Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pavlodar and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Pavlodar: $734 a month against $802 in Shymkent, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. The total is higher in Shymkent despite lower rent and utilities.

35

Cost of Living Index in Pavlodar
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Pavlodar Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Pavlodar

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$734

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$802

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $734 in Pavlodar versus $802 in Shymkent.

Pavlodar $734
Shymkent $802

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,147 in Pavlodar versus $1,384 in Shymkent.

Pavlodar $1,147
Shymkent $1,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,561 in Pavlodar versus $1,965 in Shymkent.

Pavlodar $1,561
Shymkent $1,965

Living in Pavlodar costs roughly 8% less than in Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pavlodar 46% lower, Shymkent 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 ₸2,969

$11.02 ₸5,000

-40.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.12 ₸10.0K

$33.16 ₸15.0K

-33.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 ₸4,083

$6.74 ₸3,055

33.53%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ₸788

$2.43 ₸1,102

-28.40%

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

$1.19 ₸540

$1.07 ₸486

11.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₸219

$0.54 ₸246

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₸490

$1.09 ₸493

-0.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₸622

$1.36 ₸616

0.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 ₸469

$1.44 ₸654

-28.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.34 ₸152

$0.44 ₸199

-22.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 ₸618

$1.80 ₸817

-24.44%

Eggs

$1.56 ₸708

$1.69 ₸768

-7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.41 ₸2,455

$10.03 ₸4,548

-46.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₸2,098

$5.29 ₸2,398

-12.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 ₸3,092

$8.59 ₸3,895

-20.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 ₸643

$1.20 ₸545

18.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₸765

$2.21 ₸1,002

-23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 ₸782

$2.55 ₸1,155

-32.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 ₸772

$1.43 ₸649

18.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₸415

$0.51 ₸233

78.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₸325

$0.43 ₸195

67.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₸410

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₸346

$0.84 ₸382

-9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 ₸1,136

$2.46 ₸1,117

2.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.06 ₸3,204

$4.54 ₸2,060

55.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₸590

$1.04 ₸471

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₸999

$1.59 ₸719

38.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₸162

$0.17 ₸77.7

111.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ₸640

$0.86 ₸390

63.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 ₸539

$0.37 ₸169

221.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.72 ₸4,410

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸311

$0.66 ₸300

4.55%

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)

$26.3K ₸11.9M

$29.7K ₸13.5M

-11.52%

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

$66.4 ₸30.1K

$47.21 ₸21.4K

40.54%

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

$11.31 ₸5,129

$9.45 ₸4,284

19.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.05 ₸12.3K

$14.85 ₸6,736

82.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.63 ₸14.3K

$39.00 ₸17.7K

-18.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.01 ₸4,994

$8.61 ₸3,903

27.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 ₸2,024

$5.65 ₸2,561

-21.06%

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

$133 ₸60.2K

$58.0 ₸26.3K

129.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,420 ₸2.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.30 ₸16.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.25 ₸11.5K

$34.52 ₸15.7K

-26.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₸34.1K

$184 ₸83.5K

-59.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 ₸44.8K

$52.4 ₸23.8K

88.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₸124.2K

$341 ₸154.7K

-19.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 ₸99.5K

$201 ₸91.3K

8.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 ₸252.3K

$694 ₸314.7K

-19.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ₸198.2K

$548 ₸248.8K

-20.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,081 ₸490.1K

$1,121 ₸508.3K

-3.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$872 ₸395.6K

$970 ₸440.0K

-10.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$707 ₸320.6K

$439 ₸198.9K

61.14%

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 Pavlodar: 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

Pavlodar

$219 29.9%

Shymkent

$201 25.1% 8.2% $18

Groceries & Markets

Pavlodar

$156 * 21.3%

Shymkent

$185 23.1% 18.6% $29

Eating Out

Pavlodar

$115 15.7%

Shymkent

$152 19% 32.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pavlodar

$105 14.3%

Shymkent

$72 8.9% 31.7% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Pavlodar

$90 * 12.2%

Shymkent

$138 17.2% 54.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Pavlodar

$41 5.5%

Shymkent

$50 6.3% 24% $9.7

Getting Around

Pavlodar

$8.8 * 1.2%

Shymkent

$3.4 * 0.4% 61.3% $5.4

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 $274 in Pavlodar and $341 in Shymkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pavlodar pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22 in Pavlodar vs $33 in Shymkent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $156 vs $185 per month, with Pavlodar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Pavlodar

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

03:25 3:25 AM

Same time as Pavlodar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

334,830

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

Pavlodar Shymkent 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Pavlodar
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

Pavlodar vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $734 in Pavlodar and $802 in Shymkent, so Pavlodar is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 61% higher in Pavlodar, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $274 in Pavlodar versus $341 in Shymkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Shymkent. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $734 per month in Pavlodar versus $802 in Shymkent – Pavlodar is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Pavlodar gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.