Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $809 a month against $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$809

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Sao Paulo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $809 in Shymkent versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo.

Shymkent $809
Sao Paulo $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,366 in Shymkent versus $2,085 in Sao Paulo.

Shymkent $1,366
Sao Paulo $2,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,924 in Shymkent versus $2,926 in Sao Paulo.

Shymkent $1,924
Sao Paulo $2,926

Living in Shymkent costs roughly 35% less than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shymkent 40% lower, Sao Paulo 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 ₸4,979

$8.94 R$44.87

23.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.96 ₸15.3K

$49.46 R$248

-31.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 ₸2,915

$9.22 R$46.25

-29.72%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₸1,125

$2.54 R$12.77

-1.57%

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

$1.08 ₸486

$1.45 R$7.29

-25.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₸227

$0.91 R$4.57

-45.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₸478

$3.07 R$15.39

-65.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₸583

$4.36 R$21.87

-70.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ₸654

$1.27 R$6.36

14.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸198

$1.84 R$9.22

-76.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 ₸787

$1.41 R$7.08

24.11%

Eggs

$1.65 ₸743

$2.84 R$14.27

-41.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 ₸4,535

$12.56 R$63.0

-19.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 ₸2,300

$5.37 R$26.95

-4.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.41 ₸3,787

$10.72 R$53.8

-21.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₸537

$2.74 R$13.74

-56.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 ₸978

$1.81 R$9.08

19.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ₸1,101

$1.55 R$7.78

58.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₸608

$1.98 R$9.95

-31.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ₸229

$1.47 R$7.38

-65.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸181

$1.24 R$6.23

-67.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₸416

$1.27 R$6.38

-27.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₸355

$0.96 R$4.82

-17.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 ₸1,091

$3.04 R$15.24

-20.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.40 ₸1,981

$10.19 R$51.1

-56.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ₸479

$1.73 R$8.69

-38.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₸682

$2.64 R$13.26

-42.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 ₸68.0

$1.04 R$5.20

-85.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$241

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₸375

$1.82 R$9.12

-54.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ₸163

$1.02 R$5.10

-64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.79 ₸4,408

$10.16 R$51.0

-3.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 ₸271

$1.27 R$6.38

-52.76%

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

$27.8K ₸12.5M

$24.3K R$122.0K

14.23%

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

$29.1K ₸13.1M

$34.0K R$170.6K

-14.56%

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

$47.16 ₸21.2K

$104 R$522

-54.63%

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

$9.06 ₸4,078

$16.16 R$81.1

-43.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.10 ₸6,799

$22.59 R$113

-33.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.81 ₸17.5K

$36.27 R$182

7.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.55 ₸3,849

$47.78 R$240

-82.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 ₸2,533

$9.85 R$49.45

-42.84%

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

$56.9 ₸25.6K

$525 R$2,635

-89.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$83.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.94 ₸16.2K

$66.9 R$336

-46.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.11 ₸14.9K

$62.3 R$312

-46.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 ₸81.6K

$101 R$507

79.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.4 ₸23.1K

$90.9 R$456

-43.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 ₸149.8K

$663 R$3,326

-49.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 ₸88.8K

$423 R$2,121

-53.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₸311.9K

$1,527 R$7,662

-54.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 ₸250.3K

$1,009 R$5,061

-44.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,109 ₸499.1K

$2,744 R$13.8K

-59.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$975 ₸439.0K

$2,068 R$10.4K

-52.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$437 ₸196.9K

$881 R$4,419

-50.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

11.68

56.25%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$197 24.9%

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3% 114% $225

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$182 23%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8% 33.9% $62

Eating Out

Shymkent

$152 19.2%

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3% 7.3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$136 17.2%

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7% 6.5% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$71 9%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 100% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.3%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 11.8% $5.9

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4%

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8% 1720% $56

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 $333 in Shymkent and $663 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 101% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $34.00 in Shymkent vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $243 per month, with Shymkent cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

11:46 11:46 AM

02:46 2:46 AM

9 h behind Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shymkent Sao Paulo 13,860 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Sao Paulo

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 Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shymkent is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 101% lower in Sao Paulo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $333 in Shymkent versus $663 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $56.9 in Shymkent versus $525 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shymkent – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $809 in Shymkent versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shymkent but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Shymkent the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shymkent is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sao Paulo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Shymkent and Sao Paulo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Shymkent gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.