Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karaganda and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $808 a month against $929 in Karaganda, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Karaganda
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Karaganda Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Karaganda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$929

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $926 per month in Karaganda vs $803 in Shymkent, rent included.

Karaganda $926
Shymkent $803

A couple spends around $1,492 per month in Karaganda vs $1,389 in Shymkent, rent included.

Karaganda $1,492
Shymkent $1,389

A family of three spends $2,058 per month in Karaganda vs $1,975 in Shymkent, rent included.

Karaganda $2,058
Shymkent $1,975

Karaganda costs about 15% more than Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karaganda and Shymkent are more affordable than the global median – Karaganda 31% lower, Shymkent 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 ₸4,483

$11.25 ₸5,086

-11.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.77 ₸15.7K

$33.35 ₸15.1K

4.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 ₸2,540

$6.50 ₸2,938

-13.54%

Cappuccino

$1.90 ₸861

$2.54 ₸1,147

-25.20%

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

$0.87 ₸392

$1.03 ₸467

-15.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₸290

$0.54 ₸246

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₸618

$1.09 ₸492

25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₸1,271

$1.35 ₸609

108.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 ₸602

$1.46 ₸661

-8.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 ₸219

$0.41 ₸184

17.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ₸605

$1.79 ₸811

-25.14%

Eggs

$1.87 ₸845

$1.73 ₸783

8.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.37 ₸6,043

$10.04 ₸4,538

33.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 ₸2,510

$5.26 ₸2,376

5.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ₸5,043

$8.98 ₸4,059

24.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 ₸683

$1.19 ₸538

26.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₸857

$2.12 ₸957

-10.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 ₸1,255

$2.58 ₸1,166

7.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 ₸944

$1.35 ₸610

54.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ₸284

$0.55 ₸250

14.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₸245

$0.41 ₸184

31.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₸469

$0.88 ₸397

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₸315

$0.83 ₸376

-15.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 ₸985

$2.46 ₸1,114

-11.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 ₸3,798

$4.55 ₸2,057

84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸616

$1.03 ₸466

32.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₸955

$1.51 ₸683

39.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₸104

$0.14 ₸64.0

64.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.45 ₸6,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ₸558

$0.87 ₸395

41.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 ₸562

$0.34 ₸156

264.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 ₸1,457

$10.02 ₸4,532

-67.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 ₸236

$0.64 ₸291

-18.75%

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

$21.6K ₸9.8M

$27.2K ₸12.3M

-20.37%

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

$32.3K ₸14.6M

$29.0K ₸13.1M

11.07%

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

$72.6 ₸32.8K

$47.29 ₸21.4K

53.46%

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

$9.86 ₸4,457

$9.60 ₸4,338

2.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.82 ₸5,342

$14.79 ₸6,685

-20.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.55 ₸20.6K

$38.82 ₸17.5K

17.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 ₸8,179

$8.82 ₸3,986

105.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 ₸2,390

$5.68 ₸2,567

-6.87%

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

$133 ₸59.9K

$57.8 ₸26.1K

129.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 ₸27.4K

$37.55 ₸17.0K

61.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 ₸26.0K

$33.85 ₸15.3K

70.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 ₸35.7K

$187 ₸84.4K

-57.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 ₸38.7K

$52.9 ₸23.9K

62.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 ₸180.6K

$338 ₸153.0K

18.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₸123.7K

$203 ₸92.0K

34.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ₸330.1K

$698 ₸315.6K

4.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₸245.7K

$545 ₸246.2K

-0.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,053 ₸475.8K

$1,104 ₸499.1K

-4.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$695 ₸314.0K

$986 ₸445.6K

-29.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$566 ₸256.1K

$442 ₸199.6K

28.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.25

18.25

5.48%

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

Last update for Karaganda: 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

Karaganda

$274 29.5%

Shymkent

$203 25.2% 25.7% $70

Groceries & Markets

Karaganda

$216 23.3%

Shymkent

$185 22.9% 14.4% $31

Eating Out

Karaganda

$138 14.8%

Shymkent

$154 19.1% 12.3% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Karaganda

$127 13.7%

Shymkent

$140 17.3% 10% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karaganda

$94 10.2%

Shymkent

$72 8.9% 24% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Karaganda

$56 6%

Shymkent

$50 6.2% 10.6% $5.9

Getting Around

Karaganda

$24 2.6%

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4% 86.7% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Karaganda versus $340 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 26% higher in Karaganda, 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 $35.00 in Karaganda versus $33.00 in Shymkent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $186 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Karaganda

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

Same time as Karaganda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,486

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

Karaganda Shymkent 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Karaganda
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

Karaganda vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $926 in Karaganda, $803 in Shymkent – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,389 per month in Karaganda and $1,205 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 $926 in Karaganda and $803 in Shymkent. That's a gap of about 15%.

Kindergarten costs $135 per month in Karaganda and $58.0 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 $926 in Karaganda and $803 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, Karaganda makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.