Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Aktau

For one person, living costs are similar in Shymkent and in Aktau: $803 and $793 a month, rent and utilities included.

39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
Learn more

Shymkent Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
Learn more

Aktau Living Index

Jump to prices

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$803

/mo nomad

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Aktau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shymkent and in Aktau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $803 per month in Shymkent vs $793 in Aktau, rent included.

Shymkent $803
Aktau $793

A couple spends around $1,389 per month in Shymkent vs $1,317 in Aktau, rent included.

Shymkent $1,389
Aktau $1,317

A family of three spends $1,975 per month in Shymkent vs $1,842 in Aktau, rent included.

Shymkent $1,975
Aktau $1,842

Shymkent costs about 1% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.05 ₸4,997

$11.07 ₸5,005

-0.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.24 ₸15.0K

$43.55 ₸19.7K

-23.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 ₸2,992

$10.17 ₸4,596

-34.91%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₸1,117

$2.49 ₸1,128

-0.80%

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

$1.08 ₸490

$0.74 ₸333

45.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₸232

$0.48 ₸219

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₸490

$1.30 ₸586

-16.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$1.53 ₸690

-11.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ₸644

$1.41 ₸638

1.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸198

$0.47 ₸211

-6.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 ₸829

$1.91 ₸864

-4.19%

Eggs

$1.75 ₸789

$1.73 ₸783

1.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 ₸4,569

$9.87 ₸4,463

2.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 ₸2,335

$4.24 ₸1,915

21.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 ₸4,070

$8.95 ₸4,044

0.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₸540

$1.53 ₸689

-21.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 ₸971

$2.24 ₸1,013

-4.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 ₸1,145

$2.35 ₸1,064

7.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ₸620

$2.80 ₸1,264

-51.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 ₸234

$0.65 ₸295

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸183

$0.56 ₸254

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸400

$1.55 ₸700

-43.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₸386

$0.94 ₸424

-9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,111

$2.59 ₸1,172

-5.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.47 ₸2,019

$9.54 ₸4,313

-53.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₸483

$0.72 ₸326

48.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₸721

$0.87 ₸393

83.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸79.5

$0.18 ₸82.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸393

$1.13 ₸512

-23.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₸157

$0.64 ₸290

-45.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 ₸4,333

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 ₸277

$0.63 ₸283

-3.17%

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

$28.0K ₸12.7M

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

$29.3K ₸13.2M

$31.4K ₸14.2M

-6.75%

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

$46.22 ₸20.9K

$45.69 ₸20.7K

1.16%

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

$9.48 ₸4,283

$7.94 ₸3,587

19.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.78 ₸6,683

$11.01 ₸4,979

34.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.80 ₸17.5K

$35.98 ₸16.3K

7.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.95 ₸4,047

Cinema Ticket

$5.57 ₸2,517

$3.18 ₸1,437

75.16%

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

$58.0 ₸26.2K

$143 ₸64.8K

-59.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,621 ₸1.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.79 ₸16.6K

$66.8 ₸30.2K

-44.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.22 ₸15.5K

$40.67 ₸18.4K

-15.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$185 ₸83.8K

$71.7 ₸32.4K

158.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.0 ₸23.5K

$89.6 ₸40.5K

-41.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 ₸153.7K

$330 ₸149.2K

2.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸91.7K

$196 ₸88.6K

3.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 ₸318.7K

$551 ₸249.0K

28.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 ₸251.7K

$393 ₸177.8K

41.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,093 ₸494.2K

$813 ₸367.6K

34.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 ₸449.3K

$659 ₸297.7K

50.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$451 ₸203.7K

$564 ₸254.8K

-20.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

30.36%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 13, 2026

Last update for Aktau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.3%

Aktau

$196 24.7% 3.3% $6.7

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$186 23.1%

Aktau

$200 25.3% 8% $15

Eating Out

Shymkent

$152 19%

Aktau

$163 20.6% 7.2% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$139 17.3%

Aktau

$121 15.3% 12.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$70 8.8%

Aktau

$65 8.2% 8.3% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Aktau

$42 5.3% 15.2% $7.6

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4%

Aktau

$5.1 * 0.6% 53.6% $1.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $340 in Shymkent versus $330 in Aktau. 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 25% higher in Aktau, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Shymkent versus $44.00 in Aktau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $200 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Aktau

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

10:16 10:16 AM

1 h behind Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

273,830

💱 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

Shymkent Aktau 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Aktau

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

Shymkent vs Aktau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shymkent costs about 1% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,205 per month in Shymkent and $1,189 in Aktau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Shymkent and $44.00 in Aktau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Shymkent – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $803 in Shymkent and $793 in Aktau, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Aktau – 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 Aktau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shymkent makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.