Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyzylorda and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyzylorda: $658 a month against $804 in Shymkent, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Kyzylorda
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Kyzylorda Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Kyzylorda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$658

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $658 in Kyzylorda versus $804 in Shymkent.

Kyzylorda $658
Shymkent $804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,023 in Kyzylorda versus $1,385 in Shymkent.

Kyzylorda $1,023
Shymkent $1,385

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,388 in Kyzylorda versus $1,965 in Shymkent.

Kyzylorda $1,388
Shymkent $1,965

Living in Kyzylorda costs roughly 18% less than in Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kyzylorda 51% lower, Shymkent 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.01 ₸4,063

$11.24 ₸5,066

-19.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.73 ₸15.2K

$33.91 ₸15.3K

-0.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₸3,007

Cappuccino

$2.36 ₸1,065

$2.41 ₸1,085

-2.07%

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

$1.36 ₸612

$1.05 ₸472

29.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₸193

$0.50 ₸227

-14.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₸1,071

$1.14 ₸515

108.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 ₸1,485

$1.36 ₸615

141.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 ₸603

$1.44 ₸647

-6.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.26 ₸118

$0.43 ₸196

-39.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₸427

$1.81 ₸814

-47.51%

Eggs

$1.36 ₸614

$1.74 ₸783

-21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₸4,617

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.04 ₸922

$5.33 ₸2,402

-61.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.68 ₸2,109

$8.48 ₸3,822

-44.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 ₸601

$1.15 ₸519

15.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ₸955

$2.17 ₸977

-2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ₸896

$2.45 ₸1,104

-18.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 ₸1,151

$1.41 ₸637

80.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 ₸591

$0.51 ₸231

156.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 ₸281

$0.41 ₸184

51.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 ₸589

$0.96 ₸433

36.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₸423

$0.85 ₸382

10.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.40 ₸1,083

$2.38 ₸1,074

0.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.37 ₸1,068

$4.55 ₸2,052

-47.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₸538

$1.03 ₸464

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₸837

$1.54 ₸694

20.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 ₸85.0

$0.14 ₸63.1

35.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₸385

$0.91 ₸411

-6.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₸355

$0.37 ₸168

113.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.99 ₸4,502

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 ₸259

$0.66 ₸297

-13.64%

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

$29.2K ₸13.2M

$27.2K ₸12.3M

7.10%

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

$30.7K ₸13.8M

$29.5K ₸13.3M

3.79%

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

$76.6 ₸34.5K

$46.66 ₸21.0K

64.12%

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

$8.73 ₸3,937

$9.48 ₸4,273

-7.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.44 ₸6,962

$15.26 ₸6,878

1.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₸14.7K

$39.10 ₸17.6K

-16.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.51 ₸7,894

$8.81 ₸3,973

98.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ₸2,671

$5.61 ₸2,529

5.53%

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

$57.1 ₸25.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.18 ₸19.9K

$37.07 ₸16.7K

19.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 ₸25.4K

$33.63 ₸15.2K

67.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.3 ₸23.6K

$182 ₸82.1K

-71.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.8 ₸30.1K

$51.9 ₸23.4K

28.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$185 ₸83.4K

$342 ₸154.0K

-45.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 ₸70.6K

$204 ₸91.8K

-23.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 ₸127.6K

$692 ₸311.9K

-59.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 ₸98.8K

$545 ₸245.8K

-59.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,105 ₸497.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$978 ₸440.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$328 ₸148.0K

$445 ₸200.6K

-26.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

26.03%

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

Last update for Kyzylorda: November 1, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kyzylorda

$157 23.8%

Shymkent

$204 25.3% 29.9% $47

Eating Out

Kyzylorda

$126 * 19.2%

Shymkent

$153 19.1% 21.7% $27

Groceries & Markets

Kyzylorda

$126 * 19.1%

Shymkent

$185 23% 47.2% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kyzylorda

$101 15.3%

Shymkent

$71 8.9% 29.1% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Kyzylorda

$99 15%

Shymkent

$137 17.1% 38.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Kyzylorda

$45 6.8%

Shymkent

$50 6.3% 13% $5.8

Getting Around

Kyzylorda

$5.5 * 0.8%

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4% 39.7% $2.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $185 in Kyzylorda and $342 in Shymkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shymkent pays 36% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Kyzylorda vs $34 in Shymkent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $126 vs $185 per month, with Kyzylorda cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Kyzylorda

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

Same time as Kyzylorda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

206,719

1,222,055

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Kyzylorda Shymkent 430 km

From you

Kyzylorda
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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

Kyzylorda vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kyzylorda wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Shymkent. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kyzylorda the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Kyzylorda. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $185 in Kyzylorda versus $342 in Shymkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Shymkent. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $658 per month in Kyzylorda versus $804 in Shymkent – Kyzylorda is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $658 in Kyzylorda versus $804 in Shymkent, a $800 budget is realistic in Kyzylorda but tight or insufficient in Shymkent. The gap between the two cities makes Kyzylorda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Kyzylorda wins on affordability, Shymkent on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.