Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Chengdu

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $741 a month against $803 in Shymkent, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. The total is higher in Shymkent despite lower rent and utilities.

39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
Learn more

Chengdu Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$803

/mo nomad

Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Chengdu

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

A single person spends $803 per month in Shymkent vs $741 in Chengdu, rent included.

Shymkent $803
Chengdu $741

A couple spends around $1,389 per month in Shymkent vs $1,204 in Chengdu, rent included.

Shymkent $1,389
Chengdu $1,204

A family of three spends $1,975 per month in Shymkent vs $1,667 in Chengdu, rent included.

Shymkent $1,975
Chengdu $1,667

Shymkent costs about 8% more than Chengdu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Shymkent and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Shymkent 41% lower, Chengdu 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.05 ₸4,997

$2.80 ¥18.72

294.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.24 ₸15.0K

$22.37 ¥150

48.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 ₸2,992

$4.91 ¥32.85

34.83%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₸1,117

$2.88 ¥19.28

-14.24%

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

$1.08 ₸490

$0.50 ¥3.37

116.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₸232

$0.28 ¥1.88

82.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₸490

$1.53 ¥10.21

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$2.19 ¥14.61

-38.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ₸644

$1.90 ¥12.73

-24.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸198

$1.50 ¥10.02

-70.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 ₸829

$0.99 ¥6.62

84.85%

Eggs

$1.75 ₸789

$1.56 ¥10.42

12.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 ₸4,569

$14.54 ¥97.2

-30.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 ₸2,335

$3.66 ¥24.48

40.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 ₸4,070

$11.19 ¥74.8

-19.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₸540

$1.85 ¥12.40

-35.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 ₸971

$1.37 ¥9.19

56.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 ₸1,145

$1.09 ¥7.28

132.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ₸620

$1.16 ¥7.74

18.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 ₸234

$0.70 ¥4.70

-25.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸183

$0.72 ¥4.84

-44.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸400

$0.62 ¥4.16

41.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₸386

$0.54 ¥3.64

57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,111

$3.72 ¥24.89

-33.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.47 ₸2,019

$4.58 ¥30.61

-2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₸483

$0.82 ¥5.49

30.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₸721

$1.48 ¥9.86

8.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸79.5

$0.43 ¥2.88

-58.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.50 ¥164

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸393

$1.30 ¥8.71

-33.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₸157

$0.29 ¥1.94

20.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 ₸4,333

$4.46 ¥29.85

115.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 ₸277

$1.32 ¥8.81

-53.79%

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

$28.0K ₸12.7M

$19.6K ¥130.9K

43.29%

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

$29.3K ₸13.2M

$17.4K ¥116.1K

68.84%

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

$46.22 ₸20.9K

$47.19 ¥316

-2.06%

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

$9.48 ₸4,283

$9.21 ¥61.6

2.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.78 ₸6,683

$12.45 ¥83.2

18.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.80 ₸17.5K

$26.80 ¥179

44.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.95 ₸4,047

$11.39 ¥76.2

-21.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.57 ₸2,517

$6.08 ¥40.62

-8.39%

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

$58.0 ₸26.2K

$379 ¥2,534

-84.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥99.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.79 ₸16.6K

$25.28 ¥169

45.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.22 ₸15.5K

$27.77 ¥186

23.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$185 ₸83.8K

$56.9 ¥381

225.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.0 ₸23.5K

$52.6 ¥352

-1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 ₸153.7K

$464 ¥3,103

-26.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸91.7K

$248 ¥1,659

-18.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 ₸318.7K

$813 ¥5,436

-13.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 ₸251.7K

$533 ¥3,565

4.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,093 ₸494.2K

$3,762 ¥25.2K

-70.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 ₸449.3K

$1,902 ¥12.7K

-47.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$451 ₸203.7K

$1,252 ¥8,368

-63.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

3.38

439.94%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.3%

Chengdu

$248 33.5% 22.4% $45

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$186 23.1%

Chengdu

$196 26.5% 5.7% $11

Eating Out

Shymkent

$152 19%

Chengdu

$87 11.7% 43% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$139 17.3%

Chengdu

$73 9.9% 47.3% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$70 8.8%

Chengdu

$69 9.3% 2.3% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Chengdu

$39 5.3% 22% $11

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4%

Chengdu

$29 3.9% 778% $26

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 $464 in Chengdu. 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 178% higher in Chengdu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Shymkent versus $22.00 in Chengdu. Groceries tell a different story – $186 in Shymkent vs $196 in Chengdu – so Shymkent wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

13:16 1:16 PM

2 h ahead of Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

20,937,757

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shymkent Chengdu 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Chengdu

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 Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $803 in Shymkent, $741 in Chengdu – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,205 per month in Shymkent and $1,112 in Chengdu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, 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 $22.00 in Chengdu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Shymkent – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $803 in Shymkent and $741 in Chengdu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Chengdu – 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 Chengdu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shymkent makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.