Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Brest Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Brest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $898 in Bishkek versus $700 in Brest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,371 in Bishkek versus $1,107 in Brest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,844 in Bishkek versus $1,514 in Brest.

Living in Bishkek is roughly 28% more expensive than Brest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bishkek 33% lower, Brest 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 KGS 542

$7.68 BYN 21.35

-19.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.18 KGS 1,852

$28.62 BYN 79.6

-26.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.81 KGS 508

$6.94 BYN 19.30

-16.28%

Cappuccino

$2.11 KGS 184

$1.50 BYN 4.18

40.67%

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

$0.67 KGS 58.7

$0.79 BYN 2.19

-15.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 KGS 28.67

$0.72 BYN 2.00

-54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 KGS 103

$1.20 BYN 3.34

-2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 KGS 147

$2.82 BYN 7.85

-40.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 KGS 76.5

$0.87 BYN 2.42

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KGS 43.39

$0.72 BYN 1.99

-30.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 KGS 142

$0.80 BYN 2.23

102.50%

Eggs

$1.72 KGS 150

$1.36 BYN 3.79

26.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 KGS 696

$6.72 BYN 18.68

18.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 KGS 432

$3.55 BYN 9.86

39.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.08 KGS 707

$3.59 BYN 9.99

125.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 KGS 94.4

$1.30 BYN 3.62

-16.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 KGS 166

$1.66 BYN 4.61

14.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 KGS 183

$1.69 BYN 4.69

23.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 KGS 150

$1.77 BYN 4.91

-3.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 KGS 47.85

$0.78 BYN 2.18

-29.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 KGS 46.67

$0.80 BYN 2.23

-33.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KGS 52.0

$1.34 BYN 3.73

-55.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 KGS 41.46

$1.05 BYN 2.93

-55.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 KGS 147

$1.87 BYN 5.20

-9.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 KGS 698

$8.22 BYN 22.86

-2.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 KGS 105

$1.09 BYN 3.04

10.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 KGS 164

$1.80 BYN 5.01

4.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 KGS 21.03

$0.32 BYN 0.90

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.77 KGS 1,029

$14.89 BYN 41.39

-20.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 KGS 122

$2.10 BYN 5.83

-33.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 KGS 21.08

$0.63 BYN 1.75

-61.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 KGS 308

$6.20 BYN 17.25

-43.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 KGS 72.6

$0.82 BYN 2.28

1.22%

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

$38.1K KGS 3.3M

$17.9K BYN 49.7K

113.30%

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

$34.2K KGS 3.0M

$25.5K BYN 71.0K

33.78%

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

$34.27 KGS 2,996

$49.51 BYN 138

-30.78%

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

$6.76 KGS 591

$8.38 BYN 23.29

-19.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.77 KGS 1,029

$22.21 BYN 61.7

-47.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.99 KGS 3,671

$29.05 BYN 80.8

44.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.78 KGS 1,380

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 KGS 396

$4.66 BYN 12.96

-2.79%

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

$196 KGS 17.2K

$302 BYN 840

-35.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,510 KGS 394.3K

$5,778 BYN 16.1K

-21.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.04 KGS 3,238

$47.24 BYN 131

-21.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.11 KGS 3,507

$36.43 BYN 101

10.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 KGS 8,291

$101 BYN 282

-6.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 KGS 8,901

$78.7 BYN 219

29.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$486 KGS 42.5K

$345 BYN 960

40.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 KGS 32.3K

$171 BYN 474

116.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 KGS 80.1K

$482 BYN 1,340

90.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 KGS 54.7K

$299 BYN 830

109.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,653 KGS 144.5K

$2,652 BYN 7,372

-37.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,160 KGS 101.4K

$3,002 BYN 8,346

-61.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$479 KGS 41.8K

$577 BYN 1,604

-17.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.2

83.64%

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

Last update for Bishkek: May 30, 2026

Last update for Brest: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $486 in Bishkek and $345 in Brest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brest pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Bishkek vs $29.00 in Brest. Groceries flip the comparison at $170 vs $153, with Brest cheaper for home cooking.

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 Brest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brest is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Brest earns 21% less. 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: $486 in Bishkek versus $345 in Brest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $196 in Bishkek versus $302 in Brest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Bishkek. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $700 in Brest versus $898 in Bishkek, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brest but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Brest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Brest is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bishkek, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bishkek and Brest 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 Brest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.