Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $808 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shymkent and in Ubud, Bali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $808 in Shymkent versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali.

Shymkent $808
Ubud, Bali $1,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,390 in Shymkent versus $2,297 in Ubud, Bali.

Shymkent $1,390
Ubud, Bali $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,971 in Shymkent versus $3,241 in Ubud, Bali.

Shymkent $1,971
Ubud, Bali $3,241

Living in Shymkent costs roughly 40% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shymkent is 40% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 ₸5,086

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

248.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.35 ₸15.1K

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

-4.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 ₸2,938

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

14.04%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₸1,147

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

-3.05%

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

$1.03 ₸467

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

-40.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₸246

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₸492

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

-58.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

-69.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₸661

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-7.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸184

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

-81.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ₸811

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

51.69%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

-19.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₸4,538

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-43.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 ₸2,376

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

39.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 ₸4,059

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

-24.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₸538

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

-66.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ₸957

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 ₸1,166

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

11.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₸610

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

-29.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ₸250

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-69.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-82.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸397

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

-12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸376

$0.53 Rp 9,509

56.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,114

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

7.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,057

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-79.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸466

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

-56.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₸683

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

-49.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸64.0

$0.23 Rp 4,112

-39.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸395

$0.47 Rp 8,466

85.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₸156

$0.43 Rp 7,737

-20.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 ₸4,532

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

83.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 ₸291

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

-22.89%

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

$27.2K ₸12.3M

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

13.83%

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

$29.0K ₸13.1M

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

-11.39%

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

$47.29 ₸21.4K

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

-40.88%

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

$9.60 ₸4,338

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

46.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.79 ₸6,685

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

-20.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.82 ₸17.5K

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

-28.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 ₸3,986

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

-51.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ₸2,567

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

33.65%

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

$57.8 ₸26.1K

$493 Rp 8.9M

-88.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.55 ₸17.0K

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

-17.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.85 ₸15.3K

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

-3.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$187 ₸84.4K

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

140.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 ₸23.9K

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

-32.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 ₸153.0K

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

-70.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸92.0K

$673 Rp 12.1M

-69.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ₸315.6K

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

-80.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸246.2K

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

-68.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₸499.1K

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

-59.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 ₸445.6K

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-56.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₸199.6K

$166 Rp 3.0M

165.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

13.78

32.44%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.2%

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7% 231% $469

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 22.9%

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2% 55.2% $102

Eating Out

Shymkent

$154 19.1%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9% 31.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$140 17.3%

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9% 23.9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$72 8.9%

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8% 46.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6% 24.8% $12

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 293% $9.3

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 $338 in Shymkent and $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shymkent pays 165% 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 $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $287 per month, with Shymkent cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

22:24 10:24 PM

2 h ahead of Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

74,800

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Shymkent Ubud, Bali 7,310 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Ubud, Bali

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 Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shymkent and Ubud, Bali differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($808 vs $1,353 including rent). Shymkent is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 165% 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: $338 in Shymkent versus $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $57.8 in Shymkent versus $493 in Ubud, Bali. 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 $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $808 in Shymkent versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shymkent but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. 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 Ubud, Bali 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 68% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.