Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Karaganda

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $808 a month against $929 in Karaganda, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Karaganda
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Karaganda Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Karaganda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Karaganda

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

A single person spends $808 per month in Shymkent vs $929 in Karaganda, rent included.

Shymkent $808
Karaganda $929

A couple spends around $1,390 per month in Shymkent vs $1,498 in Karaganda, rent included.

Shymkent $1,390
Karaganda $1,498

A family of three spends $1,971 per month in Shymkent vs $2,067 in Karaganda, rent included.

Shymkent $1,971
Karaganda $2,067

Shymkent is about 13% cheaper than Karaganda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shymkent and Karaganda are more affordable than the global median – Shymkent 40% lower, Karaganda 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 ₸5,086

$9.92 ₸4,483

13.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.35 ₸15.1K

$34.77 ₸15.7K

-4.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 ₸2,938

$5.62 ₸2,540

15.66%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₸1,147

$1.90 ₸861

33.68%

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

$1.03 ₸467

$0.87 ₸392

18.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₸246

$0.64 ₸290

-15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₸492

$1.37 ₸618

-20.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$2.81 ₸1,271

-51.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₸661

$1.33 ₸602

9.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.48 ₸219

-14.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ₸811

$1.34 ₸605

33.58%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$1.87 ₸845

-7.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₸4,538

$13.37 ₸6,043

-24.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 ₸2,376

$5.55 ₸2,510

-5.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 ₸4,059

$11.16 ₸5,043

-19.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₸538

$1.51 ₸683

-21.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ₸957

$1.89 ₸857

12.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 ₸1,166

$2.78 ₸1,255

-7.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₸610

$2.09 ₸944

-35.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ₸250

$0.63 ₸284

-12.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.54 ₸245

-24.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸397

$1.04 ₸469

-15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸376

$0.70 ₸315

18.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,114

$2.18 ₸985

12.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,057

$8.40 ₸3,798

-45.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸466

$1.36 ₸616

-24.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₸683

$2.11 ₸955

-28.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸64.0

$0.23 ₸104

-39.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.45 ₸6,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸395

$1.23 ₸558

-29.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₸156

$1.24 ₸562

-72.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 ₸4,532

$3.22 ₸1,457

211.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.52 ₸236

23.08%

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

$27.2K ₸12.3M

$21.6K ₸9.8M

25.59%

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

$29.0K ₸13.1M

$32.3K ₸14.6M

-9.96%

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

$47.29 ₸21.4K

$72.6 ₸32.8K

-34.84%

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

$9.60 ₸4,338

$9.86 ₸4,457

-2.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.79 ₸6,685

$11.82 ₸5,342

25.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.82 ₸17.5K

$45.55 ₸20.6K

-14.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 ₸3,986

$18.09 ₸8,179

-51.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ₸2,567

$5.29 ₸2,390

7.37%

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

$57.8 ₸26.1K

$133 ₸59.9K

-56.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.55 ₸17.0K

$60.5 ₸27.4K

-37.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.85 ₸15.3K

$57.6 ₸26.0K

-41.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$187 ₸84.4K

$79.0 ₸35.7K

136.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 ₸23.9K

$85.7 ₸38.7K

-38.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 ₸153.0K

$400 ₸180.6K

-15.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸92.0K

$274 ₸123.7K

-25.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ₸315.6K

$730 ₸330.1K

-4.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸246.2K

$543 ₸245.7K

0.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₸499.1K

$1,053 ₸475.8K

4.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 ₸445.6K

$695 ₸314.0K

41.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₸199.6K

$566 ₸256.1K

-22.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

19.25

-5.19%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 19, 2026

Last update for Karaganda: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.2%

Karaganda

$274 29.5% 34.6% $70

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 22.9%

Karaganda

$216 23.3% 16.8% $31

Eating Out

Shymkent

$154 19.1%

Karaganda

$138 14.8% 10.9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$140 17.3%

Karaganda

$127 13.7% 9.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$72 8.9%

Karaganda

$94 10.2% 31.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Karaganda

$56 6% 11.8% $5.9

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4%

Karaganda

$24 2.6% 654% $21

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 $400 in Karaganda. 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 28% higher in Karaganda, 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 $35.00 in Karaganda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $216 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Karaganda

🕒 Local time

19:19 7:19 PM

Same time as Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

520,486

💱 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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Shymkent Karaganda 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Karaganda

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 Karaganda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $808 in Shymkent, $929 in Karaganda – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,212 per month in Shymkent and $1,393 in Karaganda. 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 $929 in Karaganda. That's a gap of about 15%.

Kindergarten costs $57.8 per month in Shymkent and $133 in Karaganda. 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 $929 in Karaganda, 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, Karaganda makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.