Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Kyzylorda

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyzylorda: $658 a month against $804 in Shymkent, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Kyzylorda
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Kyzylorda Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$804

/mo nomad

Kyzylorda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$658

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Kyzylorda

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Shymkent versus $658 in Kyzylorda.

Shymkent $804
Kyzylorda $658

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,385 in Shymkent versus $1,023 in Kyzylorda.

Shymkent $1,385
Kyzylorda $1,023

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,965 in Shymkent versus $1,388 in Kyzylorda.

Shymkent $1,965
Kyzylorda $1,388

Living in Shymkent is roughly 22% more expensive than in Kyzylorda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shymkent 41% lower, Kyzylorda 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.24 ₸5,040

$9.01 ₸4,041

24.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.91 ₸15.2K

$33.73 ₸15.1K

0.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₸2,991

Cappuccino

$2.41 ₸1,079

$2.36 ₸1,060

2.12%

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

$1.05 ₸469

$1.36 ₸608

-22.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₸226

$0.43 ₸192

16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₸512

$2.38 ₸1,066

-52.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸612

$3.29 ₸1,477

-58.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ₸644

$1.34 ₸600

7.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 ₸195

$0.26 ₸118

65.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 ₸810

$0.95 ₸425

90.53%

Eggs

$1.74 ₸779

$1.36 ₸611

27.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₸4,593

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 ₸2,389

$2.04 ₸917

161.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 ₸3,802

$4.68 ₸2,098

81.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 ₸516

$1.33 ₸598

-13.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 ₸972

$2.12 ₸950

2.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ₸1,098

$1.99 ₸892

23.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ₸634

$2.55 ₸1,145

-44.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ₸230

$1.31 ₸588

-61.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸183

$0.62 ₸280

-33.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 ₸431

$1.31 ₸586

-26.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₸380

$0.94 ₸420

-9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 ₸1,069

$2.40 ₸1,078

-0.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,041

$2.37 ₸1,062

91.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸462

$1.19 ₸535

-13.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₸690

$1.86 ₸833

-17.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸62.8

$0.19 ₸84.5

-26.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 ₸409

$0.85 ₸383

7.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₸168

$0.79 ₸353

-53.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.99 ₸4,479

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸295

$0.57 ₸258

15.79%

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

$27.2K ₸12.2M

$29.2K ₸13.1M

-6.63%

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

$29.5K ₸13.2M

$30.7K ₸13.7M

-3.66%

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

$46.66 ₸20.9K

$76.6 ₸34.3K

-39.07%

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

$9.48 ₸4,251

$8.73 ₸3,916

8.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.26 ₸6,841

$15.44 ₸6,926

-1.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.10 ₸17.5K

$32.68 ₸14.7K

19.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.81 ₸3,952

$17.51 ₸7,852

-49.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 ₸2,516

$5.92 ₸2,657

-5.24%

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

$57.1 ₸25.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.07 ₸16.6K

$44.18 ₸19.8K

-16.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.63 ₸15.1K

$56.3 ₸25.2K

-40.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$182 ₸81.7K

$52.3 ₸23.5K

248.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.9 ₸23.3K

$66.8 ₸30.0K

-22.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ₸153.2K

$185 ₸83.0K

84.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 ₸91.3K

$157 ₸70.3K

29.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 ₸310.3K

$283 ₸126.9K

144.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸244.5K

$219 ₸98.3K

148.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,105 ₸495.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$978 ₸438.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$445 ₸199.5K

$328 ₸147.2K

35.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

-20.65%

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

Last update for Shymkent: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kyzylorda: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$204 25.3%

Kyzylorda

$157 23.8% 23% $47

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 23%

Kyzylorda

$126 * 19.1% 32.1% $59

Eating Out

Shymkent

$153 19.1%

Kyzylorda

$126 * 19.2% 17.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$137 17.1%

Kyzylorda

$99 15% 27.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$71 8.9%

Kyzylorda

$101 15.3% 41.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.3%

Kyzylorda

$45 6.8% 11.5% $5.8

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4%

Kyzylorda

$5.5 * 0.8% 65.9% $2.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $342 in Shymkent and $185 in Kyzylorda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shymkent pays 36% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Shymkent vs $34 in Kyzylorda. Groceries flip the comparison at $185 vs $126, with Kyzylorda cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kyzylorda

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

Same time as Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

206,719

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.23 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.99 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.23 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shymkent Kyzylorda 430 km

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Shymkent
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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 Kyzylorda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kyzylorda wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Shymkent. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kyzylorda the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Shymkent, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $342 in Shymkent versus $185 in Kyzylorda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Shymkent. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $804 per month in Shymkent versus $658 in Kyzylorda – Kyzylorda is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $658 in Kyzylorda versus $804 in Shymkent, a $800 budget is realistic in Kyzylorda but tight or insufficient in Shymkent. The gap between the two cities makes Kyzylorda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Kyzylorda wins on affordability, Shymkent on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.