Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Taldykorgan

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $803 a month against $935 in Taldykorgan, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Taldykorgan outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Taldykorgan
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Taldykorgan Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$803

/mo nomad

Taldykorgan

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Taldykorgan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $803 in Shymkent versus $935 in Taldykorgan.

Shymkent $803
Taldykorgan $935

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,389 in Shymkent versus $1,208 in Taldykorgan.

Shymkent $1,389
Taldykorgan $1,208

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,975 in Shymkent versus $1,481 in Taldykorgan.

Shymkent $1,975
Taldykorgan $1,481

Living in Shymkent costs roughly 14% less than in Taldykorgan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shymkent 41% lower, Taldykorgan 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.05 ₸4,997

$4.49 ₸2,029

146.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.24 ₸15.0K

$21.99 ₸9,942

51.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 ₸2,992

$9.11 ₸4,119

-27.33%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₸1,117

$1.35 ₸611

82.96%

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

$1.08 ₸490

$0.46 ₸207

134.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₸232

$0.32 ₸144

59.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₸490

$0.87 ₸394

24.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$1.31 ₸593

3.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ₸644

$1.24 ₸559

15.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 ₸198

$0.41 ₸185

7.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 ₸829

$1.56 ₸707

17.31%

Eggs

$1.75 ₸789

$1.30 ₸588

34.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 ₸4,569

$12.51 ₸5,657

-19.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 ₸2,335

$6.50 ₸2,936

-20.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 ₸4,070

$6.26 ₸2,830

43.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₸540

$1.85 ₸835

-35.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 ₸971

$2.35 ₸1,062

-8.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 ₸1,145

$3.02 ₸1,364

-16.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ₸620

$1.64 ₸740

-16.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 ₸234

$0.75 ₸339

-30.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸183

$0.21 ₸94.8

90.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸400

$1.08 ₸487

-18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₸386

$1.03 ₸466

-17.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,111

$1.95 ₸883

26.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.47 ₸2,019

$7.99 ₸3,613

-44.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₸483

$1.21 ₸547

-11.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₸721

$2.20 ₸993

-27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸79.5

$0.17 ₸75.7

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.78 ₸7,586

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸393

$0.97 ₸439

-10.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₸157

$0.69 ₸311

-49.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 ₸4,333

$11.08 ₸5,007

-13.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 ₸277

$0.59 ₸265

3.39%

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

$28.0K ₸12.7M

$21.9K ₸9.9M

28.18%

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

$29.3K ₸13.2M

$30.4K ₸13.7M

-3.50%

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

$46.22 ₸20.9K

$90.4 ₸40.9K

-48.87%

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

$9.48 ₸4,283

$10.87 ₸4,912

-12.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.78 ₸6,683

$18.03 ₸8,150

-18.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.80 ₸17.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.95 ₸4,047

$3.27 ₸1,479

173.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.57 ₸2,517

$2.69 ₸1,216

107.06%

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

$58.0 ₸26.2K

$440 ₸198.8K

-86.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.79 ₸16.6K

$91.3 ₸41.3K

-59.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.22 ₸15.5K

$10.88 ₸4,917

214.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$185 ₸83.8K

$61.1 ₸27.6K

203.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.0 ₸23.5K

$60.6 ₸27.4K

-14.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 ₸153.7K

$554 ₸250.6K

-38.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸91.7K

$392 ₸177.3K

-48.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 ₸318.7K

$1,903 ₸860.4K

-62.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 ₸251.7K

$313 ₸141.6K

77.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,093 ₸494.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 ₸449.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$451 ₸203.7K

$394 ₸178.3K

14.28%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Taldykorgan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.3%

Taldykorgan

$392 41.9% 93.5% $190

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$186 23.1%

Taldykorgan

$206 22% 11% $21

Eating Out

Shymkent

$152 19%

Taldykorgan

$90 9.6% 41.2% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$139 17.3%

Taldykorgan

$101 10.8% 27.4% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$70 8.8%

Taldykorgan

$119 12.8% 69.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Taldykorgan

$5.4 * 0.6% 89.2% $45

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4%

Taldykorgan

$22 2.3% 562% $19

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 $340 in Shymkent and $554 in Taldykorgan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shymkent pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Shymkent vs $22.00 in Taldykorgan. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $206, with Shymkent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇰🇿 Taldykorgan

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

Same time as Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

169,462

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Shymkent Taldykorgan 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Taldykorgan

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 Taldykorgan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shymkent and Taldykorgan differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($803 vs $935 including rent). Shymkent is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Shymkent, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $340 in Shymkent versus $554 in Taldykorgan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $58.0 in Shymkent versus $440 in Taldykorgan. 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 $33.00 versus $22.00 in Taldykorgan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $803 in Shymkent versus $935 in Taldykorgan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shymkent but tight or insufficient in Taldykorgan. 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 Taldykorgan 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 16% less than in Taldykorgan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.