Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $809 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$809

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Nosara

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

A single person spends $809 per month in Shymkent vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Shymkent $809
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,366 per month in Shymkent vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Shymkent $1,366
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,924 per month in Shymkent vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Shymkent $1,924
Nosara $3,712

Shymkent is about 56% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shymkent sits 40% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 ₸5,015

$12.22 ₡5,509

-9.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.96 ₸15.4K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-43.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 ₸2,936

$7.54 ₡3,399

-14.06%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₸1,133

$4.31 ₡1,941

-42.00%

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

$1.08 ₸489

$1.72 ₡773

-37.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₸229

$1.35 ₡608

-62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₸481

$3.24 ₡1,459

-67.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₸587

$4.48 ₡2,018

-70.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ₸659

$1.57 ₡707

-7.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸200

$3.17 ₡1,429

-86.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 ₸793

$2.42 ₡1,091

-27.69%

Eggs

$1.65 ₸749

$3.57 ₡1,609

-53.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 ₸4,567

$7.43 ₡3,349

35.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 ₸2,317

$10.42 ₡4,697

-50.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.41 ₸3,814

$13.66 ₡6,156

-38.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₸541

$2.32 ₡1,044

-48.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 ₸985

$1.61 ₡728

34.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ₸1,109

$4.74 ₡2,138

-48.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₸612

$1.66 ₡747

-18.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ₸230

$3.72 ₡1,679

-86.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸183

$3.57 ₡1,611

-88.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₸419

$1.10 ₡497

-16.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₸357

$2.55 ₡1,149

-69.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 ₸1,098

$4.95 ₡2,232

-51.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.40 ₸1,995

$20.01 ₡9,020

-78.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ₸483

$2.79 ₡1,256

-62.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₸687

$3.53 ₡1,589

-57.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 ₸68.5

$1.19 ₡537

-87.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₸378

$2.24 ₡1,011

-62.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ₸164

$1.55 ₡701

-76.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.79 ₸4,439

$8.86 ₡3,993

10.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 ₸273

$1.57 ₡708

-61.78%

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

$27.8K ₸12.6M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

27.42%

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

$29.1K ₸13.2M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-16.11%

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

$47.16 ₸21.4K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-49.53%

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

$9.06 ₸4,107

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-74.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.10 ₸6,848

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-70.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.81 ₸17.6K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-45.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.55 ₸3,876

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-75.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 ₸2,551

$7.84 ₡3,535

-28.19%

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

$56.9 ₸25.8K

$490 ₡220.7K

-88.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.94 ₸16.3K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-32.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.11 ₸15.0K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-40.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 ₸82.1K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

128.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.4 ₸23.3K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-34.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 ₸150.9K

$786 ₡354.3K

-57.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 ₸89.5K

$780 ₡351.6K

-74.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₸314.1K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-82.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 ₸252.1K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-60.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,109 ₸502.7K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-84.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$975 ₸442.1K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-18.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$437 ₸198.3K

$876 ₡395.0K

-50.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

8.62

111.72%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$197 24.9%

Nosara

$780 43% 295% $583

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$182 23%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 92.4% $168

Eating Out

Shymkent

$152 19.2%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 37.7% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$136 17.2%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 11.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$71 9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 153% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 74% $37

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 2572% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $333 in Shymkent versus $786 in Nosara. 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 100% higher in Nosara, 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 $34.00 in Shymkent versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $350 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:14 1:14 PM

01:14 1:14 AM

12 h behind Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

4,912

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shymkent Nosara 13,680 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Nosara

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 Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $809 in Shymkent, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 127% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,213 per month in Shymkent and $2,756 in Nosara. 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 $34.00 in Shymkent and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 92% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shymkent, where all-in costs run around $809, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Shymkent it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $809 in Shymkent to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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