Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $808 a month against $1,124 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,124

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Astana

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

A single person spends $808 per month in Shymkent vs $1,124 in Astana, rent included.

Shymkent $808
Astana $1,124

A couple spends around $1,390 per month in Shymkent vs $1,806 in Astana, rent included.

Shymkent $1,390
Astana $1,806

A family of three spends $1,971 per month in Shymkent vs $2,489 in Astana, rent included.

Shymkent $1,971
Astana $2,489

Shymkent is about 28% cheaper than Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shymkent and Astana are more affordable than the global median – Shymkent 40% lower, Astana 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 ₸5,086

$11.19 ₸5,058

0.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.35 ₸15.1K

$37.88 ₸17.1K

-11.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 ₸2,938

$7.88 ₸3,562

-17.51%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₸1,147

$2.62 ₸1,185

-3.05%

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

$1.03 ₸467

$1.10 ₸498

-6.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₸246

$0.63 ₸286

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₸492

$1.36 ₸613

-19.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$2.18 ₸985

-38.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₸661

$1.25 ₸567

16.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.60 ₸269

-31.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ₸811

$1.62 ₸731

10.49%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$2.15 ₸972

-19.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₸4,538

$11.95 ₸5,401

-15.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 ₸2,376

$5.81 ₸2,625

-9.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 ₸4,059

$10.65 ₸4,815

-15.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₸538

$1.80 ₸813

-33.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ₸957

$2.36 ₸1,065

-10.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 ₸1,166

$2.21 ₸1,000

16.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₸610

$2.18 ₸986

-38.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ₸250

$0.67 ₸302

-17.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.45 ₸206

-8.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸397

$1.50 ₸677

-41.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸376

$0.89 ₸402

-6.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,114

$2.35 ₸1,062

4.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,057

$11.21 ₸5,068

-59.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸466

$1.30 ₸589

-20.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₸683

$2.35 ₸1,063

-35.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸64.0

$0.25 ₸113

-44.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.52 ₸7,466

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸395

$2.23 ₸1,008

-60.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₸156

$1.08 ₸490

-68.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 ₸4,532

$6.76 ₸3,056

48.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.69 ₸312

-7.25%

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

$27.2K ₸12.3M

$28.3K ₸12.8M

-4.11%

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

$29.0K ₸13.1M

$31.5K ₸14.2M

-7.79%

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

$47.29 ₸21.4K

$67.1 ₸30.3K

-29.53%

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

$9.60 ₸4,338

$9.97 ₸4,508

-3.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.79 ₸6,685

$17.61 ₸7,962

-16.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.82 ₸17.5K

$57.0 ₸25.7K

-31.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 ₸3,986

$20.84 ₸9,419

-57.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ₸2,567

$6.37 ₸2,877

-10.83%

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

$57.8 ₸26.1K

$364 ₸164.8K

-84.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ₸5.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.55 ₸17.0K

$66.2 ₸29.9K

-43.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.85 ₸15.3K

$46.92 ₸21.2K

-27.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$187 ₸84.4K

$118 ₸53.4K

58.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 ₸23.9K

$128 ₸58.0K

-58.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 ₸153.0K

$575 ₸259.9K

-41.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸92.0K

$384 ₸173.4K

-46.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ₸315.6K

$1,149 ₸519.2K

-39.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸246.2K

$772 ₸349.1K

-29.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₸499.1K

$1,558 ₸704.5K

-29.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 ₸445.6K

$1,138 ₸514.4K

-13.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₸199.6K

$852 ₸385.2K

-48.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

14.83

23.06%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 19, 2026

Last update for Astana: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.2%

Astana

$384 34.1% 88.5% $180

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 22.9%

Astana

$227 20.2% 22.4% $41

Eating Out

Shymkent

$154 19.1%

Astana

$163 14.5% 5.4% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$140 17.3%

Astana

$162 14.4% 15.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$72 8.9%

Astana

$95 8.4% 32.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Astana

$70 6.2% 38.9% $20

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4%

Astana

$25 2.2% 697% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $338 in Shymkent versus $575 in Astana. 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 Astana, 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 $38.00 in Astana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $227 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Astana

🕒 Local time

23:45 11:45 PM

Same time as Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

814,400 Capital

💱 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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Between locations

Shymkent Astana 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Astana

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 Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $808 in Shymkent, $1,124 in Astana – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,212 per month in Shymkent and $1,686 in Astana. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Shymkent and $38.00 in Astana. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Astana, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shymkent, where all-in costs run around $808, than in Astana at $1,124. In Shymkent it covers expenses comfortably, while in Astana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Astana has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $808 in Shymkent to $1,124 in Astana. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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