Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Aktobe

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $803 a month against $881 in Aktobe, rent and utilities included – about $940 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
Learn more

Shymkent Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Aktobe
Learn more

Aktobe Living Index

Jump to prices

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$803

/mo nomad

Aktobe

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Aktobe

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 Aktobe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $803 per month in Shymkent vs $881 in Aktobe, rent included.

Shymkent $803
Aktobe $881

A couple spends around $1,389 per month in Shymkent vs $1,386 in Aktobe, rent included.

Shymkent $1,389
Aktobe $1,386

A family of three spends $1,975 per month in Shymkent vs $1,891 in Aktobe, rent included.

Shymkent $1,975
Aktobe $1,891

Shymkent is about 9% cheaper than Aktobe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Shymkent and Aktobe are more affordable than the global median – Shymkent 41% lower, Aktobe 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.05 ₸4,997

$8.74 ₸3,951

26.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.24 ₸15.0K

$40.63 ₸18.4K

-18.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 ₸2,992

$7.01 ₸3,170

-5.56%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₸1,117

$2.47 ₸1,115

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

$1.08 ₸490

$1.26 ₸567

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₸232

$0.61 ₸275

-16.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₸490

$1.84 ₸831

-41.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$2.95 ₸1,335

-54.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ₸644

$1.42 ₸641

0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸198

$0.41 ₸184

7.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 ₸829

$0.93 ₸421

96.77%

Eggs

$1.75 ₸789

$1.77 ₸799

-1.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 ₸4,569

$7.82 ₸3,535

29.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 ₸2,335

$5.68 ₸2,569

-9.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 ₸4,070

$9.10 ₸4,115

-1.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₸540

$1.62 ₸733

-25.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 ₸971

$2.13 ₸964

0.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 ₸1,145

$2.34 ₸1,058

8.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ₸620

$1.94 ₸878

-29.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 ₸234

$0.84 ₸378

-38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸183

$0.40 ₸181

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸400

$1.09 ₸494

-19.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₸386

$0.69 ₸312

23.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,111

$2.53 ₸1,142

-2.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.47 ₸2,019

$5.95 ₸2,689

-24.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₸483

$1.08 ₸489

-0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₸721

$1.81 ₸818

-11.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸79.5

$0.20 ₸90.8

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.62 ₸7,966

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸393

$1.08 ₸487

-19.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₸157

$1.13 ₸511

-69.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 ₸4,333

$5.53 ₸2,499

73.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 ₸277

$0.65 ₸294

-6.15%

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

$28.0K ₸12.7M

$23.1K ₸10.4M

21.42%

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

$29.3K ₸13.2M

$30.6K ₸13.8M

-4.30%

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

$46.22 ₸20.9K

$55.8 ₸25.2K

-17.09%

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

$9.48 ₸4,283

$10.35 ₸4,680

-8.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.78 ₸6,683

$20.93 ₸9,463

-29.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.80 ₸17.5K

$48.08 ₸21.7K

-19.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.95 ₸4,047

$12.14 ₸5,490

-26.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.57 ₸2,517

$5.44 ₸2,458

2.39%

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

$58.0 ₸26.2K

$220 ₸99.6K

-73.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,286 ₸1.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.79 ₸16.6K

$54.4 ₸24.6K

-32.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.22 ₸15.5K

$55.8 ₸25.2K

-38.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$185 ₸83.8K

$118 ₸53.3K

57.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.0 ₸23.5K

$100 ₸45.3K

-48.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 ₸153.7K

$307 ₸138.8K

10.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸91.7K

$233 ₸105.5K

-13.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 ₸318.7K

$453 ₸204.8K

55.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 ₸251.7K

$359 ₸162.3K

55.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,093 ₸494.2K

$846 ₸382.4K

29.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 ₸449.3K

$546 ₸247.0K

81.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$451 ₸203.7K

$548 ₸247.8K

-17.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

7.35%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 13, 2026

Last update for Aktobe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.3%

Aktobe

$234 26.5% 15.1% $31

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$186 23.1%

Aktobe

$185 21% 0.3% $0.5

Eating Out

Shymkent

$152 19%

Aktobe

$143 16.3% 6.1% $9.3

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$139 17.3%

Aktobe

$148 16.8% 6.5% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$70 8.8%

Aktobe

$87 9.9% 23.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Aktobe

$59 6.7% 18.1% $9

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4%

Aktobe

$25 2.9% 662% $22

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 $307 in Aktobe. 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 22% higher in Aktobe, 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 $33.00 in Shymkent versus $41.00 in Aktobe. Groceries tell a different story – $186 in Shymkent vs $185 in Aktobe – so Aktobe wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Aktobe

🕒 Local time

14:48 2:48 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

1 h behind Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

570,452

💱 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 Aktobe 1,300 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Aktobe

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 Aktobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Aktobe is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,205 per month in Shymkent and $1,321 in Aktobe. 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 $803 in Shymkent and $881 in Aktobe. That's a gap of about 10%.

Kindergarten costs $58.0 per month in Shymkent and $220 in Aktobe. 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 $803 in Shymkent and $881 in Aktobe, 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, Aktobe makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.