Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Oral

For one person, living is cheaper in Oral: $723 a month against $802 in Shymkent, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. The total is higher in Shymkent despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$802

/mo nomad

Oral

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Oral

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

A single person spends $802 per month in Shymkent vs $723 in Oral, rent included.

Shymkent $802
Oral $723

A couple spends around $1,384 per month in Shymkent vs $1,099 in Oral, rent included.

Shymkent $1,384
Oral $1,099

A family of three spends $1,965 per month in Shymkent vs $1,476 in Oral, rent included.

Shymkent $1,965
Oral $1,476

Shymkent costs about 11% more than Oral, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Shymkent and Oral are more affordable than the global median – Shymkent 41% lower, Oral 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 ₸5,001

$8.30 ₸3,764

32.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.16 ₸15.0K

$33.73 ₸15.3K

-1.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 ₸3,055

$8.12 ₸3,684

-17.00%

Cappuccino

$2.43 ₸1,102

$1.85 ₸840

31.35%

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

$1.07 ₸486

$0.97 ₸441

10.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₸246

$0.59 ₸267

-8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₸493

$0.87 ₸394

25.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸616

$2.06 ₸934

-33.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ₸654

$1.46 ₸661

-1.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸199

$0.47 ₸213

-6.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₸817

$1.69 ₸768

6.51%

Eggs

$1.69 ₸768

$1.44 ₸652

17.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 ₸4,548

$8.92 ₸4,044

12.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 ₸2,398

$4.39 ₸1,993

20.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.59 ₸3,895

$11.31 ₸5,129

-24.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₸545

$1.25 ₸567

-4.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ₸1,002

$2.03 ₸919

8.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 ₸1,155

$2.38 ₸1,079

7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 ₸649

$3.24 ₸1,470

-55.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ₸233

$0.42 ₸190

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 ₸195

$0.32 ₸147

34.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₸410

$0.71 ₸322

26.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₸382

$1.14 ₸515

-26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,117

$2.20 ₸997

11.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.54 ₸2,060

$7.72 ₸3,502

-41.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ₸471

$0.65 ₸296

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₸719

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 ₸77.7

$0.23 ₸105

-26.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 ₸390

$0.65 ₸295

32.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₸169

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.72 ₸4,411

$5.47 ₸2,481

77.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸300

$0.62 ₸282

6.45%

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

$27.6K ₸12.5M

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

$29.7K ₸13.5M

$30.5K ₸13.8M

-2.62%

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

$47.21 ₸21.4K

$83.8 ₸38.0K

-43.63%

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

$9.45 ₸4,285

$8.66 ₸3,930

9.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.85 ₸6,737

$14.61 ₸6,627

1.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.00 ₸17.7K

$55.5 ₸25.2K

-29.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 ₸3,904

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₸2,561

$3.41 ₸1,546

65.69%

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

$58.0 ₸26.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.30 ₸16.5K

$33.17 ₸15.0K

9.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 ₸15.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$184 ₸83.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 ₸23.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$341 ₸154.8K

$281 ₸127.2K

21.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ₸91.3K

$213 ₸96.8K

-5.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 ₸314.8K

$449 ₸203.8K

54.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 ₸248.8K

$317 ₸143.6K

73.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,121 ₸508.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$970 ₸440.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$439 ₸199.0K

$439 ₸199.4K

-0.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 25, 2026

Last update for Oral: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$201 25.1%

Oral

–

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 23.1%

Oral

–

Eating Out

Shymkent

$152 19%

Oral

–

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$138 17.2%

Oral

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$72 8.9%

Oral

–

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.3%

Oral

–

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.4 * 0.4%

Oral

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $341 in Shymkent versus $281 in Oral. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Shymkent versus $34 in Oral. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $196 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Oral

🕒 Local time

09:55 9:55 AM

Same time as Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

256,960

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Shymkent Oral 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Oral

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 Oral: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shymkent is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,203 per month in Shymkent and $1,084 in Oral. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oral, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $281 there versus $341 in Shymkent.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Shymkent – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Shymkent and $34 in Oral. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $802 in Shymkent and $723 in Oral, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Shymkent has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $723 in Oral to $802 in Shymkent. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.