Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oral and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Oral: $723 a month against $802 in Shymkent, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. The total is higher in Shymkent despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Oral

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$723

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$802

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $723 per month in Oral vs $802 in Shymkent, rent included.

Oral $723
Shymkent $802

A couple spends around $1,099 per month in Oral vs $1,384 in Shymkent, rent included.

Oral $1,099
Shymkent $1,384

A family of three spends $1,476 per month in Oral vs $1,965 in Shymkent, rent included.

Oral $1,476
Shymkent $1,965

Oral is about 10% cheaper than Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Oral and Shymkent are more affordable than the global median – Oral 47% lower, Shymkent 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 ₸3,763

$11.02 ₸5,000

-24.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.73 ₸15.3K

$33.16 ₸15.0K

1.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 ₸3,684

$6.74 ₸3,055

20.47%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₸839

$2.43 ₸1,102

-23.87%

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

$0.97 ₸441

$1.07 ₸486

-9.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₸267

$0.54 ₸246

9.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ₸393

$1.09 ₸493

-20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₸934

$1.36 ₸616

51.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₸660

$1.44 ₸654

1.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 ₸213

$0.44 ₸199

6.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 ₸768

$1.80 ₸817

-6.11%

Eggs

$1.44 ₸651

$1.69 ₸768

-14.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 ₸4,043

$10.03 ₸4,548

-11.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₸1,992

$5.29 ₸2,398

-17.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.31 ₸5,128

$8.59 ₸3,895

31.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 ₸566

$1.20 ₸545

4.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 ₸919

$2.21 ₸1,002

-8.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₸1,078

$2.55 ₸1,155

-6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 ₸1,469

$1.43 ₸649

126.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 ₸190

$0.51 ₸233

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.32 ₸147

$0.43 ₸195

-25.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ₸322

$0.90 ₸410

-21.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₸515

$0.84 ₸382

35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 ₸996

$2.46 ₸1,117

-10.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.72 ₸3,502

$4.54 ₸2,060

70.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₸296

$1.04 ₸471

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₸719

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₸105

$0.17 ₸77.7

35.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₸295

$0.86 ₸390

-24.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₸169

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 ₸2,481

$9.72 ₸4,410

-43.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 ₸282

$0.66 ₸300

-6.06%

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

$27.6K ₸12.5M

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

$30.5K ₸13.8M

$29.7K ₸13.5M

2.70%

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

$83.8 ₸38.0K

$47.21 ₸21.4K

77.40%

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

$8.66 ₸3,929

$9.45 ₸4,284

-8.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.61 ₸6,626

$14.85 ₸6,736

-1.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 ₸25.2K

$39.00 ₸17.7K

42.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 ₸3,903

Cinema Ticket

$3.41 ₸1,546

$5.65 ₸2,561

-39.65%

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

$58.0 ₸26.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.17 ₸15.0K

$36.30 ₸16.5K

-8.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 ₸15.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$184 ₸83.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 ₸23.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 ₸127.2K

$341 ₸154.7K

-17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 ₸96.8K

$201 ₸91.3K

5.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₸203.7K

$694 ₸314.7K

-35.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ₸143.6K

$548 ₸248.8K

-42.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,121 ₸508.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$970 ₸440.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$439 ₸199.3K

$439 ₸198.9K

0.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

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

Last update for Oral: October 24, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oral

–

Shymkent

$201 25.1%

Groceries & Markets

Oral

–

Shymkent

$185 23.1%

Eating Out

Oral

–

Shymkent

$152 19%

Clothing & Footwear

Oral

–

Shymkent

$138 17.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oral

–

Shymkent

$72 8.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Oral

–

Shymkent

$50 6.3%

Getting Around

Oral

–

Shymkent

$3.4 * 0.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $281 in Oral versus $341 in Shymkent. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Oral versus $33 in Shymkent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $185 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Oral

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

22:41 10:41 PM

Same time as Oral

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

256,960

1,222,055

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Oral Shymkent 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Oral
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

Oral vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shymkent is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,084 per month in Oral and $1,203 in Shymkent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oral, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $281 there versus $341 in Shymkent.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Shymkent – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Oral and $33 in Shymkent. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $723 in Oral and $802 in Shymkent, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Shymkent has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $723 in Oral to $802 in Shymkent. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.