Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Shymkent Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Shymkent

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $689 per month in Chengdu vs $679 in Shymkent, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,083 per month in Chengdu vs $1,091 in Shymkent, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,477 per month in Chengdu vs $1,503 in Shymkent, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 1% more than Shymkent, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chengdu and Shymkent are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 49% lower, Shymkent 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.85 ¥19.32

$9.57 ₸4,664

-70.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ¥162

$19.66 ₸9,579

22.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.75

$6.77 ₸3,298

-26.29%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ¥18.75

$1.87 ₸912

48.13%

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

$0.46 ¥3.14

$1.01 ₸490

-54.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.06

$0.44 ₸213

-31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ¥7.63

$1.16 ₸563

-2.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.44

$1.91 ₸930

11.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.19

$1.10 ₸534

63.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ¥9.39

$0.30 ₸148

363.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.10

$1.57 ₸767

-42.68%

Eggs

$1.86 ¥12.61

$1.44 ₸702

29.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 ¥92.2

$7.95 ₸3,871

71.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ¥24.09

$4.24 ₸2,066

-16.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥76.0

$6.50 ₸3,166

72.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.62

$1.00 ₸489

86.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥8.00

$1.84 ₸894

-35.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.16

$1.89 ₸920

-20.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥7.02

$1.02 ₸499

1.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.74

$0.47 ₸231

48.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.71

$0.38 ₸184

84.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.78 ₸378

-28.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.13

$0.64 ₸311

-4.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 ¥21.93

$1.91 ₸930

69.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 ¥36.81

$3.97 ₸1,935

37.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥6.79

$0.93 ₸454

7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥12.69

$1.38 ₸673

35.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.16 ₸77.7

156.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.31 ¥185

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ¥8.29

$0.84 ₸409

45.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$0.63 ₸308

-58.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 ¥27.65

$5.91 ₸2,879

-30.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.70

$0.46 ₸222

147.83%

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

$18.7K ¥126.7K

$19.8K ₸9.7M

-5.60%

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

$16.0K ¥108.6K

$24.6K ₸12.0M

-34.69%

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

$45.05 ¥305

$51.1 ₸24.9K

-11.75%

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

$11.69 ¥79.1

$8.84 ₸4,306

32.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥77.0

$12.49 ₸6,086

-8.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.49 ¥166

$32.82 ₸16.0K

-25.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ¥75.6

$7.69 ₸3,748

45.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 ¥37.48

$4.75 ₸2,315

16.63%

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

$333 ¥2,251

$49.35 ₸24.0K

573.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥82.1K

$4,935 ₸2.4M

145.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.92 ¥257

$32.43 ₸15.8K

16.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.57 ¥261

$30.01 ₸14.6K

28.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 ¥456

$123 ₸59.7K

-45.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 ¥343

$46.31 ₸22.6K

9.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 ¥2,151

$306 ₸149.1K

3.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,214

$177 ₸86.4K

1.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ¥4,132

$470 ₸229.2K

29.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥2,265

$354 ₸172.4K

-5.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,810 ¥25.8K

$1,040 ₸506.5K

266.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,922 ¥13.0K

$911 ₸443.6K

111.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,257 ¥8,510

$401 ₸195.1K

213.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

19.5

-78.41%

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

Last update for Chengdu: June 2, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Chengdu versus $306 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 214% higher in Chengdu, 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 $24.00 in Chengdu versus $20.00 in Shymkent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $148 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Chengdu vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $689 in Chengdu, $679 in Shymkent – roughly 1% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,033 per month in Chengdu and $1,018 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 $24.00 in Chengdu and $20.00 in Shymkent. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Chengdu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $689 in Chengdu and $679 in Shymkent, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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