Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $803 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$803

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Almaty

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

A single person spends $803 per month in Shymkent vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Shymkent $803
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,389 per month in Shymkent vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Shymkent $1,389
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $1,975 per month in Shymkent vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Shymkent $1,975
Almaty $2,913

Shymkent is about 41% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shymkent sits 41% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.05 ₸4,997

$13.16 ₸5,949

-16.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.24 ₸15.0K

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-25.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 ₸2,992

$8.90 ₸4,022

-25.62%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₸1,117

$3.25 ₸1,469

-24.00%

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

$1.08 ₸490

$1.41 ₸639

-23.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₸232

$0.88 ₸399

-42.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₸490

$3.35 ₸1,513

-67.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$4.04 ₸1,827

-66.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ₸644

$1.69 ₸762

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸198

$0.86 ₸390

-48.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 ₸829

$2.03 ₸917

-9.85%

Eggs

$1.75 ₸789

$2.43 ₸1,100

-27.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 ₸4,569

$12.46 ₸5,632

-18.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 ₸2,335

$6.71 ₸3,033

-23.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 ₸4,070

$10.85 ₸4,905

-17.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₸540

$1.80 ₸813

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 ₸971

$2.25 ₸1,018

-4.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 ₸1,145

$2.91 ₸1,314

-13.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ₸620

$2.75 ₸1,243

-50.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 ₸234

$0.75 ₸337

-30.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸183

$0.55 ₸248

-27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸400

$1.62 ₸732

-45.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₸386

$1.05 ₸474

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,111

$2.58 ₸1,167

-4.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.47 ₸2,019

$11.15 ₸5,042

-59.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₸483

$1.21 ₸547

-11.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₸721

$2.44 ₸1,104

-34.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸79.5

$0.26 ₸117

-30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸393

$1.35 ₸611

-35.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₸157

$0.64 ₸288

-45.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 ₸4,333

$11.16 ₸5,044

-14.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 ₸277

$0.72 ₸324

-15.28%

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

$28.0K ₸12.7M

$22.5K ₸10.2M

24.54%

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

$29.3K ₸13.2M

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-3.19%

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

$46.22 ₸20.9K

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-49.66%

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

$9.48 ₸4,283

$10.66 ₸4,820

-11.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.78 ₸6,683

$17.86 ₸8,072

-17.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.80 ₸17.5K

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-44.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.95 ₸4,047

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-67.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.57 ₸2,517

$6.78 ₸3,064

-17.85%

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

$58.0 ₸26.2K

$449 ₸202.9K

-87.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.79 ₸16.6K

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-59.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.22 ₸15.5K

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-27.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$185 ₸83.8K

$142 ₸64.1K

30.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.0 ₸23.5K

$133 ₸60.0K

-60.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 ₸153.7K

$805 ₸363.7K

-57.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸91.7K

$500 ₸225.9K

-59.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 ₸318.7K

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-50.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 ₸251.7K

$904 ₸408.8K

-38.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,093 ₸494.2K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

-56.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 ₸449.3K

$1,559 ₸704.7K

-36.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$451 ₸203.7K

$870 ₸393.3K

-48.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

20.65

-11.62%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 13, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.3%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 146% $297

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$186 23.1%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 34.9% $65

Eating Out

Shymkent

$152 19%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 34.5% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$139 17.3%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 33.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$70 8.8%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 70.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 68% $34

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4%

Almaty

$28 2% 736% $24

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 $805 in Almaty. 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 93% higher in Almaty, 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 $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $250 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

05:44 5:44 AM

Same time as Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

1,475,400

💱 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

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Shymkent Almaty 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Almaty

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 Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,205 per month in Shymkent and $2,058 in Almaty. 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 $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 71%.

Kindergarten costs $58.0 per month in Shymkent and $449 in Almaty. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shymkent, where all-in costs run around $803, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Shymkent it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.