Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Alga

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $808 a month against $876 in Alga, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Alga
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Alga Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Alga

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Alga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $808 in Shymkent versus $876 in Alga.

Shymkent $808
Alga $876

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,390 in Shymkent versus $1,418 in Alga.

Shymkent $1,390
Alga $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,971 in Shymkent versus $1,960 in Alga.

Shymkent $1,971
Alga $1,960

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Shymkent 40% lower, Alga 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 ₸5,086

$10.01 ₸4,527

12.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.35 ₸15.1K

$33.65 ₸15.2K

-0.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 ₸2,938

$7.74 ₸3,498

-16.02%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₸1,147

$2.28 ₸1,033

11.40%

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

$1.03 ₸467

$1.06 ₸481

-2.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₸246

$0.56 ₸253

-3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₸492

$1.34 ₸606

-18.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$2.06 ₸932

-34.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₸661

$1.39 ₸628

5.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.44 ₸200

-6.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ₸811

$1.52 ₸689

17.76%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$1.74 ₸788

-0.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₸4,538

$10.39 ₸4,696

-3.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 ₸2,376

$5.77 ₸2,609

-8.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 ₸4,059

$8.62 ₸3,895

4.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₸538

$1.53 ₸690

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ₸957

$2.20 ₸993

-3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 ₸1,166

$2.40 ₸1,083

7.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₸610

$2.10 ₸951

-35.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ₸250

$0.65 ₸294

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.50 ₸225

-18.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸397

$1.16 ₸525

-24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸376

$0.92 ₸414

-9.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,114

$2.38 ₸1,074

3.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,057

$7.91 ₸3,578

-42.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸466

$1.24 ₸560

-16.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₸683

$1.99 ₸898

-24.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸64.0

$0.23 ₸104

-39.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.98 ₸7,675

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸395

$1.12 ₸507

-22.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₸156

$0.72 ₸326

-52.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 ₸4,532

$6.02 ₸2,723

66.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.68 ₸307

-5.88%

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

$27.2K ₸12.3M

$23.6K ₸10.7M

15.19%

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

$29.0K ₸13.1M

$30.5K ₸13.8M

-4.63%

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

$47.29 ₸21.4K

$67.7 ₸30.6K

-30.14%

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

$9.60 ₸4,338

$10.29 ₸4,652

-6.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.79 ₸6,685

$15.54 ₸7,024

-4.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.82 ₸17.5K

$41.89 ₸18.9K

-7.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 ₸3,986

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ₸2,567

$5.12 ₸2,316

10.94%

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

$57.8 ₸26.1K

$144 ₸65.0K

-59.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,412 ₸2.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.55 ₸17.0K

$57.8 ₸26.1K

-35.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.85 ₸15.3K

$45.33 ₸20.5K

-25.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$187 ₸84.4K

$95.5 ₸43.2K

95.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 ₸23.9K

$89.0 ₸40.2K

-40.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 ₸153.0K

$346 ₸156.3K

-2.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸92.0K

$227 ₸102.7K

-10.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ₸315.6K

$662 ₸299.2K

5.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸246.2K

$481 ₸217.4K

13.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₸499.1K

$1,090 ₸492.7K

1.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 ₸445.6K

$860 ₸388.6K

14.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₸199.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

19.25

-5.19%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alga: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.2%

Alga

$227 26% 11.7% $24

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 22.9%

Alga

$203 23.2% 9.5% $18

Eating Out

Shymkent

$154 19.1%

Alga

$148 16.9% 4.1% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$140 17.3%

Alga

$129 14.8% 7.5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$72 8.9%

Alga

$94 10.7% 30.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Alga

$52 6% 3.9% $2

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4%

Alga

$23 2.6% 616% $19

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 $338 in Shymkent and $346 in Alga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Shymkent vs $34.00 in Alga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $203 per month, with Shymkent cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Alga

🕒 Local time

18:31 6:31 PM

Same time as Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

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Shymkent Alga 430 km

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Shymkent
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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 Alga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shymkent wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Alga. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shymkent the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,212 in Shymkent and $1,314 in Alga 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: $338 in Shymkent versus $346 in Alga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Alga. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $808 per month in Shymkent versus $876 in Alga – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Shymkent 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.

Safety-wise, Shymkent and Alga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Shymkent gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Alga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.