Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Semey

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $802 in Shymkent, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Shymkent despite lower rent and utilities.

39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Semey
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Semey Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$802

/mo nomad

Semey

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Semey

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $802 in Shymkent versus $712 in Semey.

Shymkent $802
Semey $712

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,384 in Shymkent versus $1,148 in Semey.

Shymkent $1,384
Semey $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,965 in Shymkent versus $1,584 in Semey.

Shymkent $1,965
Semey $1,584

Living in Shymkent is roughly 13% more expensive than in Semey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shymkent 41% lower, Semey 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 ₸5,001

$4.93 ₸2,235

123.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.16 ₸15.0K

$21.82 ₸9,898

51.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 ₸3,055

$5.49 ₸2,491

22.77%

Cappuccino

$2.43 ₸1,102

$1.70 ₸771

42.94%

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

$1.07 ₸486

$0.76 ₸345

40.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₸246

$0.48 ₸216

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₸493

$0.91 ₸412

19.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸616

$1.35 ₸614

0.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ₸654

$1.03 ₸469

39.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸199

$0.37 ₸167

18.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₸817

$1.86 ₸845

-3.23%

Eggs

$1.69 ₸768

$1.53 ₸693

10.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 ₸4,548

$5.36 ₸2,432

87.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 ₸2,398

$3.86 ₸1,751

37.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.59 ₸3,895

$5.43 ₸2,461

58.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₸545

$1.23 ₸559

-2.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ₸1,002

$1.65 ₸748

33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 ₸1,155

$1.72 ₸781

48.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 ₸649

$1.69 ₸768

-15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ₸233

$0.39 ₸176

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 ₸195

$0.60 ₸274

-28.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₸410

$1.02 ₸461

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₸382

$0.99 ₸448

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,117

$2.46 ₸1,116

Wine (Bottle)

$4.54 ₸2,060

$7.24 ₸3,282

-37.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ₸471

$1.31 ₸596

-20.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₸719

$2.20 ₸998

-27.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 ₸77.7

$0.25 ₸114

-32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.69 ₸7,119

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.29 ₸586

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₸169

$1.14 ₸515

-67.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.72 ₸4,411

$6.54 ₸2,968

48.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸300

$0.65 ₸293

1.54%

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

$27.6K ₸12.5M

$32.4K ₸14.7M

-14.67%

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

$29.7K ₸13.5M

$26.3K ₸11.9M

12.91%

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

$47.21 ₸21.4K

$33.66 ₸15.3K

40.26%

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

$9.45 ₸4,285

$9.01 ₸4,088

4.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.85 ₸6,737

$18.84 ₸8,544

-21.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.00 ₸17.7K

$42.36 ₸19.2K

-7.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 ₸3,904

$11.23 ₸5,095

-23.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₸2,561

$4.39 ₸1,993

28.70%

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

$58.0 ₸26.3K

$132 ₸60.0K

-56.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,406 ₸2.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.30 ₸16.5K

$28.90 ₸13.1K

25.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 ₸15.7K

$25.47 ₸11.6K

35.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$184 ₸83.5K

$100 ₸45.4K

83.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 ₸23.8K

$76.6 ₸34.7K

-31.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$341 ₸154.8K

$339 ₸153.5K

0.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ₸91.3K

$229 ₸103.8K

-11.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 ₸314.8K

$611 ₸276.9K

13.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 ₸248.8K

$489 ₸221.6K

12.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,121 ₸508.4K

$1,205 ₸546.7K

-7.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$970 ₸440.1K

$739 ₸335.4K

31.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$439 ₸199.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

19.25

-5.19%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 25, 2026

Last update for Semey: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$201 25.1%

Semey

$229 32.2% 13.6% $27

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 23.1%

Semey

$154 21.7% 16.7% $31

Eating Out

Shymkent

$152 19%

Semey

$88 12.4% 41.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$138 17.2%

Semey

$104 14.6% 24.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$72 8.9%

Semey

$62 8.6% 14% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.3%

Semey

$51 7.2% 1.7% $0.9

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.4 * 0.4%

Semey

$24 3.3% 596% $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 $339 in Semey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Shymkent vs $22 in Semey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $154 per month, with Semey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Semey

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

Same time as Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

310,456

💱 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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Between locations

Shymkent Semey 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Semey

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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semey is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,203 in Shymkent and $1,068 in Semey 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 $339 in Semey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $58 in Shymkent versus $132 in Semey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Semey – 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 $1,000 a month, though Semey 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.