Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Calamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Calamba: $518 a month against $980 in Bishkek, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Bishkek
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Bishkek Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Calamba
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Calamba Living Index

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Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$980

/mo nomad

Calamba

🇵🇭 Philippines

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bishkek and in Calamba

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 Calamba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $980 in Bishkek versus $518 in Calamba.

Bishkek $980
Calamba $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,503 in Bishkek versus $764 in Calamba.

Bishkek $1,503
Calamba $764

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,026 in Bishkek versus $1,010 in Calamba.

Bishkek $2,026
Calamba $1,010

Living in Bishkek is roughly 89% more expensive than in Calamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bishkek 27% lower, Calamba 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.02 KGS 614

$3.92 ₱247

79.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.73 KGS 2,513

$12.02 ₱757

139.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 KGS 501

$2.82 ₱178

103.19%

Cappuccino

$2.40 KGS 210

$1.79 ₱113

34.08%

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

$0.75 KGS 66.0

$0.56 ₱35.44

33.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 KGS 35.19

$0.33 ₱21.06

21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 KGS 123

$0.94 ₱59.5

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 KGS 165

$1.55 ₱97.7

21.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 KGS 90.1

$1.60 ₱101

-35.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.38 KGS 33.63

$1.11 ₱70.1

-65.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 KGS 144

$0.97 ₱61.0

69.07%

Eggs

$1.77 KGS 155

$2.00 ₱126

-11.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 KGS 674

$5.20 ₱327

48.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 KGS 395

$3.40 ₱214

32.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 KGS 787

$7.80 ₱491

15.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 KGS 119

$2.31 ₱145

-41.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 KGS 165

$1.54 ₱96.9

22.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 KGS 176

$2.40 ₱151

-16.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 KGS 134

$1.06 ₱66.9

44.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 KGS 50.8

$1.73 ₱109

-66.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 KGS 41.73

$1.78 ₱112

-73.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 KGS 61.2

$0.61 ₱38.68

14.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 KGS 53.8

$0.49 ₱31.10

24.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 KGS 177

$2.92 ₱184

-30.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 KGS 803

$8.87 ₱558

3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 KGS 124

$0.96 ₱60.3

47.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 KGS 176

$2.10 ₱132

-4.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 KGS 19.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.78 KGS 1,031

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 KGS 76.4

$0.82 ₱51.9

6.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 KGS 41.43

$0.25 ₱15.75

88.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 KGS 494

$1.88 ₱119

200.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 KGS 89.4

$0.93 ₱58.7

9.68%

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

$30.0K KGS 2.6M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

41.75%

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

$33.6K KGS 2.9M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

76.54%

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

$50.2 KGS 4,393

$139 ₱8,759

-63.91%

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

$5.62 KGS 491

$17.36 ₱1,093

-67.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.77 KGS 1,029

$23.85 ₱1,502

-50.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 KGS 4,813

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.87 KGS 1,301

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 KGS 497

$5.04 ₱317

12.70%

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

$222 KGS 19.4K

$130 ₱8,193

70.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,839 KGS 685.7K

$10.6K ₱668.9K

-26.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 KGS 4,843

$28.54 ₱1,797

93.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 KGS 3,745

$19.73 ₱1,242

116.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 KGS 7,841

$71.0 ₱4,468

26.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 KGS 8,030

$55.3 ₱3,482

65.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 KGS 53.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 KGS 35.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 KGS 91.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 KGS 62.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,803 KGS 157.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 KGS 107.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$514 KGS 45.0K

$260 ₱16.4K

97.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.1

6.75

197.78%

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

Last update for Bishkek: October 12, 2026

Last update for Calamba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bishkek

$410 41.8%

Calamba

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Bishkek

$177 18%

Calamba

$175 33.7% 1.1% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Bishkek

$126 12.8%

Calamba

$79 15.2% 37.6% $47

Eating Out

Bishkek

$118 12%

Calamba

$73 14% 38.1% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bishkek

$68 6.9%

Calamba

$180 34.8% 167% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Bishkek

$66 6.8%

Calamba

$10 * 1.9% 84.8% $56

Getting Around

Bishkek

$16 1.6%

Calamba

$2.1 * 0.4% 86.9% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

Bishkek pays 98% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Bishkek vs $12.00 in Calamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $175 per month, with Calamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🇵🇭 Calamba

🕒 Local time

18:33 6:33 PM

20:33 8:33 PM

2 h ahead of Bishkek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,012,500 Capital

539,671

💱 Currency

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to KGS – Kyrgyzstani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstani Som (сом)

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 87.48 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.35 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KGS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bishkek Calamba 5,450 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bishkek
Calamba

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 Calamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calamba is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 98% higher in Bishkek, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $222 in Bishkek versus $130 in Calamba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Calamba – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $29.00 in Bishkek. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $518 in Calamba versus $980 in Bishkek, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calamba but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Calamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Calamba 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 Calamba 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 Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.