Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $809 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$809

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $809 in Shymkent, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Shymkent $809

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $1,366 in Shymkent, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Shymkent $1,366

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $1,924 in Shymkent, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Shymkent $1,924

Berlin costs about 215% more than Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Berlin sits 90% above the global median, while Shymkent is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €14.99

$11.06 ₸4,979

51.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$33.96 ₸15.3K

134.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.93

$6.48 ₸2,915

106.48%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$2.50 ₸1,125

70.80%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$1.08 ₸486

214.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.78

$0.50 ₸227

524.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.88

$1.06 ₸478

416.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.06

$1.30 ₸583

250.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.45 ₸654

-12.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.18

$0.44 ₸198

456.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$1.75 ₸787

88.57%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$1.65 ₸743

169.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.25

$10.07 ₸4,535

69.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.87

$5.11 ₸2,300

138.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.32

$8.41 ₸3,787

117.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$1.19 ₸537

200.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.17 ₸978

-8.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$2.45 ₸1,101

33.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$1.35 ₸608

182.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$0.51 ₸229

317.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$0.40 ₸181

452.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$0.92 ₸416

61.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$0.79 ₸355

27.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.36

$2.42 ₸1,091

333.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$4.40 ₸1,981

53.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.06 ₸479

26.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.51 ₸682

39.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$0.15 ₸68.0

2813.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$0.83 ₸375

537.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.72

$0.36 ₸163

747.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.36

$9.79 ₸4,408

270.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.60 ₸271

280.00%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$27.8K ₸12.5M

19.64%

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

$39.1K €34.8K

$29.1K ₸13.1M

34.41%

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

$379 €338

$47.16 ₸21.2K

704.35%

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

$19.31 €17.22

$9.06 ₸4,078

113.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.17

$15.10 ₸6,799

220.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.94

$38.81 ₸17.5K

3.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.66

$8.55 ₸3,849

315.32%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.85

$5.63 ₸2,533

175.84%

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

$144 €128

$56.9 ₸25.6K

152.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.4

$35.94 ₸16.2K

163.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.31

$33.11 ₸14.9K

39.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.1

$181 ₸81.6K

-42.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$51.4 ₸23.1K

175.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,327

$333 ₸149.8K

347.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €979

$197 ₸88.8K

456.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,376

$693 ₸311.9K

284.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,855

$556 ₸250.3K

274.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,648

$1,109 ₸499.1K

673.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,849

$975 ₸439.0K

457.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,109

$437 ₸196.9K

697.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

18.25

-79.18%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Shymkent

$197 24.9% 82% $901

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Shymkent

$71 9% 84% $376

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Shymkent

$182 23% 48.2% $169

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Shymkent

$152 19.2% 47.3% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Shymkent

$136 17.2% 21.8% $38

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4% 97% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Shymkent

$50 6.3% 29.9% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $333 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 697% higher in Berlin, 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 $80.0 in Berlin versus $34.00 in Shymkent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $182 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

11:05 11:05 AM

15:05 3:05 PM

4 h ahead of Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

1,222,055

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

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

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).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Berlin Shymkent 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
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

Berlin vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 215%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $1,213 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin and $34.00 in Shymkent. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 93% more in Berlin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shymkent, where all-in costs run around $809, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Shymkent it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin 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, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.