Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oskemen and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $803 a month against $908 in Oskemen, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Oskemen
Learn more

Oskemen Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
Learn more

Shymkent Living Index

Jump to prices

Oskemen

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$908

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$803

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $908 per month in Oskemen vs $803 in Shymkent, rent included.

Oskemen $908
Shymkent $803

A couple spends around $1,529 per month in Oskemen vs $1,389 in Shymkent, rent included.

Oskemen $1,529
Shymkent $1,389

A family of three spends $2,151 per month in Oskemen vs $1,975 in Shymkent, rent included.

Oskemen $2,151
Shymkent $1,975

Oskemen costs about 13% more than Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Oskemen and Shymkent are more affordable than the global median – Oskemen 33% lower, Shymkent 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.44 ₸6,075

$11.05 ₸4,997

21.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.34 ₸11.9K

$33.24 ₸15.0K

-20.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.96 ₸1,789

$6.62 ₸2,992

-40.18%

Cappuccino

$3.45 ₸1,558

$2.47 ₸1,117

39.68%

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

$0.97 ₸440

$1.08 ₸490

-10.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₸252

$0.51 ₸232

9.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ₸689

$1.08 ₸490

40.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₸762

$1.35 ₸609

24.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 ₸619

$1.43 ₸644

-4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 ₸251

$0.44 ₸198

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 ₸595

$1.83 ₸829

-27.87%

Eggs

$1.75 ₸791

$1.75 ₸789

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 ₸4,676

$10.11 ₸4,569

2.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 ₸2,582

$5.16 ₸2,335

10.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.01 ₸3,619

$9.00 ₸4,070

-11.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₸527

$1.20 ₸540

-2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 ₸942

$2.15 ₸971

-3.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 ₸1,226

$2.53 ₸1,145

7.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 ₸1,107

$1.37 ₸620

78.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 ₸408

$0.52 ₸234

73.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ₸220

$0.40 ₸183

22.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ₸144

$0.88 ₸400

-63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₸493

$0.85 ₸386

28.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 ₸976

$2.46 ₸1,111

-12.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.96 ₸2,242

$4.47 ₸2,019

10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₸692

$1.07 ₸483

42.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₸733

$1.60 ₸721

1.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸112

$0.18 ₸79.5

38.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₸488

$0.87 ₸393

24.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₸147

$0.35 ₸157

-8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ₸1,072

$9.59 ₸4,333

-75.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 ₸315

$0.61 ₸277

14.75%

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

$32.4K ₸14.6M

$28.0K ₸12.7M

15.47%

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

$31.7K ₸14.3M

$29.3K ₸13.2M

8.04%

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

$46.36 ₸21.0K

$46.22 ₸20.9K

0.30%

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

$11.34 ₸5,128

$9.48 ₸4,283

19.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.89 ₸10.3K

$14.78 ₸6,683

54.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.11 ₸11.8K

$38.80 ₸17.5K

-32.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.58 ₸8,850

$8.95 ₸4,047

118.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 ₸2,315

$5.57 ₸2,517

-8.08%

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

$66.8 ₸30.2K

$58.0 ₸26.2K

15.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,831 ₸1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 ₸51.0K

$36.79 ₸16.6K

206.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.8 ₸37.0K

$34.22 ₸15.5K

139.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 ₸44.8K

$185 ₸83.8K

-46.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₸55.0K

$52.0 ₸23.5K

134.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 ₸152.5K

$340 ₸153.7K

-0.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$227 ₸102.8K

$203 ₸91.7K

12.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 ₸305.3K

$705 ₸318.7K

-4.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$586 ₸264.7K

$557 ₸251.7K

5.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,137 ₸513.9K

$1,093 ₸494.2K

3.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$848 ₸383.2K

$994 ₸449.3K

-14.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$816 ₸369.0K

$451 ₸203.7K

81.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.5

18.25

6.85%

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

Last update for Oskemen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oskemen

$227 25%

Shymkent

$203 25.3% 10.8% $25

Groceries & Markets

Oskemen

$195 21.5%

Shymkent

$186 23.1% 5% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

Oskemen

$187 20.6%

Shymkent

$139 17.3% 25.8% $48

Eating Out

Oskemen

$178 19.6%

Shymkent

$152 19% 14.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oskemen

$81 8.9%

Shymkent

$70 8.8% 12.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Oskemen

$36 4%

Shymkent

$50 6.2% 37.4% $14

Getting Around

Oskemen

$3.7 * 0.4%

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4% 10.6% $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 $337 in Oskemen 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 81% higher in Oskemen, 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 $26.00 in Oskemen versus $33.00 in Shymkent. Groceries tell a different story – $195 in Oskemen vs $186 in Shymkent – so Shymkent wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Oskemen

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

Same time as Oskemen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

354,770

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Oskemen Shymkent 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Oskemen
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

Oskemen vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $908 in Oskemen, $803 in Shymkent – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,362 per month in Oskemen 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 $908 in Oskemen and $803 in Shymkent. That's a gap of about 13%.

Kindergarten costs $66.8 per month in Oskemen 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 $908 in Oskemen 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, Oskemen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.