Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $804 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$804

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Istanbul

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

A single person spends $804 per month in Shymkent vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Shymkent $804
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Shymkent vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Shymkent $1,385
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $1,965 per month in Shymkent vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Shymkent $1,965
Istanbul $3,212

Shymkent is about 47% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shymkent sits 41% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.24 ₸5,066

$11.81 ₺592

-4.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.91 ₸15.3K

$54.9 ₺2,754

-38.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₸3,007

$9.26 ₺465

-27.97%

Cappuccino

$2.41 ₸1,085

$4.30 ₺216

-43.95%

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

$1.05 ₸472

$1.77 ₺89.0

-40.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₸227

$0.56 ₺28.32

-10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₸515

$4.69 ₺235

-75.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸615

$7.12 ₺357

-80.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ₸647

$1.25 ₺62.7

15.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 ₸196

$0.88 ₺44.17

-51.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 ₸814

$2.20 ₺111

-17.73%

Eggs

$1.74 ₸783

$2.43 ₺122

-28.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₸4,617

$10.48 ₺526

-2.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 ₸2,402

$5.31 ₺267

0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 ₸3,822

$21.10 ₺1,058

-59.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 ₸519

$1.86 ₺93.1

-38.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 ₸977

$2.30 ₺115

-5.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ₸1,104

$1.22 ₺61.0

100.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ₸637

$1.80 ₺90.2

-21.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ₸231

$0.69 ₺34.83

-26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.64 ₺32.16

-35.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 ₸433

$1.36 ₺68.0

-29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₸382

$0.58 ₺28.94

46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 ₸1,074

$2.34 ₺117

1.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,052

$13.03 ₺653

-65.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸464

$2.36 ₺118

-56.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₸694

$3.32 ₺166

-53.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸63.1

$0.88 ₺44.07

-84.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 ₸411

$1.28 ₺64.4

-28.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₸168

$0.85 ₺42.80

-56.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.99 ₸4,502

$11.09 ₺556

-9.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸297

$1.48 ₺74.0

-55.41%

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

$27.2K ₸12.3M

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-44.00%

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

$29.5K ₸13.3M

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-29.64%

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

$46.66 ₸21.0K

$92.7 ₺4,650

-49.67%

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

$9.48 ₸4,273

$11.20 ₺562

-15.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.26 ₸6,878

$15.89 ₺797

-3.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.10 ₸17.6K

$74.7 ₺3,745

-47.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.81 ₸3,973

$22.95 ₺1,151

-61.61%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 ₸2,529

$8.05 ₺404

-30.31%

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

$57.1 ₸25.8K

$948 ₺47.6K

-93.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.07 ₸16.7K

$53.9 ₺2,702

-31.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.63 ₸15.2K

$41.49 ₺2,081

-18.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$182 ₸82.1K

$101 ₺5,060

80.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.9 ₸23.4K

$91.3 ₺4,580

-43.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ₸154.0K

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-66.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 ₸91.8K

$625 ₺31.3K

-67.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 ₸311.9K

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-65.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸245.8K

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-51.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,105 ₸497.9K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-63.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$978 ₸440.8K

$1,730 ₺86.8K

-43.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$445 ₸200.6K

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-60.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

40.42

-54.85%

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

Last update for Shymkent: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$204 25.3%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 207% $421

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 23%

Istanbul

$258 17% 39.6% $73

Eating Out

Shymkent

$153 19.1%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 44% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$137 17.1%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 5.6% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$71 8.9%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 67.8% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.3%

Istanbul

$91 6% 80.4% $40

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4%

Istanbul

$75 5% 2151% $72

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $342 in Shymkent versus $1,014 in Istanbul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Istanbul are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Shymkent versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $258 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

12:44 12:44 PM

10:44 10:44 AM

2 h behind Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, 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).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shymkent Istanbul 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Istanbul

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 Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 89%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,206 per month in Shymkent and $2,278 in Istanbul. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $342 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Shymkent and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Shymkent, where all-in costs run around $804, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Shymkent it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul 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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Shymkent. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.