Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atyrau and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $808 a month against $1,010 in Atyrau, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Atyrau
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Atyrau Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Atyrau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,010

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,010 per month in Atyrau vs $808 in Shymkent, rent included.

Atyrau $1,010
Shymkent $808

A couple spends around $1,676 per month in Atyrau vs $1,390 in Shymkent, rent included.

Atyrau $1,676
Shymkent $1,390

A family of three spends $2,342 per month in Atyrau vs $1,971 in Shymkent, rent included.

Atyrau $2,342
Shymkent $1,971

Atyrau costs about 25% more than Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Atyrau and Shymkent are more affordable than the global median – Atyrau 25% lower, Shymkent 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.69 ₸4,382

$11.25 ₸5,086

-13.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.92 ₸16.7K

$33.35 ₸15.1K

10.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 ₸3,326

$6.50 ₸2,938

13.23%

Cappuccino

$2.23 ₸1,006

$2.54 ₸1,147

-12.20%

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

$1.10 ₸496

$1.03 ₸467

6.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₸355

$0.54 ₸246

46.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 ₸741

$1.09 ₸492

50.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₸970

$1.35 ₸609

59.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ₸787

$1.46 ₸661

19.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 ₸202

$0.41 ₸184

9.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ₸925

$1.79 ₸811

14.53%

Eggs

$1.62 ₸733

$1.73 ₸783

-6.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.21 ₸5,067

$10.04 ₸4,538

11.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.44 ₸3,815

$5.26 ₸2,376

60.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.90 ₸3,572

$8.98 ₸4,059

-12.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ₸822

$1.19 ₸538

52.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 ₸1,230

$2.12 ₸957

28.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,015

$2.58 ₸1,166

-12.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ₸781

$1.35 ₸610

28.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸298

$0.55 ₸250

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₸202

$0.41 ₸184

9.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ₸569

$0.88 ₸397

43.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸408

$0.83 ₸376

8.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 ₸1,090

$2.46 ₸1,114

-2.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.55 ₸4,319

$4.55 ₸2,057

109.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₸589

$1.03 ₸466

26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₸631

$1.51 ₸683

-7.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₸155

$0.14 ₸64.0

142.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.57 ₸10.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₸693

$0.87 ₸395

75.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 ₸318

$0.34 ₸156

105.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.47 ₸2,925

$10.02 ₸4,532

-35.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.67 ₸301

$0.64 ₸291

4.69%

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

$17.5K ₸7.9M

$27.2K ₸12.3M

-35.65%

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

$29.0K ₸13.1M

-0.29%

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

$53.6 ₸24.2K

$47.29 ₸21.4K

13.26%

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

$10.95 ₸4,950

$9.60 ₸4,338

14.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.25 ₸6,441

$14.79 ₸6,685

-3.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 ₸29.4K

$38.82 ₸17.5K

67.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.92 ₸4,485

$8.82 ₸3,986

12.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.12 ₸2,768

$5.68 ₸2,567

7.75%

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

$291 ₸131.7K

$57.8 ₸26.1K

404.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,386 ₸1.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.80 ₸14.8K

$37.55 ₸17.0K

-12.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.07 ₸19.9K

$33.85 ₸15.3K

30.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 ₸39.6K

$187 ₸84.4K

-53.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 ₸39.5K

$52.9 ₸23.9K

65.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 ₸230.4K

$338 ₸153.0K

50.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 ₸153.2K

$203 ₸92.0K

66.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 ₸503.6K

$698 ₸315.6K

59.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 ₸350.9K

$545 ₸246.2K

42.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$947 ₸428.0K

$1,104 ₸499.1K

-14.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$735 ₸332.4K

$986 ₸445.6K

-25.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 ₸330.8K

$442 ₸199.6K

65.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

64.38%

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

Last update for Atyrau: 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

Atyrau

$339 33.6%

Shymkent

$203 25.2% 40% $135

Groceries & Markets

Atyrau

$226 22.4%

Shymkent

$185 22.9% 18.2% $41

Eating Out

Atyrau

$146 14.5%

Shymkent

$154 19.1% 5.5% $8

Clothing & Footwear

Atyrau

$113 11.2%

Shymkent

$140 17.3% 23.6% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atyrau

$79 7.8%

Shymkent

$72 8.9% 9% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Atyrau

$77 7.7%

Shymkent

$50 6.2% 35.2% $27

Getting Around

Atyrau

$29 2.9%

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4% 89.1% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $510 in Atyrau versus $338 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 66% higher in Atyrau, 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 $37.00 in Atyrau versus $33.00 in Shymkent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $185 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Atyrau

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

01:30 1:30 AM

02:30 2:30 AM

1 h ahead of Atyrau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

323,295

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

Atyrau Shymkent 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Atyrau
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

Atyrau vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,010 in Atyrau, $808 in Shymkent – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,515 per month in Atyrau and $1,212 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 $1,010 in Atyrau and $808 in Shymkent. That's a gap of about 25%.

Kindergarten costs $291 per month in Atyrau and $57.8 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 $808, than in Atyrau at $1,010. In Shymkent it covers expenses comfortably, while in Atyrau 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, Atyrau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.