Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Qapshaghay

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $802 a month against $1,082 in Qapshaghay, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Qapshaghay
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Qapshaghay Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$802

/mo nomad

Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,082

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Qapshaghay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $802 in Shymkent versus $1,082 in Qapshaghay.

Shymkent $802
Qapshaghay $1,082

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,384 in Shymkent versus $1,631 in Qapshaghay.

Shymkent $1,384
Qapshaghay $1,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,965 in Shymkent versus $2,180 in Qapshaghay.

Shymkent $1,965
Qapshaghay $2,180

Living in Shymkent costs roughly 26% less than in Qapshaghay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shymkent 41% lower, Qapshaghay 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 ₸5,001

$11.02 ₸4,997

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.16 ₸15.0K

$22.49 ₸10.2K

47.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 ₸3,055

$6.63 ₸3,006

1.66%

Cappuccino

$2.43 ₸1,102

$1.73 ₸784

40.46%

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

$1.07 ₸486

$1.01 ₸459

5.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₸246

$0.70 ₸319

-22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₸493

$1.32 ₸597

-17.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸616

$1.32 ₸597

3.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ₸654

$1.72 ₸780

-16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸199

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₸817

$2.10 ₸952

-14.29%

Eggs

$1.69 ₸768

$2.44 ₸1,106

-30.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 ₸4,548

$12.21 ₸5,540

-17.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 ₸2,398

$6.60 ₸2,995

-19.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.59 ₸3,895

$10.80 ₸4,901

-20.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₸545

$1.81 ₸819

-33.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ₸1,002

$2.39 ₸1,083

-7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 ₸1,155

$2.92 ₸1,324

-12.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 ₸649

$2.70 ₸1,224

-47.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ₸233

$0.80 ₸362

-36.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 ₸195

$0.56 ₸253

-23.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₸410

$1.66 ₸753

-45.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₸382

$1.00 ₸452

-16.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,117

$1.66 ₸754

48.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.54 ₸2,060

$10.95 ₸4,966

-58.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ₸471

$1.21 ₸547

-14.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₸719

$2.37 ₸1,074

-32.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 ₸77.7

$0.20 ₸92.8

-15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ₸8,186

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 ₸390

$0.84 ₸383

2.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₸169

$0.70 ₸316

-47.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.72 ₸4,411

$3.91 ₸1,773

148.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸300

$0.60 ₸274

10.00%

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

$27.6K ₸12.5M

$28.4K ₸12.9M

-2.58%

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

$29.7K ₸13.5M

$31.0K ₸14.1M

-4.35%

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

$47.21 ₸21.4K

$91.1 ₸41.3K

-48.17%

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

$9.45 ₸4,285

$10.77 ₸4,886

-12.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.85 ₸6,737

$18.05 ₸8,188

-17.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.00 ₸17.7K

$41.86 ₸19.0K

-6.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 ₸3,904

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₸2,561

$6.48 ₸2,941

-12.81%

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

$58.0 ₸26.3K

$142 ₸64.6K

-59.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,442 ₸2.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.30 ₸16.5K

$93.2 ₸42.3K

-61.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 ₸15.7K

$49.25 ₸22.3K

-29.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$184 ₸83.5K

$142 ₸64.3K

29.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 ₸23.8K

$131 ₸59.2K

-59.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$341 ₸154.8K

$443 ₸201.0K

-22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ₸91.3K

$308 ₸139.6K

-34.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 ₸314.8K

$721 ₸327.0K

-3.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 ₸248.8K

$503 ₸228.1K

9.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,121 ₸508.4K

$1,131 ₸512.8K

-0.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$970 ₸440.1K

$757 ₸343.2K

28.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$439 ₸199.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

20.65

-11.62%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 25, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$201 25.1%

Qapshaghay

$308 28.4% 52.9% $106

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 23.1%

Qapshaghay

$245 22.7% 32.3% $60

Eating Out

Shymkent

$152 19%

Qapshaghay

$145 13.4% 4.8% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$138 17.2%

Qapshaghay

$187 17.3% 35% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$72 8.9%

Qapshaghay

$120 11.1% 67.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.3%

Qapshaghay

$55 5.1% 9% $4.5

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.4 * 0.4%

Qapshaghay

$23 2.1% 582% $20

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 $341 in Shymkent and $443 in Qapshaghay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Shymkent vs $22 in Qapshaghay. Groceries flip the comparison at $185 vs $245, with Shymkent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Qapshaghay

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

Same time as Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

42,167

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shymkent Qapshaghay 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Qapshaghay

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 Qapshaghay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shymkent wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Qapshaghay. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Shymkent the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,203 in Shymkent and $1,623 in Qapshaghay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $341 in Shymkent versus $443 in Qapshaghay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $58 in Shymkent versus $142 in Qapshaghay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Qapshaghay – a meal for two runs $22 versus $33 in Shymkent. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Shymkent gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.