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: $901 in Bishkek versus $693 in Brest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,378 in Bishkek versus $1,111 in Brest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Bishkek versus $1,529 in Brest.

Living in Bishkek is roughly 30% more expensive than in Brest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.44 KGS 563

$7.49 BYN 21.56

-14.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.10 KGS 1,844

$29.44 BYN 84.8

-28.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 KGS 498

$6.77 BYN 19.50

-15.95%

Cappuccino

$2.07 KGS 181

$1.49 BYN 4.29

38.93%

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

$0.63 KGS 55.4

$0.77 BYN 2.21

-18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 KGS 31.14

$0.68 BYN 1.96

-47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 KGS 106

$1.24 BYN 3.57

-1.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 KGS 149

$2.80 BYN 8.08

-38.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 KGS 84.3

$0.81 BYN 2.34

18.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KGS 43.37

$0.67 BYN 1.93

-25.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 KGS 137

$0.83 BYN 2.38

89.16%

Eggs

$1.73 KGS 152

$1.37 BYN 3.94

26.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 KGS 717

$6.78 BYN 19.53

20.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 KGS 423

$3.52 BYN 10.13

37.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.93 KGS 693

$3.62 BYN 10.43

119.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.12 KGS 98.1

$1.30 BYN 3.74

-13.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 KGS 170

$1.67 BYN 4.81

16.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 KGS 185

$1.76 BYN 5.06

19.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 KGS 150

$1.76 BYN 5.06

-2.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 KGS 48.44

$0.76 BYN 2.19

-27.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 KGS 43.48

$0.85 BYN 2.45

-41.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 KGS 48.27

$1.31 BYN 3.77

-58.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 KGS 41.53

$1.10 BYN 3.17

-57.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.76 KGS 154

$1.80 BYN 5.19

-2.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 KGS 715

$8.22 BYN 23.68

-0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 KGS 100

$1.09 BYN 3.15

5.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 KGS 166

$1.81 BYN 5.21

4.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 KGS 19.21

$0.30 BYN 0.86

-26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.45 KGS 1,001

$14.60 BYN 42.06

-21.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 KGS 123

$2.09 BYN 6.01

-32.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 KGS 21.00

$0.64 BYN 1.83

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 KGS 292

$6.01 BYN 17.31

-44.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 KGS 74.5

$0.82 BYN 2.38

3.66%

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

$37.2K KGS 3.3M

$17.5K BYN 50.3K

113.25%

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

$33.5K KGS 2.9M

$25.9K BYN 74.5K

29.78%

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

$34.63 KGS 3,027

$50.8 BYN 146

-31.78%

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

$6.76 KGS 591

$8.62 BYN 24.84

-21.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.94 KGS 1,044

$22.44 BYN 64.6

-46.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 KGS 3,730

$29.13 BYN 83.9

46.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 KGS 1,395

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 KGS 393

$4.70 BYN 13.54

-4.47%

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

$200 KGS 17.5K

$311 BYN 895

-35.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,546 KGS 397.4K

$5,642 BYN 16.2K

-19.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.74 KGS 3,300

$47.41 BYN 137

-20.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.29 KGS 3,522

$35.98 BYN 104

11.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 KGS 8,395

$105 BYN 302

-8.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 KGS 9,128

$80.1 BYN 231

30.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 KGS 43.5K

$338 BYN 973

47.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 KGS 32.4K

$171 BYN 492

117.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 KGS 80.6K

$489 BYN 1,408

88.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 KGS 55.3K

$308 BYN 888

105.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,783 KGS 155.8K

$2,473 BYN 7,123

-27.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,176 KGS 102.8K

$2,933 BYN 8,448

-59.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 KGS 42.9K

$558 BYN 1,608

-12.15%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Brest: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $498 in Bishkek and $338 in Brest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brest 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: $21.00 in Bishkek vs $29.00 in Brest. Groceries flip the comparison at $171 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 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Brest. 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: $498 in Bishkek versus $338 in Brest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $200 in Bishkek versus $311 in Brest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Bishkek. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $693 in Brest versus $901 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 30% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.