$1.08 ₸490

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₸275

$0.51 ₸232

19.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 ₸831

$1.08 ₸490

70.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ₸1,335

$1.35 ₸609

118.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ₸641

$1.43 ₸644

-0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.44 ₸198

-6.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₸421

$1.83 ₸829

-49.18%

Eggs

$1.77 ₸799

$1.75 ₸789

1.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 ₸3,535

$10.11 ₸4,569

-22.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.68 ₸2,569

$5.16 ₸2,335

10.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.10 ₸4,115

$9.00 ₸4,070

1.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 ₸733

$1.20 ₸540

35.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ₸964

$2.15 ₸971

-0.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₸1,058

$2.53 ₸1,145

-7.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 ₸878

$1.37 ₸620

41.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₸378

$0.52 ₸234

61.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸181

$0.40 ₸183

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₸494

$0.88 ₸400

23.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₸312

$0.85 ₸386

-18.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 ₸1,142

$2.46 ₸1,111

2.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 ₸2,689

$4.47 ₸2,019

33.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 ₸489

$1.07 ₸483

0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₸818

$1.60 ₸721

13.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₸90.8

$0.18 ₸79.5

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.62 ₸7,966

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₸487

$0.87 ₸393

24.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₸511

$0.35 ₸157

222.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 ₸2,499

$9.59 ₸4,333

-42.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 ₸294

$0.61 ₸277

6.56%

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

$23.1K ₸10.4M

$28.0K ₸12.7M

-17.64%

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

$30.6K ₸13.8M

$29.3K ₸13.2M

4.50%

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

$55.8 ₸25.2K

$46.22 ₸20.9K

20.62%

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

$10.35 ₸4,680

$9.48 ₸4,283

9.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.93 ₸9,463

$14.78 ₸6,683

41.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.08 ₸21.7K

$38.80 ₸17.5K

23.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.14 ₸5,490

$8.95 ₸4,047

35.64%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 ₸2,458

$5.57 ₸2,517

-2.33%

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

$220 ₸99.6K

$58.0 ₸26.2K

280.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,286 ₸1.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ₸24.6K

$36.79 ₸16.6K

47.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₸25.2K

$34.22 ₸15.5K

63.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₸53.3K

$185 ₸83.8K

-36.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ₸45.3K

$52.0 ₸23.5K

92.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 ₸138.8K

$340 ₸153.7K

-9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 ₸105.5K

$203 ₸91.7K

15.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$453 ₸204.8K

$705 ₸318.7K

-35.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₸162.3K

$557 ₸251.7K

-35.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$846 ₸382.4K

$1,093 ₸494.2K

-22.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$546 ₸247.0K

$994 ₸449.3K

-45.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 ₸247.8K

$451 ₸203.7K

21.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

-6.85%

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

Last update for Aktobe: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aktobe

$234 26.5%

Shymkent

$203 25.3% 13.2% $31

Groceries & Markets

Aktobe

$185 21%

Shymkent

$186 23.1% 0.3% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Aktobe

$148 16.8%

Shymkent

$139 17.3% 6.1% $9.1

Eating Out

Aktobe

$143 16.3%

Shymkent

$152 19% 6.5% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktobe

$87 9.9%

Shymkent

$70 8.8% 19% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Aktobe

$59 6.7%

Shymkent

$50 6.2% 15.3% $9

Getting Around

Aktobe

$25 2.9%

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4% 86.9% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $307 in Aktobe 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 22% higher in Aktobe, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Aktobe versus $33.00 in Shymkent. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Aktobe vs $186 in Shymkent – so Aktobe wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktobe

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

13:09 1:09 PM

14:09 2:09 PM

1 h ahead of Aktobe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

570,452

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

Aktobe Shymkent 1,300 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Aktobe
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

Aktobe vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Aktobe is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,321 per month in Aktobe 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 Shymkent, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $881 in Aktobe and $803 in Shymkent. That's a gap of about 10%.

Kindergarten costs $220 per month in Aktobe and $58.0 in Shymkent. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $881 in Aktobe and $803 in Shymkent, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Shymkent – 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 Shymkent. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aktobe makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.