Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $804 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$804

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Athens

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Shymkent versus $1,779 in Athens.

Shymkent $804
Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,385 in Shymkent versus $2,721 in Athens.

Shymkent $1,385
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,965 in Shymkent versus $3,663 in Athens.

Shymkent $1,965
Athens $3,663

Living in Shymkent costs roughly 55% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shymkent is 41% below, Athens is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.24 ₸5,066

$16.83 €14.99

-33.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.91 ₸15.3K

$66.0 €58.8

-48.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₸3,007

$11.21 €9.98

-40.50%

Cappuccino

$2.41 ₸1,085

$4.08 €3.64

-40.93%

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

$1.05 ₸472

$2.77 €2.47

-62.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₸227

$0.54 €0.48

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₸515

$5.70 €5.07

-80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸615

$6.26 €5.58

-78.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ₸647

$1.84 €1.64

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 ₸196

$1.43 €1.27

-69.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 ₸814

$2.67 €2.38

-32.21%

Eggs

$1.74 ₸783

$4.95 €4.41

-64.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₸4,617

$15.09 €13.44

-32.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 ₸2,402

$10.99 €9.79

-51.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 ₸3,822

$19.77 €17.60

-57.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 ₸519

$2.12 €1.89

-45.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 ₸977

$1.98 €1.76

9.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ₸1,104

$1.33 €1.18

84.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ₸637

$2.16 €1.92

-34.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ₸231

$1.06 €0.94

-51.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$1.15 €1.02

-64.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 ₸433

$1.08 €0.96

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₸382

$0.85 €0.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 ₸1,074

$5.46 €4.86

-56.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,052

$10.03 €8.93

-54.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸464

$2.04 €1.82

-49.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₸694

$2.38 €2.12

-35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸63.1

$1.35 €1.20

-89.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.18

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 ₸411

$3.81 €3.39

-76.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₸168

$1.03 €0.92

-64.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.99 ₸4,502

$16.49 €14.68

-39.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸297

$2.34 €2.09

-71.79%

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

$27.2K ₸12.3M

$27.8K €24.7K

-1.90%

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

$29.5K ₸13.3M

$26.6K €23.7K

11.01%

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

$46.66 ₸21.0K

$202 €180

-76.93%

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

$9.48 ₸4,273

$26.81 €23.87

-64.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.26 ₸6,878

$30.49 €27.14

-49.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.10 ₸17.6K

$54.1 €48.14

-27.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.81 ₸3,973

$27.40 €24.40

-67.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 ₸2,529

$10.44 €9.30

-46.26%

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

$57.1 ₸25.8K

$568 €505

-89.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.07 ₸16.7K

$90.7 €80.7

-59.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.63 ₸15.2K

$39.32 €35.01

-14.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$182 ₸82.1K

$105 €93.7

73.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.9 ₸23.4K

$129 €115

-59.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ₸154.0K

$742 €661

-53.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 ₸91.8K

$648 €577

-68.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 ₸311.9K

$1,271 €1,132

-45.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸245.8K

$1,122 €999

-51.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,105 ₸497.9K

$3,999 €3,561

-72.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$978 ₸440.8K

$3,281 €2,921

-70.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$445 ₸200.6K

$1,245 €1,109

-64.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

4.44

311.04%

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

Last update for Shymkent: November 2, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$204 25.3%

Athens

$648 36.4% 218% $445

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 23%

Athens

$316 17.8% 71% $131

Eating Out

Shymkent

$153 19.1%

Athens

$272 15.3% 77% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$137 17.1%

Athens

$164 9.2% 19.5% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$71 8.9%

Athens

$260 14.6% 264% $188

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.3%

Athens

$75 4.2% 48.9% $25

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4%

Athens

$45 2.5% 1244% $42

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 $342 in Shymkent and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Shymkent vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $316 per month, with Shymkent cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

08:54 8:54 AM

05:54 5:54 AM

3 h behind Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shymkent Athens 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Athens

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 Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shymkent wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Shymkent the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Shymkent. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $342 in Shymkent versus $742 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $57 in Shymkent versus $568 in Athens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shymkent – a meal for two runs $34 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $804 in Shymkent versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Shymkent but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Shymkent the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Shymkent wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.