Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $803 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$803

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $803 in Shymkent, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Shymkent $803

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,389 in Shymkent, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Shymkent $1,389

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,975 in Shymkent, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Shymkent $1,975

Almaty costs about 71% more than Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Shymkent is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$11.05 ₸4,997

19.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$33.24 ₸15.0K

34.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$6.62 ₸2,992

34.44%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.47 ₸1,117

31.58%

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

$1.41 ₸639

$1.08 ₸490

30.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.51 ₸232

72.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$1.08 ₸490

210.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$1.35 ₸609

199.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.43 ₸644

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$0.44 ₸198

95.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.83 ₸829

10.93%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.75 ₸789

38.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$10.11 ₸4,569

23.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$5.16 ₸2,335

30.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$9.00 ₸4,070

20.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$1.20 ₸540

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$2.15 ₸971

4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.53 ₸1,145

15.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.37 ₸620

100.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$0.52 ₸234

44.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$0.40 ₸183

37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.88 ₸400

84.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.85 ₸386

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$2.46 ₸1,111

4.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$4.47 ₸2,019

149.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$1.07 ₸483

13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$1.60 ₸721

52.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.18 ₸79.5

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$0.87 ₸393

55.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.35 ₸157

82.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$9.59 ₸4,333

16.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$0.61 ₸277

18.03%

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

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$28.0K ₸12.7M

-19.71%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$29.3K ₸13.2M

3.29%

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

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$46.22 ₸20.9K

98.64%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$9.48 ₸4,283

12.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$14.78 ₸6,683

20.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$38.80 ₸17.5K

81.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$8.95 ₸4,047

208.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$5.57 ₸2,517

21.72%

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

$449 ₸202.9K

$58.0 ₸26.2K

674.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$36.79 ₸16.6K

144.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$34.22 ₸15.5K

37.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$185 ₸83.8K

-23.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$52.0 ₸23.5K

155.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$340 ₸153.7K

136.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$203 ₸91.7K

146.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$705 ₸318.7K

102.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$557 ₸251.7K

62.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$1,093 ₸494.2K

128.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$994 ₸449.3K

56.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$451 ₸203.7K

93.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

18.25

13.15%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Shymkent

$203 25.3% 59.4% $297

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Shymkent

$186 23.1% 25.9% $65

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Shymkent

$152 19% 25.6% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Shymkent

$139 17.3% 25.1% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Shymkent

$70 8.8% 41.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Shymkent

$50 6.2% 40.5% $34

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4% 88% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty 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 93% higher in Almaty, 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 $45.00 in Almaty versus $33.00 in Shymkent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $186 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

05:46 5:46 AM

Same time as Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

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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Almaty Shymkent 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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

Almaty vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty 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 $1,372 in Almaty and $803 in Shymkent. That's a gap of about 71%.

Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Almaty and $58.0 in Shymkent. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shymkent, where all-in costs run around $803, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Shymkent it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.