Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ekibastuz and Shymkent

For one person, living costs are similar in Ekibastuz and in Shymkent: $837 and $808 a month, rent and utilities included.

40

Cost of Living Index in Ekibastuz
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Ekibastuz Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Ekibastuz

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$837

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $837 per month in Ekibastuz vs $808 in Shymkent, rent included.

Ekibastuz $837
Shymkent $808

A couple spends around $1,349 per month in Ekibastuz vs $1,390 in Shymkent, rent included.

Ekibastuz $1,349
Shymkent $1,390

A family of three spends $1,860 per month in Ekibastuz vs $1,971 in Shymkent, rent included.

Ekibastuz $1,860
Shymkent $1,971

Ekibastuz costs about 4% more than Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ekibastuz and Shymkent are more affordable than the global median – Ekibastuz 38% lower, Shymkent 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.85 ₸4,904

$11.25 ₸5,086

-3.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.90 ₸16.7K

$33.35 ₸15.1K

10.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 ₸3,523

$6.50 ₸2,938

19.85%

Cappuccino

$1.51 ₸683

$2.54 ₸1,147

-40.55%

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

$1.10 ₸497

$1.03 ₸467

6.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₸302

$0.54 ₸246

24.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ₸590

$1.09 ₸492

20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₸983

$1.35 ₸609

60.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 ₸592

$1.46 ₸661

-10.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.41 ₸184

56.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ₸737

$1.79 ₸811

-8.94%

Eggs

$2.18 ₸985

$1.73 ₸783

26.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 ₸5,393

$10.04 ₸4,538

18.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 ₸2,707

$5.26 ₸2,376

13.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 ₸4,846

$8.98 ₸4,059

19.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ₸823

$1.19 ₸538

52.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ₸1,026

$2.12 ₸957

7.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ₸1,012

$2.58 ₸1,166

-13.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 ₸969

$1.35 ₸610

58.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₸315

$0.55 ₸250

27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₸189

$0.41 ₸184

2.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 ₸663

$0.88 ₸397

67.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₸433

$0.83 ₸376

15.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 ₸1,004

$2.46 ₸1,114

-9.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 ₸5,065

$4.55 ₸2,057

146.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸617

$1.03 ₸466

32.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,089

$1.51 ₸683

59.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₸103

$0.14 ₸64.0

64.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 ₸507

$0.87 ₸395

28.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₸512

$0.34 ₸156

232.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 ₸2,916

$10.02 ₸4,532

-35.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 ₸274

$0.64 ₸291

-4.69%

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

$28.2K ₸12.8M

$27.2K ₸12.3M

3.89%

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

$31.1K ₸14.0M

$29.0K ₸13.1M

6.90%

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

$67.5 ₸30.5K

$47.29 ₸21.4K

42.80%

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

$9.93 ₸4,490

$9.60 ₸4,338

3.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ₸8,137

$14.79 ₸6,685

21.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.82 ₸17.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 ₸3,986

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 ₸2,816

$5.68 ₸2,567

9.68%

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

$375 ₸169.7K

$57.8 ₸26.1K

549.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ₸5.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 ₸30.1K

$37.55 ₸17.0K

77.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.63 ₸21.1K

$33.85 ₸15.3K

37.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₸54.0K

$187 ₸84.4K

-36.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₸58.3K

$52.9 ₸23.9K

143.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 ₸111.7K

$338 ₸153.0K

-26.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ₸82.8K

$203 ₸92.0K

-9.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 ₸198.7K

$698 ₸315.6K

-37.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 ₸155.3K

$545 ₸246.2K

-36.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₸499.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 ₸445.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$330 ₸149.0K

$442 ₸199.6K

-25.37%

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 Ekibastuz: October 20, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ekibastuz

$229 27.4%

Shymkent

$185 22.9% 19.3% $44

Accommodation & Living

Ekibastuz

$183 21.9%

Shymkent

$203 25.2% 11% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Ekibastuz

$163 19.4%

Shymkent

$140 17.3% 14% $23

Eating Out

Ekibastuz

$146 17.5%

Shymkent

$154 19.1% 5.6% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ekibastuz

$95 11.4%

Shymkent

$72 8.9% 24.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Ekibastuz

$12 * 1.5%

Shymkent

$50 6.2% 303% $38

Getting Around

Ekibastuz

$7.7 * 0.9%

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4% 58.9% $4.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $247 in Ekibastuz 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 34% higher in Shymkent, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Ekibastuz versus $33.00 in Shymkent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $185 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Ekibastuz

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

Same time as Ekibastuz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,760

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

Ekibastuz Shymkent 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ekibastuz
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

Ekibastuz vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $837 in Ekibastuz, $808 in Shymkent – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,256 per month in Ekibastuz 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 $837 in Ekibastuz and $808 in Shymkent. That's a gap of about 4%.

Kindergarten costs $375 per month in Ekibastuz and $57.8 in Shymkent. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $837 in Ekibastuz and $808 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, Ekibastuz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.