Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Aktau

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $790 a month against $977 in Bishkek, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bishkek outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

47

Cost of Living Index in Bishkek
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Bishkek Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
Learn more

Aktau Living Index

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Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$977

/mo nomad

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$790

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bishkek 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 Bishkek and in Aktau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $977 per month in Bishkek vs $790 in Aktau, rent included.

Bishkek $977
Aktau $790

A couple spends around $1,505 per month in Bishkek vs $1,315 in Aktau, rent included.

Bishkek $1,505
Aktau $1,315

A family of three spends $2,032 per month in Bishkek vs $1,840 in Aktau, rent included.

Bishkek $2,032
Aktau $1,840

Bishkek costs about 24% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Bishkek and Aktau are more affordable than the global median – Bishkek 28% lower, Aktau 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.80 KGS 595

$11.03 ₸5,023

-38.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.12 KGS 2,547

$43.54 ₸19.8K

-33.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 KGS 499

$9.90 ₸4,511

-42.42%

Cappuccino

$2.45 KGS 215

$2.59 ₸1,182

-5.41%

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

$0.75 KGS 65.8

$0.79 ₸358

-5.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 KGS 35.69

$0.49 ₸223

-16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 KGS 121

$1.37 ₸623

1.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 KGS 168

$1.59 ₸723

20.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 KGS 89.9

$1.47 ₸672

-29.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 KGS 36.15

$0.50 ₸229

-18.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 KGS 151

$1.90 ₸864

-8.95%

Eggs

$1.76 KGS 154

$1.69 ₸771

4.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 KGS 677

$10.02 ₸4,562

-22.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.62 KGS 404

$4.16 ₸1,893

11.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.74 KGS 764

$8.58 ₸3,909

1.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 KGS 124

$1.53 ₸696

-7.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 KGS 160

$2.32 ₸1,059

-21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 KGS 176

$2.34 ₸1,068

-14.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 KGS 137

$2.78 ₸1,268

-43.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 KGS 53.4

$0.66 ₸303

-7.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 KGS 44.34

$0.57 ₸261

-10.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 KGS 62.3

$1.48 ₸676

-52.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 KGS 49.86

$0.91 ₸414

-37.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 KGS 181

$2.59 ₸1,181

-20.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.05 KGS 792

$9.37 ₸4,267

-3.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 KGS 120

$0.78 ₸356

75.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 KGS 169

$0.92 ₸418

109.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 KGS 21.01

$0.16 ₸70.7

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.55 KGS 1,010

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 KGS 78.2

$1.09 ₸498

-18.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 KGS 38.35

$0.64 ₸292

-31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 KGS 486

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 KGS 85.6

$0.66 ₸302

48.48%

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

$29.8K KGS 2.6M

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

$33.2K KGS 2.9M

$31.4K ₸14.3M

5.62%

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

$49.36 KGS 4,318

$45.62 ₸20.8K

8.20%

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

$5.75 KGS 503

$8.07 ₸3,678

-28.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.91 KGS 1,042

$10.70 ₸4,872

11.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 KGS 4,713

$36.05 ₸16.4K

49.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.66 KGS 1,282

Cinema Ticket

$5.59 KGS 489

$3.03 ₸1,379

84.49%

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

$217 KGS 19.0K

$146 ₸66.5K

48.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,810 KGS 683.2K

$2,678 ₸1.2M

191.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 KGS 4,924

$67.3 ₸30.7K

-16.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.87 KGS 3,837

$39.80 ₸18.1K

10.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 KGS 8,027

$71.6 ₸32.6K

28.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 KGS 7,862

$89.2 ₸40.6K

0.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 KGS 52.4K

$328 ₸149.6K

82.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 KGS 35.9K

$193 ₸88.1K

111.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 KGS 90.1K

$544 ₸247.7K

89.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 KGS 62.8K

$393 ₸179.0K

82.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,811 KGS 158.4K

$806 ₸367.3K

124.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,209 KGS 105.8K

$657 ₸299.1K

84.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$498 KGS 43.5K

$553 ₸251.9K

-9.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.1

43.57%

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

Last update for Bishkek: October 27, 2026

Last update for Aktau: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bishkek

$410 42%

Aktau

$193 24.5% 52.8% $217

Groceries & Markets

Bishkek

$176 18%

Aktau

$200 25.3% 13.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Bishkek

$127 13%

Aktau

$121 15.3% 4.9% $6.3

Eating Out

Bishkek

$116 11.9%

Aktau

$164 20.8% 41.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bishkek

$67 6.9%

Aktau

$64 8.2% 3.9% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Bishkek

$65 6.7%

Aktau

$42 5.3% 35.3% $23

Getting Around

Bishkek

$16 1.6%

Aktau

$4.9 * 0.6% 68.4% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $599 in Bishkek versus $328 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 11% higher in Aktau, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bishkek versus $44 in Aktau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $200 – making Bishkek the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🇰🇿 Aktau

🕒 Local time

12:53 12:53 PM

11:53 11:53 AM

1 h behind Bishkek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,012,500 Capital

273,830

💱 Currency

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.03 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to KGS – Kyrgyzstani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstani Som (сом)

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 87.47 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 97.37 KGS (100 KGS = 1.03 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 456 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 507 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to KGS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bishkek Aktau 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bishkek
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

Bishkek vs Aktau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bishkek costs about 24% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,466 per month in Bishkek and $1,185 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $328 there versus $599 in Bishkek.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bishkek and $44 in Aktau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Bishkek – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.