Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kostanay and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $803 a month against $958 in Kostanay, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Kostanay
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Kostanay Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Kostanay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$958

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$803

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $958 per month in Kostanay vs $803 in Shymkent, rent included.

Kostanay $958
Shymkent $803

A couple spends around $1,445 per month in Kostanay vs $1,389 in Shymkent, rent included.

Kostanay $1,445
Shymkent $1,389

A family of three spends $1,932 per month in Kostanay vs $1,975 in Shymkent, rent included.

Kostanay $1,932
Shymkent $1,975

Kostanay costs about 19% more than Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kostanay and Shymkent are more affordable than the global median – Kostanay 29% lower, Shymkent 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.42 ₸2,452

$11.05 ₸4,997

-50.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.19 ₸13.2K

$33.24 ₸15.0K

-12.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 ₸3,223

$6.62 ₸2,992

7.70%

Cappuccino

$2.20 ₸992

$2.47 ₸1,117

-10.93%

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

$1.13 ₸509

$1.08 ₸490

4.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₸413

$0.51 ₸232

78.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 ₸644

$1.08 ₸490

31.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₸1,212

$1.35 ₸609

98.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₸570

$1.43 ₸644

-11.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₸240

$0.44 ₸198

20.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ₸483

$1.83 ₸829

-41.53%

Eggs

$2.18 ₸988

$1.75 ₸789

24.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₸4,732

$10.11 ₸4,569

3.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 ₸2,682

$5.16 ₸2,335

14.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.35 ₸3,774

$9.00 ₸4,070

-7.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 ₸713

$1.20 ₸540

31.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₸1,033

$2.15 ₸971

6.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ₸835

$2.53 ₸1,145

-26.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 ₸1,040

$1.37 ₸620

67.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₸264

$0.52 ₸234

11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 ₸294

$0.40 ₸183

62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₸544

$0.88 ₸400

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₸404

$0.85 ₸386

4.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.50 ₸1,131

$2.46 ₸1,111

1.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.16 ₸3,689

$4.47 ₸2,019

82.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₸496

$1.07 ₸483

2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₸1,025

$1.60 ₸721

41.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₸155

$0.18 ₸79.5

88.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 ₸403

$0.87 ₸393

2.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ₸492

$0.35 ₸157

211.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 ₸2,641

$9.59 ₸4,333

-39.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.61 ₸277

4.92%

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

$30.8K ₸13.9M

$28.0K ₸12.7M

9.65%

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

$30.7K ₸13.9M

$29.3K ₸13.2M

4.89%

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

$78.5 ₸35.5K

$46.22 ₸20.9K

69.88%

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

$11.07 ₸5,005

$9.48 ₸4,283

16.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.05 ₸7,253

$14.78 ₸6,683

8.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.87 ₸21.6K

$38.80 ₸17.5K

23.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 ₸9,167

$8.95 ₸4,047

126.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 ₸1,900

$5.57 ₸2,517

-24.60%

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

$213 ₸96.1K

$58.0 ₸26.2K

266.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,512 ₸2.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 ₸42.7K

$36.79 ₸16.6K

157.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 ₸24.6K

$34.22 ₸15.5K

58.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 ₸50.1K

$185 ₸83.8K

-40.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.7 ₸41.5K

$52.0 ₸23.5K

76.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₸177.9K

$340 ₸153.7K

15.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 ₸142.9K

$203 ₸91.7K

55.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 ₸271.0K

$705 ₸318.7K

-14.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 ₸217.2K

$557 ₸251.7K

-13.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,183 ₸534.7K

$1,093 ₸494.2K

8.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$929 ₸420.0K

$994 ₸449.3K

-6.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 ₸297.3K

$451 ₸203.7K

45.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

18.25

1.37%

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

Last update for Kostanay: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kostanay

$316 33%

Shymkent

$203 25.3% 35.8% $113

Groceries & Markets

Kostanay

$202 21.1%

Shymkent

$186 23.1% 8.4% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Kostanay

$158 16.5%

Shymkent

$139 17.3% 12.3% $19

Eating Out

Kostanay

$112 11.7%

Shymkent

$152 19% 36.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kostanay

$106 11%

Shymkent

$70 8.8% 33.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Kostanay

$56 5.9%

Shymkent

$50 6.2% 11.3% $6.4

Getting Around

Kostanay

$7.7 * 0.8%

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4% 57.2% $4.4

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 Kostanay 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 46% higher in Kostanay, 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 $29.00 in Kostanay versus $33.00 in Shymkent. Groceries tell a different story – $202 in Kostanay vs $186 in Shymkent – so Shymkent wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Kostanay

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

Same time as Kostanay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

264,446

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

Kostanay Shymkent 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Kostanay
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

Kostanay vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kostanay costs about 19% more than Shymkent, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,437 per month in Kostanay 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Kostanay and $33.00 in Shymkent. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Kostanay, 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 $958 in Kostanay 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, Kostanay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.