Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $804 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$804

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Sofia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Shymkent versus $1,585 in Sofia.

Shymkent $804
Sofia $1,585

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,385 in Shymkent versus $2,486 in Sofia.

Shymkent $1,385
Sofia $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,965 in Shymkent versus $3,387 in Sofia.

Shymkent $1,965
Sofia $3,387

Living in Shymkent costs roughly 49% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shymkent is 41% below, Sofia is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.24 ₸5,062

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-32.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.91 ₸15.3K

$67.7 BGN 118

-49.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₸3,005

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-42.89%

Cappuccino

$2.41 ₸1,084

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-29.33%

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

$1.05 ₸471

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-55.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₸227

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-70.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₸515

$3.99 BGN 6.94

-71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸614

$4.53 BGN 7.88

-69.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ₸647

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-25.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 ₸195

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-72.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 ₸813

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-22.98%

Eggs

$1.74 ₸783

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-62.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₸4,613

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-10.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 ₸2,400

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-38.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 ₸3,819

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-51.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 ₸518

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-46.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 ₸977

$1.98 BGN 3.45

9.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ₸1,103

$1.83 BGN 3.18

33.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ₸637

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-66.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ₸231

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-50.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-53.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 ₸433

$1.19 BGN 2.06

-19.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₸381

$0.83 BGN 1.45

2.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 ₸1,074

$4.40 BGN 7.66

-45.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,050

$7.42 BGN 12.91

-38.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸464

$1.16 BGN 2.01

-11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₸693

$1.90 BGN 3.30

-18.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸63.1

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-84.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 ₸411

$1.67 BGN 2.90

-45.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₸168

$0.85 BGN 1.49

-56.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.99 ₸4,498

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-39.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸296

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-62.07%

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

$27.2K ₸12.3M

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

-9.01%

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

$29.5K ₸13.3M

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

18.07%

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

$46.66 ₸21.0K

$158 BGN 275

-70.44%

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

$9.48 ₸4,269

$21.27 BGN 37.01

-55.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.26 ₸6,871

$15.12 BGN 26.30

0.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.10 ₸17.6K

$46.85 BGN 81.5

-16.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.81 ₸3,969

$27.82 BGN 48.41

-68.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 ₸2,527

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-43.90%

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

$57.1 ₸25.7K

$815 BGN 1,419

-92.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.07 ₸16.7K

$87.1 BGN 152

-57.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.63 ₸15.1K

$38.28 BGN 66.6

-12.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$182 ₸82.0K

$106 BGN 184

72.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.9 ₸23.4K

$107 BGN 187

-51.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ₸153.9K

$769 BGN 1,338

-55.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 ₸91.7K

$593 BGN 1,032

-65.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 ₸311.6K

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-54.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸245.6K

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-48.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,105 ₸497.5K

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-75.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$978 ₸440.4K

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-68.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$445 ₸200.4K

$1,780 BGN 3,098

-75.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

2.89

531.49%

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

Last update for Shymkent: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$204 25.3%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 191% $389

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 23%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 55.6% $103

Eating Out

Shymkent

$153 19.1%

Sofia

$254 16% 65.3% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$137 17.1%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 11% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$71 8.9%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 172% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.3%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 32.8% $17

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 1029% $34

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 $342 in Shymkent and $769 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Shymkent vs $68 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $288 per month, with Shymkent cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

12:45 12:45 PM

09:45 9:45 AM

3 h behind Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shymkent Sofia 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Sofia

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 Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $804 in Shymkent and $1,585 in Sofia, so Shymkent is about 49% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Shymkent. 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: $342 in Shymkent versus $769 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $57 in Shymkent versus $815 in Sofia. 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 versus $68 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $804 in Shymkent versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Shymkent but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Shymkent the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Shymkent and Sofia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Shymkent wins on affordability, Sofia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.