Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Kostanay

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $808 a month against $962 in Kostanay, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Kostanay
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Kostanay Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Kostanay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Kostanay

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

A single person spends $808 per month in Shymkent vs $962 in Kostanay, rent included.

Shymkent $808
Kostanay $962

A couple spends around $1,390 per month in Shymkent vs $1,452 in Kostanay, rent included.

Shymkent $1,390
Kostanay $1,452

A family of three spends $1,971 per month in Shymkent vs $1,943 in Kostanay, rent included.

Shymkent $1,971
Kostanay $1,943

Shymkent is about 16% cheaper than Kostanay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shymkent and Kostanay are more affordable than the global median – Shymkent 40% lower, Kostanay 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 ₸5,086

$5.60 ₸2,532

100.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.35 ₸15.1K

$28.73 ₸13.0K

16.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 ₸2,938

$7.05 ₸3,186

-7.80%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₸1,147

$2.18 ₸988

16.51%

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

$1.03 ₸467

$1.12 ₸506

-8.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₸246

$0.86 ₸389

-37.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₸492

$1.45 ₸656

-24.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$2.61 ₸1,181

-48.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₸661

$1.22 ₸550

19.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.52 ₸235

-21.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ₸811

$1.05 ₸474

70.48%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$2.27 ₸1,026

-23.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₸4,538

$10.21 ₸4,614

-1.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 ₸2,376

$5.72 ₸2,585

-8.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 ₸4,059

$8.33 ₸3,767

7.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₸538

$1.61 ₸730

-26.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ₸957

$2.37 ₸1,071

-10.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 ₸1,166

$1.84 ₸831

40.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₸610

$2.32 ₸1,047

-41.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ₸250

$0.58 ₸264

-5.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.68 ₸308

-39.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸397

$1.21 ₸548

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸376

$0.88 ₸399

-5.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,114

$2.51 ₸1,135

-1.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,057

$8.47 ₸3,827

-46.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸466

$1.10 ₸495

-6.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₸683

$2.37 ₸1,071

-36.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸64.0

$0.31 ₸142

-54.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸395

$0.95 ₸430

-8.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₸156

$1.14 ₸516

-70.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 ₸4,532

$6.09 ₸2,755

64.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.58 ₸263

10.34%

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

$27.2K ₸12.3M

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-10.27%

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

$29.0K ₸13.1M

$30.5K ₸13.8M

-4.82%

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

$47.29 ₸21.4K

$76.8 ₸34.7K

-38.44%

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

$9.60 ₸4,338

$10.97 ₸4,961

-12.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.79 ₸6,685

$15.99 ₸7,229

-7.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.82 ₸17.5K

$48.26 ₸21.8K

-19.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 ₸3,986

$20.11 ₸9,091

-56.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ₸2,567

$4.40 ₸1,989

29.09%

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

$57.8 ₸26.1K

$209 ₸94.5K

-72.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,498 ₸2.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.55 ₸17.0K

$96.3 ₸43.5K

-61.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.85 ₸15.3K

$53.8 ₸24.3K

-37.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$187 ₸84.4K

$107 ₸48.6K

73.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 ₸23.9K

$93.7 ₸42.3K

-43.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 ₸153.0K

$402 ₸181.7K

-15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸92.0K

$321 ₸144.9K

-36.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ₸315.6K

$598 ₸270.1K

16.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸246.2K

$494 ₸223.4K

10.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₸499.1K

$1,218 ₸550.5K

-9.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 ₸445.6K

$925 ₸418.0K

6.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₸199.6K

$657 ₸297.0K

-32.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

18.5

-1.35%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kostanay: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.2%

Kostanay

$321 33.4% 57.6% $117

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 22.9%

Kostanay

$202 21% 9% $17

Eating Out

Shymkent

$154 19.1%

Kostanay

$113 11.7% 27.1% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$140 17.3%

Kostanay

$158 16.4% 12.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$72 8.9%

Kostanay

$104 10.8% 44.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Kostanay

$57 5.9% 13.7% $6.9

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4%

Kostanay

$7.9 * 0.8% 150% $4.8

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 $402 in Kostanay. 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 49% higher in Kostanay, 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 $29.00 in Kostanay. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Shymkent vs $202 in Kostanay – so Shymkent wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kostanay

🕒 Local time

20:18 8:18 PM

Same time as Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

264,446

💱 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 Kostanay 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Kostanay

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 Kostanay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kostanay costs about 19% more than Shymkent, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,212 per month in Shymkent and $1,443 in Kostanay. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Shymkent and $29.00 in Kostanay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Kostanay, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $808 in Shymkent and $962 in Kostanay, 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, Kostanay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.