Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alga and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $808 a month against $876 in Alga, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Alga
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Alga Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Alga

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$876

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $876 in Alga versus $803 in Shymkent.

Alga $876
Shymkent $803

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Alga versus $1,389 in Shymkent.

Alga $1,418
Shymkent $1,389

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,960 in Alga versus $1,975 in Shymkent.

Alga $1,960
Shymkent $1,975

Living in Alga is roughly 9% more expensive than in Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alga 35% lower, Shymkent 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.01 ₸4,527

$11.25 ₸5,086

-11.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.65 ₸15.2K

$33.35 ₸15.1K

0.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 ₸3,498

$6.50 ₸2,938

19.08%

Cappuccino

$2.28 ₸1,033

$2.54 ₸1,147

-10.24%

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

$1.06 ₸481

$1.03 ₸467

2.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₸253

$0.54 ₸246

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ₸606

$1.09 ₸492

22.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₸932

$1.35 ₸609

52.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ₸628

$1.46 ₸661

-4.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸200

$0.41 ₸184

7.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 ₸689

$1.79 ₸811

-15.08%

Eggs

$1.74 ₸788

$1.73 ₸783

0.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 ₸4,696

$10.04 ₸4,538

3.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.77 ₸2,609

$5.26 ₸2,376

9.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.62 ₸3,895

$8.98 ₸4,059

-4.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ₸690

$1.19 ₸538

28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ₸993

$2.12 ₸957

3.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₸1,083

$2.58 ₸1,166

-6.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ₸951

$1.35 ₸610

55.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₸294

$0.55 ₸250

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 ₸225

$0.41 ₸184

21.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₸525

$0.88 ₸397

31.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₸414

$0.83 ₸376

10.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 ₸1,074

$2.46 ₸1,114

-3.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 ₸3,578

$4.55 ₸2,057

73.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ₸560

$1.03 ₸466

20.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₸898

$1.51 ₸683

31.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₸104

$0.14 ₸64.0

64.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.98 ₸7,675

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 ₸507

$0.87 ₸395

28.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 ₸326

$0.34 ₸156

111.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 ₸2,723

$10.02 ₸4,532

-39.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 ₸307

$0.64 ₸291

6.25%

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

$23.6K ₸10.7M

$27.2K ₸12.3M

-13.19%

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

$30.5K ₸13.8M

$29.0K ₸13.1M

4.86%

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

$67.7 ₸30.6K

$47.29 ₸21.4K

43.14%

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

$10.29 ₸4,652

$9.60 ₸4,338

7.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.54 ₸7,024

$14.79 ₸6,685

5.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.89 ₸18.9K

$38.82 ₸17.5K

7.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 ₸3,986

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 ₸2,316

$5.68 ₸2,567

-9.86%

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

$144 ₸65.0K

$57.8 ₸26.1K

148.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,412 ₸2.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ₸26.1K

$37.55 ₸17.0K

53.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 ₸20.5K

$33.85 ₸15.3K

33.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 ₸43.2K

$187 ₸84.4K

-48.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 ₸40.2K

$52.9 ₸23.9K

68.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$346 ₸156.3K

$338 ₸153.0K

2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$227 ₸102.7K

$203 ₸92.0K

11.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 ₸299.2K

$698 ₸315.6K

-5.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 ₸217.4K

$545 ₸246.2K

-11.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 ₸492.7K

$1,104 ₸499.1K

-1.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$860 ₸388.6K

$986 ₸445.6K

-12.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₸199.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.25

18.25

5.48%

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

Last update for Alga: October 17, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alga

$227 26%

Shymkent

$203 25.2% 10.5% $24

Groceries & Markets

Alga

$203 23.2%

Shymkent

$185 22.9% 8.7% $18

Eating Out

Alga

$148 16.9%

Shymkent

$154 19.1% 4.3% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Alga

$129 14.8%

Shymkent

$140 17.3% 8.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alga

$94 10.7%

Shymkent

$72 8.9% 23.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Alga

$52 6%

Shymkent

$50 6.2% 3.8% $2

Getting Around

Alga

$23 2.6%

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4% 86% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $346 in Alga and $340 in Shymkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Alga vs $33.00 in Shymkent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $186 per month, with Shymkent cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Alga

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

Same time as Alga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

On the map

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Alga Shymkent 430 km

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Alga
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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

Alga vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shymkent wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Alga. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shymkent the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,314 in Alga and $1,205 in Shymkent to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $346 in Alga versus $340 in Shymkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Alga. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $876 per month in Alga versus $803 in Shymkent – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Shymkent gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Alga and Shymkent are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Shymkent gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Alga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.