Shymkent at a glance
- Shymkent ranks 9th of 11 priced cities in Kazakhstan on cost: $815 a month in essentials, 5% above Astana, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $640 covers that 0.8×.
- 94.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at region level.
- PM2.5 averages 15.4 µg/m³ a year, 3× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 11 Kazakhstan cities we track, so every row says whether Shymkent is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $815 | $815 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $374 | $374 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $570 | $570 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $100 | $100 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $223 | $223 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $98 | $98 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $20 | $20 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $640 | $640 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $665 | $665 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,030 | $1,030 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Shymkent, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.07 | $11.07 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $37.82 | $37.82 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $7.38 | $7.38 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.71 | $2.71 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.03 | $2.03 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.32 | $3.32 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.10 | $1.10 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.72 | $0.72 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.38 | $1.38 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.69 | $0.69 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.75 | $1.75 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.02 | $2.02 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.30 | $10.30 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $5.29 | $5.29 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.57 | $1.57 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.92 | $1.92 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.34 | $2.34 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.62 | $0.62 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.44 | $0.44 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.86 | $0.86 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.23 | $0.23 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $19.50 | $19.50 | same |
| Taxi start | $1.33 | $1.33 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.59 | $0.59 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.60 | $0.60 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 mยฒ flat | $82.62 | $82.62 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $15.37 | $15.37 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $9.77 | $9.77 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $62.62 | $62.62 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $5.54 | $5.54 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Shymkent has 94.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (region level). That is the 9th-highest of 11 Kazakhstan cities we track. Kazakhstan's national figure is 102.6, so Shymkent runs 8 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Shymkent ranks against every city we track
Shymkent sits ahead of 81% of the 1001 cities we track on women aged 20โ39. On cost of living it is ahead of 54% of 998. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 16% of 1016.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Shymkent sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Shymkent on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Shymkent beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Shymkent in the research deskOr unlock the Kazakhstan deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: ใปใฃใใผ, CC0.
Data updated