Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $809 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$809

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $809 in Shymkent.

Austin, TX $2,704
Shymkent $809

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,366 in Shymkent.

Austin, TX $4,133
Shymkent $1,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,924 in Shymkent.

Austin, TX $5,562
Shymkent $1,924

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 234% more expensive than in Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Shymkent is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$11.06 ₸4,979

82.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$33.96 ₸15.3K

150.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$6.48 ₸2,915

90.59%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.50 ₸1,125

118.80%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.08 ₸486

253.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.50 ₸227

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.06 ₸478

660.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$1.30 ₸583

591.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.45 ₸654

-22.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.44 ₸198

759.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.75 ₸787

85.71%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.65 ₸743

150.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$10.07 ₸4,535

29.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$5.11 ₸2,300

180.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$8.41 ₸3,787

89.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.19 ₸537

268.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.17 ₸978

-33.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.45 ₸1,101

85.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.35 ₸608

210.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.51 ₸229

415.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.40 ₸181

490.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.92 ₸416

91.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.79 ₸355

173.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.42 ₸1,091

305.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$4.40 ₸1,981

234.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.06 ₸479

162.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.51 ₸682

130.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.15 ₸68.0

893.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.83 ₸375

221.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.36 ₸163

338.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$9.79 ₸4,408

260.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.60 ₸271

65.00%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.8K ₸12.5M

28.87%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$29.1K ₸13.1M

-6.47%

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

$219 $219

$47.16 ₸21.2K

364.95%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$9.06 ₸4,078

540.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$15.10 ₸6,799

352.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$38.81 ₸17.5K

49.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$8.55 ₸3,849

73.33%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$5.63 ₸2,533

150.98%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$56.9 ₸25.6K

2551.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$35.94 ₸16.2K

43.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$33.11 ₸14.9K

33.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$181 ₸81.6K

-53.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$51.4 ₸23.1K

104.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$333 ₸149.8K

480.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$197 ₸88.8K

544.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$693 ₸311.9K

429.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$556 ₸250.3K

354.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,109 ₸499.1K

586.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$975 ₸439.0K

228.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$437 ₸196.9K

1066.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

18.25

-62.79%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Shymkent

$197 24.9% 84.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Shymkent

$182 23% 54.9% $221

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Shymkent

$152 19.2% 56.3% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Shymkent

$71 9% 79.4% $274

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Shymkent

$136 17.2% 5.4% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Shymkent

$50 6.3% 41.9% $36

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4% 94.3% $54

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 $1,932 in Austin, TX and $333 in Shymkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1067% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $34.00 in Shymkent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $182 per month, with Shymkent cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

11:27 11:27 AM

11 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,222,055

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

KZT to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Shymkent 11,840 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shymkent wins on cost – living expenses run 234% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shymkent the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1067% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $333 in Shymkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,509 in Austin, TX versus $56.9 in Shymkent. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shymkent – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $809 in Shymkent versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shymkent but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Shymkent the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Austin, TX 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 234% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.