Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Oskemen

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $808 a month against $904 in Oskemen, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Oskemen
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Oskemen Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Oskemen

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$904

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Oskemen

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

A single person spends $808 per month in Shymkent vs $904 in Oskemen, rent included.

Shymkent $808
Oskemen $904

A couple spends around $1,390 per month in Shymkent vs $1,517 in Oskemen, rent included.

Shymkent $1,390
Oskemen $1,517

A family of three spends $1,971 per month in Shymkent vs $2,131 in Oskemen, rent included.

Shymkent $1,971
Oskemen $2,131

Shymkent is about 11% cheaper than Oskemen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Shymkent and Oskemen are more affordable than the global median – Shymkent 40% lower, Oskemen 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 ₸5,086

$13.29 ₸6,010

-15.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.35 ₸15.1K

$26.05 ₸11.8K

28.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 ₸2,938

$3.90 ₸1,764

66.67%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₸1,147

$3.42 ₸1,547

-25.73%

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

$1.03 ₸467

$0.98 ₸444

5.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₸246

$0.55 ₸248

-1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₸492

$1.58 ₸716

-31.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$1.69 ₸766

-20.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₸661

$1.45 ₸656

0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.49 ₸223

-16.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ₸811

$1.37 ₸618

30.66%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$1.76 ₸795

-1.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₸4,538

$10.07 ₸4,554

-0.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 ₸2,376

$5.93 ₸2,681

-11.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 ₸4,059

$8.02 ₸3,624

11.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₸538

$1.17 ₸530

1.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ₸957

$2.01 ₸907

5.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 ₸1,166

$2.72 ₸1,230

-5.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₸610

$2.52 ₸1,140

-46.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ₸250

$0.94 ₸425

-41.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.52 ₸236

-21.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸397

$0.32 ₸145

175.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸376

$1.05 ₸476

-20.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,114

$2.23 ₸1,006

10.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,057

$4.87 ₸2,201

-6.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸466

$1.45 ₸656

-28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₸683

$1.62 ₸733

-6.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸64.0

$0.24 ₸108

-41.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸395

$1.13 ₸511

-23.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₸156

$0.32 ₸146

6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 ₸4,532

$2.47 ₸1,119

305.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.66 ₸297

-3.03%

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

$27.2K ₸12.3M

$32.4K ₸14.7M

-16.18%

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

$29.0K ₸13.1M

$31.1K ₸14.1M

-6.61%

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

$47.29 ₸21.4K

$46.60 ₸21.1K

1.48%

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

$9.60 ₸4,338

$11.54 ₸5,217

-16.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.79 ₸6,685

$22.44 ₸10.1K

-34.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.82 ₸17.5K

$26.34 ₸11.9K

47.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 ₸3,986

$19.83 ₸8,964

-55.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ₸2,567

$5.09 ₸2,301

11.59%

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

$57.8 ₸26.1K

$66.0 ₸29.8K

-12.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,835 ₸1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.55 ₸17.0K

$112 ₸50.8K

-66.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.85 ₸15.3K

$81.0 ₸36.6K

-58.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$187 ₸84.4K

$97.9 ₸44.3K

90.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 ₸23.9K

$121 ₸54.7K

-56.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 ₸153.0K

$339 ₸153.3K

-0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸92.0K

$226 ₸102.2K

-10.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ₸315.6K

$675 ₸305.0K

3.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸246.2K

$572 ₸258.6K

-4.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₸499.1K

$1,107 ₸500.3K

-0.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 ₸445.6K

$838 ₸378.8K

17.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₸199.6K

$800 ₸361.6K

-44.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

19.5

-6.41%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 19, 2026

Last update for Oskemen: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.2%

Oskemen

$226 25% 11.1% $23

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 22.9%

Oskemen

$195 21.6% 5.5% $10

Eating Out

Shymkent

$154 19.1%

Oskemen

$177 19.5% 14.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$140 17.3%

Oskemen

$185 20.5% 32.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$72 8.9%

Oskemen

$81 8.9% 12.4% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Oskemen

$37 4% 27.2% $14

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4%

Oskemen

$3.7 * 0.4% 16.8% $0.5

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 $339 in Oskemen. 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 81% higher in Oskemen, 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 $26.00 in Oskemen. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Shymkent vs $195 in Oskemen – so Shymkent wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Oskemen

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

Same time as Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

354,770

💱 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 Oskemen 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Oskemen

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 Oskemen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $808 in Shymkent, $904 in Oskemen – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,212 per month in Shymkent and $1,356 in Oskemen. 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 $904 in Oskemen. That's a gap of about 12%.

Kindergarten costs $57.8 per month in Shymkent and $66.0 in Oskemen. 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 $904 in Oskemen, 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, Oskemen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.