Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Astana and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $802 a month against $1,133 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,133

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$802

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,133 per month in Astana vs $802 in Shymkent, rent included.

Astana $1,133
Shymkent $802

A couple spends around $1,810 per month in Astana vs $1,384 in Shymkent, rent included.

Astana $1,810
Shymkent $1,384

A family of three spends $2,486 per month in Astana vs $1,965 in Shymkent, rent included.

Astana $2,486
Shymkent $1,965

Astana costs about 41% more than Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Astana and Shymkent are more affordable than the global median – Astana 17% lower, Shymkent 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 ₸5,039

$11.02 ₸5,022

0.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.01 ₸17.3K

$33.16 ₸15.1K

14.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 ₸3,596

$6.74 ₸3,068

17.06%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ₸1,205

$2.43 ₸1,107

9.05%

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

$1.08 ₸490

$1.07 ₸488

0.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₸282

$0.54 ₸247

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ₸611

$1.09 ₸495

22.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₸1,024

$1.36 ₸618

65.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₸573

$1.44 ₸657

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ₸275

$0.44 ₸200

36.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ₸708

$1.80 ₸821

-13.89%

Eggs

$2.18 ₸992

$1.69 ₸771

28.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 ₸5,459

$10.03 ₸4,568

19.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 ₸2,638

$5.29 ₸2,409

9.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 ₸4,815

$8.59 ₸3,912

23.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ₸830

$1.20 ₸547

51.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₸1,052

$2.21 ₸1,006

4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ₸1,043

$2.55 ₸1,160

-10.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 ₸996

$1.43 ₸652

53.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸299

$0.51 ₸234

29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ₸210

$0.43 ₸196

6.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 ₸695

$0.90 ₸411

70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸412

$0.84 ₸384

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₸1,079

$2.46 ₸1,121

-3.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.93 ₸4,978

$4.54 ₸2,069

140.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₸590

$1.04 ₸473

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₸1,071

$1.59 ₸722

47.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸114

$0.17 ₸78.0

47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.60 ₸7,560

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 ₸1,032

$0.86 ₸391

163.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₸515

$0.37 ₸169

205.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 ₸3,016

$9.72 ₸4,429

-31.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸312

$0.66 ₸301

4.55%

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

$28.0K ₸12.8M

$27.6K ₸12.6M

1.50%

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

$31.7K ₸14.4M

$29.7K ₸13.5M

6.68%

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

$68.4 ₸31.2K

$47.21 ₸21.5K

44.88%

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

$10.08 ₸4,592

$9.45 ₸4,303

6.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.13 ₸8,258

$14.85 ₸6,766

22.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 ₸26.7K

$39.00 ₸17.8K

50.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.67 ₸9,414

$8.61 ₸3,920

140.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 ₸2,856

$5.65 ₸2,572

10.97%

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

$487 ₸221.9K

$58.0 ₸26.4K

740.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ₸5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.6 ₸29.4K

$36.30 ₸16.5K

77.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.35 ₸21.1K

$34.52 ₸15.7K

34.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₸54.5K

$184 ₸83.8K

-35.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₸57.5K

$52.4 ₸23.9K

140.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$564 ₸256.9K

$341 ₸155.4K

65.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 ₸178.3K

$201 ₸91.7K

94.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 ₸524.1K

$694 ₸316.1K

65.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 ₸350.1K

$548 ₸249.8K

40.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,560 ₸710.5K

$1,121 ₸510.5K

39.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,120 ₸510.2K

$970 ₸441.9K

15.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$867 ₸394.7K

$439 ₸199.8K

97.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.83

18.25

-18.74%

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

Last update for Astana: October 24, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Astana

$391 34.5%

Shymkent

$201 25.1% 48.6% $190

Groceries & Markets

Astana

$226 20%

Shymkent

$185 23.1% 18.1% $41

Eating Out

Astana

$162 14.3%

Shymkent

$152 19% 6% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Astana

$161 14.2%

Shymkent

$138 17.2% 13.8% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Astana

$97 8.5%

Shymkent

$72 8.9% 26% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Astana

$71 6.3%

Shymkent

$50 6.3% 29.4% $21

Getting Around

Astana

$26 2.3%

Shymkent

$3.4 * 0.4% 86.7% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $564 in Astana versus $341 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 98% higher in Astana. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Astana versus $33 in Shymkent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $185 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Astana

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

Same time as Astana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

814,400 Capital

1,222,055

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Astana Shymkent 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Astana
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

Astana vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,133 in Astana, $802 in Shymkent – Shymkent comes out roughly 29% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,700 per month in Astana and $1,203 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $341 there versus $564 in Astana.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Astana and $33 in Shymkent. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Astana, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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