Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $804 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

38

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$804

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Cebu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Shymkent versus $943 in Cebu.

Shymkent $804
Cebu $943

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,385 in Shymkent versus $1,437 in Cebu.

Shymkent $1,385
Cebu $1,437

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,965 in Shymkent versus $1,930 in Cebu.

Shymkent $1,965
Cebu $1,930

Living in Shymkent costs roughly 15% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shymkent 41% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.24 ₸5,066

$3.88 ₱244

189.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.91 ₸15.3K

$23.22 ₱1,462

46.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₸3,007

$3.90 ₱246

71.03%

Cappuccino

$2.41 ₸1,085

$2.56 ₱161

-5.86%

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

$1.05 ₸472

$1.60 ₱101

-34.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₸227

$0.51 ₱32.03

-1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₸515

$1.76 ₱111

-35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸615

$2.15 ₱136

-36.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ₸647

$1.99 ₱125

-27.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 ₸196

$1.37 ₱86.3

-68.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 ₸814

$0.95 ₱59.9

90.53%

Eggs

$1.74 ₸783

$2.02 ₱127

-13.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₸4,617

$9.63 ₱606

6.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 ₸2,402

$4.35 ₱274

22.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 ₸3,822

$7.70 ₱485

10.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 ₸519

$3.30 ₱207

-65.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 ₸977

$1.27 ₱79.7

70.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ₸1,104

$2.34 ₱148

4.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ₸637

$1.51 ₱95.4

-6.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ₸231

$2.23 ₱141

-77.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$1.93 ₱122

-78.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 ₸433

$1.18 ₱74.4

-18.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₸382

$0.65 ₱40.93

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 ₸1,074

$2.89 ₱182

-17.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,052

$6.35 ₱400

-28.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸464

$1.27 ₱80.1

-18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₸694

$1.64 ₱103

-6.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸63.1

$0.23 ₱14.42

-39.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ₱771

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 ₸411

$0.82 ₱51.5

10.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₸168

$0.20 ₱12.56

85.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.99 ₸4,502

$4.32 ₱272

131.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸297

$1.38 ₱86.7

-52.17%

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

$27.2K ₸12.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

28.50%

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

$29.5K ₸13.3M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

53.19%

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

$46.66 ₸21.0K

$124 ₱7,816

-62.41%

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

$9.48 ₸4,273

$15.93 ₱1,003

-40.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.26 ₸6,878

$28.07 ₱1,768

-45.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.10 ₸17.6K

$33.41 ₱2,104

17.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.81 ₸3,973

$6.40 ₱403

37.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 ₸2,529

$5.85 ₱368

-4.10%

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

$57.1 ₸25.8K

$271 ₱17.0K

-78.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱507.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.07 ₸16.7K

$48.31 ₱3,042

-23.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.63 ₸15.2K

$24.56 ₱1,546

36.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$182 ₸82.1K

$77.1 ₱4,856

136.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.9 ₸23.4K

$56.5 ₱3,558

-8.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ₸154.0K

$495 ₱31.2K

-31.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 ₸91.8K

$322 ₱20.3K

-36.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 ₸311.9K

$990 ₱62.4K

-30.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸245.8K

$628 ₱39.6K

-13.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,105 ₸497.9K

$4,459 ₱280.7K

-75.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$978 ₸440.8K

$3,030 ₱190.8K

-67.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$445 ₸200.6K

$343 ₱21.6K

29.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

7.2

153.47%

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

Last update for Shymkent: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$204 25.3%

Cebu

$322 34.1% 58% $118

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 23%

Cebu

$206 21.8% 11.2% $21

Eating Out

Shymkent

$153 19.1%

Cebu

$95 10.1% 38.1% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$137 17.1%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 32.2% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$71 8.9%

Cebu

$168 17.8% 136% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.3%

Cebu

$45 4.8% 10.4% $5.2

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 348% $12

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 $495 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shymkent pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34 in Shymkent vs $23 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $185 vs $206, with Shymkent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

11:37 11:37 AM

14:37 2:37 PM

3 h ahead of Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

964,169

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR 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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 62.97 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.68 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shymkent Cebu 6,340 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shymkent is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Shymkent, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $342 in Shymkent versus $495 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $804 per month in Shymkent versus $943 in Cebu – Shymkent is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Cebu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.