Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taldykorgan and Shymkent

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.

45

Cost of Living Index in Taldykorgan
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Taldykorgan Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Taldykorgan

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$935

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$803

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taldykorgan and in Shymkent

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Taldykorgan and in Shymkent actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Taldykorgan $935
Shymkent $803

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

Taldykorgan $1,208
Shymkent $1,389

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

Taldykorgan $1,481
Shymkent $1,975

Living in Taldykorgan is roughly 16% more expensive than in Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.49 ₸2,029

$11.05 ₸4,997

-59.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.99 ₸9,942

$33.24 ₸15.0K

-33.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.11 ₸4,119

$6.62 ₸2,992

37.61%

Cappuccino

$1.35 ₸611

$2.47 ₸1,117

-45.34%

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

$0.46 ₸207

$1.08 ₸490

-57.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₸144

$0.51 ₸232

-37.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ₸394

$1.08 ₸490

-19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₸593

$1.35 ₸609

-2.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₸559

$1.43 ₸644

-13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸185

$0.44 ₸198

-6.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ₸707

$1.83 ₸829

-14.75%

Eggs

$1.30 ₸588

$1.75 ₸789

-25.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.51 ₸5,657

$10.11 ₸4,569

23.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.50 ₸2,936

$5.16 ₸2,335

25.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.26 ₸2,830

$9.00 ₸4,070

-30.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 ₸835

$1.20 ₸540

54.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ₸1,062

$2.15 ₸971

9.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 ₸1,364

$2.53 ₸1,145

19.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₸740

$1.37 ₸620

19.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸339

$0.52 ₸234

44.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.21 ₸94.8

$0.40 ₸183

-47.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₸487

$0.88 ₸400

22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸466

$0.85 ₸386

21.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ₸883

$2.46 ₸1,111

-20.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 ₸3,613

$4.47 ₸2,019

78.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$1.07 ₸483

13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₸993

$1.60 ₸721

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 ₸75.7

$0.18 ₸79.5

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.78 ₸7,586

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 ₸439

$0.87 ₸393

11.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₸311

$0.35 ₸157

97.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.08 ₸5,007

$9.59 ₸4,333

15.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 ₸265

$0.61 ₸277

-3.28%

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

$21.9K ₸9.9M

$28.0K ₸12.7M

-21.98%

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

$30.4K ₸13.7M

$29.3K ₸13.2M

3.62%

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

$90.4 ₸40.9K

$46.22 ₸20.9K

95.59%

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

$10.87 ₸4,912

$9.48 ₸4,283

14.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.03 ₸8,150

$14.78 ₸6,683

21.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.80 ₸17.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.27 ₸1,479

$8.95 ₸4,047

-63.46%

Cinema Ticket

$2.69 ₸1,216

$5.57 ₸2,517

-51.71%

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

$440 ₸198.8K

$58.0 ₸26.2K

658.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 ₸41.3K

$36.79 ₸16.6K

148.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.88 ₸4,917

$34.22 ₸15.5K

-68.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 ₸27.6K

$185 ₸83.8K

-67.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 ₸27.4K

$52.0 ₸23.5K

16.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 ₸250.6K

$340 ₸153.7K

63.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 ₸177.3K

$203 ₸91.7K

93.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,903 ₸860.4K

$705 ₸318.7K

169.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ₸141.6K

$557 ₸251.7K

-43.76%

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)

$394 ₸178.3K

$451 ₸203.7K

-12.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

18.25

13.15%

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

Last update for Taldykorgan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taldykorgan

$392 41.9%

Shymkent

$203 25.3% 48.3% $190

Groceries & Markets

Taldykorgan

$206 22%

Shymkent

$186 23.1% 9.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taldykorgan

$119 12.8%

Shymkent

$70 8.8% 40.9% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Taldykorgan

$101 10.8%

Shymkent

$139 17.3% 37.8% $38

Eating Out

Taldykorgan

$90 9.6%

Shymkent

$152 19% 70.2% $63

Getting Around

Taldykorgan

$22 2.3%

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4% 84.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Taldykorgan

$5.4 * 0.6%

Shymkent

$50 6.2% 828% $45

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 $554 in Taldykorgan and $340 in Shymkent. 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: $22.00 in Taldykorgan vs $33.00 in Shymkent. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $186, with Shymkent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Taldykorgan

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

14:27 2:27 PM

Same time as Taldykorgan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

169,462

1,222,055

💱 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

Taldykorgan Shymkent 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Taldykorgan
Shymkent

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

Taldykorgan vs Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 14% 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: $554 in Taldykorgan versus $340 in Shymkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $440 in Taldykorgan versus $58.0 in Shymkent. 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, Taldykorgan and Shymkent 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.