Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Ekibastuz

For one person, living costs are similar in Shymkent and in Ekibastuz: $808 and $837 a month, rent and utilities included.

39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Ekibastuz
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Ekibastuz Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Ekibastuz

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Ekibastuz

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

A single person spends $808 per month in Shymkent vs $837 in Ekibastuz, rent included.

Shymkent $808
Ekibastuz $837

A couple spends around $1,390 per month in Shymkent vs $1,349 in Ekibastuz, rent included.

Shymkent $1,390
Ekibastuz $1,349

A family of three spends $1,971 per month in Shymkent vs $1,860 in Ekibastuz, rent included.

Shymkent $1,971
Ekibastuz $1,860

Shymkent is about 3% cheaper than Ekibastuz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shymkent and Ekibastuz are more affordable than the global median – Shymkent 40% lower, Ekibastuz 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 ₸5,086

$10.85 ₸4,904

3.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.35 ₸15.1K

$36.90 ₸16.7K

-9.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 ₸2,938

$7.79 ₸3,523

-16.56%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₸1,147

$1.51 ₸683

68.21%

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

$1.03 ₸467

$1.10 ₸497

-6.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₸246

$0.67 ₸302

-19.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₸492

$1.31 ₸590

-16.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$2.17 ₸983

-37.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₸661

$1.31 ₸592

11.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.64 ₸288

-35.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ₸811

$1.63 ₸737

9.82%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$2.18 ₸985

-20.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₸4,538

$11.93 ₸5,393

-15.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 ₸2,376

$5.99 ₸2,707

-12.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 ₸4,059

$10.72 ₸4,846

-16.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₸538

$1.82 ₸823

-34.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ₸957

$2.27 ₸1,026

-6.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 ₸1,166

$2.24 ₸1,012

15.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₸610

$2.14 ₸969

-36.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ₸250

$0.70 ₸315

-21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.42 ₸189

-2.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸397

$1.47 ₸663

-40.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸376

$0.96 ₸433

-13.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,114

$2.22 ₸1,004

10.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,057

$11.20 ₸5,065

-59.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸466

$1.36 ₸617

-24.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₸683

$2.41 ₸1,089

-37.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸64.0

$0.23 ₸103

-39.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸395

$1.12 ₸507

-22.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₸156

$1.13 ₸512

-69.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 ₸4,532

$6.45 ₸2,916

55.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.61 ₸274

4.92%

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

$27.2K ₸12.3M

$28.2K ₸12.8M

-3.74%

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

$29.0K ₸13.1M

$31.1K ₸14.0M

-6.45%

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

$47.29 ₸21.4K

$67.5 ₸30.5K

-29.97%

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

$9.60 ₸4,338

$9.93 ₸4,490

-3.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.79 ₸6,685

$18.00 ₸8,137

-17.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.82 ₸17.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 ₸3,986

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ₸2,567

$6.23 ₸2,816

-8.83%

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

$57.8 ₸26.1K

$375 ₸169.7K

-84.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ₸5.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.55 ₸17.0K

$66.7 ₸30.1K

-43.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.85 ₸15.3K

$46.63 ₸21.1K

-27.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$187 ₸84.4K

$119 ₸54.0K

56.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 ₸23.9K

$129 ₸58.3K

-58.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 ₸153.0K

$247 ₸111.7K

36.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸92.0K

$183 ₸82.8K

11.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ₸315.6K

$439 ₸198.7K

58.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸246.2K

$344 ₸155.3K

58.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₸499.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 ₸445.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₸199.6K

$330 ₸149.0K

33.99%

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 Ekibastuz: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.2%

Ekibastuz

$183 21.9% 9.9% $20

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 22.9%

Ekibastuz

$229 27.4% 23.9% $44

Eating Out

Shymkent

$154 19.1%

Ekibastuz

$146 17.5% 5.3% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$140 17.3%

Ekibastuz

$163 19.4% 16.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$72 8.9%

Ekibastuz

$95 11.4% 33.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Ekibastuz

$12 * 1.5% 75.2% $38

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4%

Ekibastuz

$7.7 * 0.9% 143% $4.5

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 $247 in Ekibastuz. 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 34% higher in Shymkent, 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 $37.00 in Ekibastuz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $229 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Ekibastuz

🕒 Local time

21:29 9:29 PM

Same time as Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

159,760

💱 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 Ekibastuz 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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Shymkent
Ekibastuz

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 Ekibastuz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $808 in Shymkent, $837 in Ekibastuz – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,212 per month in Shymkent and $1,256 in Ekibastuz. 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 $808 in Shymkent and $837 in Ekibastuz. That's a gap of about 4%.

Kindergarten costs $57.8 per month in Shymkent and $375 in Ekibastuz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $808 in Shymkent and $837 in Ekibastuz, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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