Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Semey and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $802 in Shymkent, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Shymkent despite lower rent and utilities.

34

Cost of Living Index in Semey
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Semey Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Semey

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$712

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$802

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in Semey versus $802 in Shymkent.

Semey $712
Shymkent $802

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Semey versus $1,384 in Shymkent.

Semey $1,148
Shymkent $1,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,584 in Semey versus $1,965 in Shymkent.

Semey $1,584
Shymkent $1,965

Living in Semey costs roughly 11% less than in Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Semey 48% lower, Shymkent 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 ₸2,235

$11.02 ₸5,001

-55.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.82 ₸9,898

$33.16 ₸15.0K

-34.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.49 ₸2,491

$6.74 ₸3,055

-18.55%

Cappuccino

$1.70 ₸771

$2.43 ₸1,102

-30.04%

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

$0.76 ₸345

$1.07 ₸486

-28.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₸216

$0.54 ₸246

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.91 ₸412

$1.09 ₸493

-16.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸614

$1.36 ₸616

-0.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 ₸469

$1.44 ₸654

-28.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 ₸167

$0.44 ₸199

-15.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 ₸845

$1.80 ₸817

3.33%

Eggs

$1.53 ₸693

$1.69 ₸768

-9.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.36 ₸2,432

$10.03 ₸4,548

-46.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 ₸1,751

$5.29 ₸2,398

-27.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.43 ₸2,461

$8.59 ₸3,895

-36.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 ₸559

$1.20 ₸545

2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₸748

$2.21 ₸1,002

-25.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 ₸781

$2.55 ₸1,155

-32.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 ₸768

$1.43 ₸649

18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₸176

$0.51 ₸233

-23.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ₸274

$0.43 ₸195

39.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₸461

$0.90 ₸410

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸448

$0.84 ₸382

17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,116

$2.46 ₸1,117

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 ₸3,282

$4.54 ₸2,060

59.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₸596

$1.04 ₸471

25.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₸998

$1.59 ₸719

38.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸114

$0.17 ₸77.7

47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.69 ₸7,119

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₸586

$0.86 ₸390

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 ₸515

$0.37 ₸169

208.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 ₸2,968

$9.72 ₸4,411

-32.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 ₸293

$0.66 ₸300

-1.52%

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

$32.4K ₸14.7M

$27.6K ₸12.5M

17.19%

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

$26.3K ₸11.9M

$29.7K ₸13.5M

-11.43%

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

$33.66 ₸15.3K

$47.21 ₸21.4K

-28.70%

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

$9.01 ₸4,088

$9.45 ₸4,285

-4.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.84 ₸8,544

$14.85 ₸6,737

26.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.36 ₸19.2K

$39.00 ₸17.7K

8.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.23 ₸5,095

$8.61 ₸3,904

30.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 ₸1,993

$5.65 ₸2,561

-22.30%

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

$132 ₸60.0K

$58.0 ₸26.3K

128.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,406 ₸2.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.90 ₸13.1K

$36.30 ₸16.5K

-20.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.47 ₸11.6K

$34.52 ₸15.7K

-26.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₸45.4K

$184 ₸83.5K

-45.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 ₸34.7K

$52.4 ₸23.8K

46.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$339 ₸153.5K

$341 ₸154.8K

-0.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 ₸103.8K

$201 ₸91.3K

13.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ₸276.9K

$694 ₸314.8K

-12.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₸221.6K

$548 ₸248.8K

-10.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,205 ₸546.7K

$1,121 ₸508.4K

7.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$739 ₸335.4K

$970 ₸440.1K

-23.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$439 ₸199.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.25

18.25

5.48%

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

Last update for Semey: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Semey

$229 32.2%

Shymkent

$201 25.1% 12% $27

Groceries & Markets

Semey

$154 21.7%

Shymkent

$185 23.1% 20% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Semey

$104 14.6%

Shymkent

$138 17.2% 33% $34

Eating Out

Semey

$88 12.4%

Shymkent

$152 19% 72% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Semey

$62 8.6%

Shymkent

$72 8.9% 16.2% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Semey

$51 7.2%

Shymkent

$50 6.3% 1.7% $0.9

Getting Around

Semey

$24 3.3%

Shymkent

$3.4 * 0.4% 85.6% $20

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 $339 in Semey and $341 in Shymkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22 in Semey vs $33 in Shymkent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $185 per month, with Semey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Semey

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

Same time as Semey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

310,456

1,222,055

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Semey Shymkent 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Semey
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

Semey vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semey is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,068 in Semey and $1,203 in Shymkent to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $339 in Semey versus $341 in Shymkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $132 in Semey versus $58 in Shymkent. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Semey – a meal for two runs $22 versus $33 in Shymkent. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Semey 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.