Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Atyrau

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $803 a month against $1,022 in Atyrau, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Atyrau
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Atyrau Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$803

/mo nomad

Atyrau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,022

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Atyrau

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

A single person spends $803 per month in Shymkent vs $1,022 in Atyrau, rent included.

Shymkent $803
Atyrau $1,022

A couple spends around $1,389 per month in Shymkent vs $1,698 in Atyrau, rent included.

Shymkent $1,389
Atyrau $1,698

A family of three spends $1,975 per month in Shymkent vs $2,373 in Atyrau, rent included.

Shymkent $1,975
Atyrau $2,373

Shymkent is about 21% cheaper than Atyrau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shymkent and Atyrau are more affordable than the global median – Shymkent 41% lower, Atyrau 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.05 ₸4,997

$10.26 ₸4,637

7.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.24 ₸15.0K

$36.05 ₸16.3K

-7.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 ₸2,992

$7.26 ₸3,282

-8.82%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₸1,117

$2.14 ₸967

15.42%

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

$1.08 ₸490

$1.17 ₸527

-7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₸232

$0.76 ₸345

-32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₸490

$1.63 ₸735

-33.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$2.16 ₸975

-37.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ₸644

$1.74 ₸788

-17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸198

$0.45 ₸201

-2.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 ₸829

$1.98 ₸897

-7.58%

Eggs

$1.75 ₸789

$1.59 ₸720

10.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 ₸4,569

$10.91 ₸4,933

-7.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 ₸2,335

$8.51 ₸3,849

-39.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 ₸4,070

$8.10 ₸3,660

11.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₸540

$1.82 ₸823

-34.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 ₸971

$2.63 ₸1,187

-18.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 ₸1,145

$2.22 ₸1,004

13.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ₸620

$1.77 ₸799

-22.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 ₸234

$0.63 ₸283

-17.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸183

$0.42 ₸188

-4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸400

$1.26 ₸570

-30.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₸386

$0.98 ₸443

-13.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,111

$2.38 ₸1,076

3.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.47 ₸2,019

$9.27 ₸4,191

-51.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₸483

$1.39 ₸627

-23.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₸721

$1.45 ₸656

10.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸79.5

$0.34 ₸155

-47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.88 ₸9,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸393

$1.59 ₸718

-45.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₸157

$0.68 ₸307

-48.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 ₸4,333

$6.83 ₸3,089

40.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 ₸277

$0.67 ₸301

-8.96%

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

$28.0K ₸12.7M

$17.7K ₸8.0M

58.82%

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

$29.3K ₸13.2M

$29.5K ₸13.3M

-0.61%

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

$46.22 ₸20.9K

$51.8 ₸23.4K

-10.69%

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

$9.48 ₸4,283

$10.82 ₸4,890

-12.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.78 ₸6,683

$14.56 ₸6,581

1.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.80 ₸17.5K

$65.0 ₸29.4K

-40.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.95 ₸4,047

$10.27 ₸4,641

-12.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.57 ₸2,517

$6.34 ₸2,868

-12.15%

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

$58.0 ₸26.2K

$292 ₸132.1K

-80.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,445 ₸1.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.79 ₸16.6K

$33.76 ₸15.3K

8.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.22 ₸15.5K

$43.62 ₸19.7K

-21.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$185 ₸83.8K

$89.7 ₸40.5K

106.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.0 ₸23.5K

$87.6 ₸39.6K

-40.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 ₸153.7K

$514 ₸232.5K

-33.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸91.7K

$349 ₸157.6K

-41.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 ₸318.7K

$1,105 ₸499.5K

-36.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 ₸251.7K

$804 ₸363.4K

-30.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,093 ₸494.2K

$947 ₸428.0K

15.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 ₸449.3K

$757 ₸342.3K

31.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$451 ₸203.7K

$719 ₸325.1K

-37.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

-39.17%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 13, 2026

Last update for Atyrau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.3%

Atyrau

$349 34.1% 71.9% $146

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$186 23.1%

Atyrau

$226 22.1% 21.9% $41

Eating Out

Shymkent

$152 19%

Atyrau

$150 14.6% 1.8% $2.8

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$139 17.3%

Atyrau

$115 11.2% 17.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$70 8.8%

Atyrau

$77 7.6% 9.4% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Atyrau

$78 7.6% 55.7% $28

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4%

Atyrau

$28 2.8% 756% $25

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 $514 in Atyrau. 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 60% higher in Atyrau, 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 $36.00 in Atyrau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $226 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Atyrau

🕒 Local time

14:13 2:13 PM

13:13 1:13 PM

1 h behind Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

323,295

💱 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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Between locations

Shymkent Atyrau 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Atyrau

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 Atyrau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $803 in Shymkent, $1,022 in Atyrau – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,205 per month in Shymkent and $1,533 in Atyrau. 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 $1,022 in Atyrau. That's a gap of about 27%.

Kindergarten costs $58.0 per month in Shymkent and $292 in Atyrau. 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 Atyrau at $1,022. In Shymkent it covers expenses comfortably, while in Atyrau 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, Atyrau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.