Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tashkent and Aktau

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $793 a month against $1,038 in Tashkent, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Tashkent
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Tashkent Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index

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Tashkent

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$1,038

/mo nomad

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tashkent and in Aktau

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

A single person spends $1,038 per month in Tashkent vs $793 in Aktau, rent included.

Tashkent $1,038
Aktau $793

A couple spends around $1,636 per month in Tashkent vs $1,317 in Aktau, rent included.

Tashkent $1,636
Aktau $1,317

A family of three spends $2,234 per month in Tashkent vs $1,842 in Aktau, rent included.

Tashkent $2,234
Aktau $1,842

Tashkent costs about 31% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tashkent and Aktau are more affordable than the global median – Tashkent 23% lower, Aktau 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.54 UZS 78.8K

$11.07 ₸5,005

-40.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.23 UZS 412.5K

$43.55 ₸19.7K

-21.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 UZS 61.7K

$10.17 ₸4,596

-49.66%

Cappuccino

$2.62 UZS 31.6K

$2.49 ₸1,128

5.22%

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

$0.71 UZS 8,593

$0.74 ₸333

-4.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 UZS 3,921

$0.48 ₸219

-31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 UZS 26.0K

$1.30 ₸586

66.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 UZS 45.7K

$1.53 ₸690

147.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 UZS 15.2K

$1.41 ₸638

-10.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 UZS 10.4K

$0.47 ₸211

82.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 UZS 19.8K

$1.91 ₸864

-14.14%

Eggs

$1.78 UZS 21.4K

$1.73 ₸783

2.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 UZS 95.5K

$9.87 ₸4,463

-19.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 UZS 50.5K

$4.24 ₸1,915

-1.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 UZS 151.8K

$8.95 ₸4,044

40.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 UZS 18.5K

$1.53 ₸689

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 UZS 21.7K

$2.24 ₸1,013

-19.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 UZS 28.0K

$2.35 ₸1,064

-1.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 UZS 20.7K

$2.80 ₸1,264

-38.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 UZS 6,683

$0.65 ₸295

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 UZS 4,526

$0.56 ₸254

-32.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 UZS 12.4K

$1.55 ₸700

-33.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 UZS 5,799

$0.94 ₸424

-48.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 UZS 24.9K

$2.59 ₸1,172

-20.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 UZS 92.3K

$9.54 ₸4,313

-19.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 UZS 16.4K

$0.72 ₸326

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 UZS 43.9K

$0.87 ₸393

318.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 UZS 1,937

$0.18 ₸82.6

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 UZS 150.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 UZS 9,790

$1.13 ₸512

-28.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 UZS 4,376

$0.64 ₸290

-43.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 UZS 39.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 UZS 13.9K

$0.63 ₸283

82.54%

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

$16.6K UZS 200.4M

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

$24.0K UZS 289.1M

$31.4K ₸14.2M

-23.67%

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

$68.1 UZS 821.0K

$45.69 ₸20.7K

49.11%

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

$4.49 UZS 54.1K

$7.94 ₸3,587

-43.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.64 UZS 164.4K

$11.01 ₸4,979

23.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 UZS 754.2K

$35.98 ₸16.3K

73.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.78 UZS 226.3K

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 UZS 72.1K

$3.18 ₸1,437

88.05%

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

$328 UZS 4.0M

$143 ₸64.8K

128.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,455 UZS 113.9M

$2,621 ₸1.2M

260.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.10 UZS 591.7K

$66.8 ₸30.2K

-26.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 UZS 708.4K

$40.67 ₸18.4K

44.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 UZS 1.4M

$71.7 ₸32.4K

57.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 UZS 1.7M

$89.6 ₸40.5K

55.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 UZS 7.2M

$330 ₸149.2K

81.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 UZS 4.6M

$196 ₸88.6K

95.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 UZS 14.6M

$551 ₸249.0K

119.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 UZS 8.6M

$393 ₸177.8K

81.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,585 UZS 19.1M

$813 ₸367.6K

94.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$945 UZS 11.4M

$659 ₸297.7K

43.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$711 UZS 8.6M

$564 ₸254.8K

26.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.31

66.50%

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

Last update for Tashkent: October 12, 2026

Last update for Aktau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tashkent

$382 36.8%

Aktau

$196 24.7% 48.7% $186

Groceries & Markets

Tashkent

$195 18.8%

Aktau

$200 25.3% 2.6% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Tashkent

$162 15.6%

Aktau

$121 15.3% 25.4% $41

Eating Out

Tashkent

$122 11.7%

Aktau

$163 20.6% 34.3% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tashkent

$86 8.3%

Aktau

$65 8.2% 25.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Tashkent

$75 7.2%

Aktau

$42 5.3% 43.2% $32

Getting Around

Tashkent

$16 1.5%

Aktau

$5.1 * 0.6% 67.9% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $600 in Tashkent versus $330 in Aktau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 26% higher in Tashkent, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Tashkent versus $44.00 in Aktau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $200 – making Tashkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇿 Tashkent

🇰🇿 Aktau

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

Same time as Tashkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,956,384 Capital

273,830

💱 Currency

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to UZS – Uzbekistani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇿 Uzbekistani Som (soʻm)

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 12,051 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD). 1 EUR = 13,548 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to UZS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tashkent Aktau 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tashkent
Aktau

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

Tashkent vs Aktau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tashkent costs about 31% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,557 per month in Tashkent and $1,189 in Aktau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Tashkent and $44.00 in Aktau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Tashkent – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aktau, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Tashkent at $1,038. In Aktau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tashkent it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aktau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aktau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tashkent makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.