Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Calamba Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Calamba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $901 in Bishkek versus $696 in Calamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,378 in Bishkek versus $1,181 in Calamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Bishkek versus $1,665 in Calamba.

Living in Bishkek is roughly 29% more expensive than in Calamba, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.44 KGS 563

$3.64 ₱224

76.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.10 KGS 1,844

$13.16 ₱810

60.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 KGS 498

$2.58 ₱159

120.54%

Cappuccino

$2.07 KGS 181

$2.39 ₱147

-13.39%

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

$0.63 KGS 55.4

$0.65 ₱40.01

-3.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 KGS 31.14

$0.41 ₱24.98

-12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 KGS 106

$1.05 ₱64.6

16.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 KGS 149

$2.00 ₱123

-14.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 KGS 84.3

$1.86 ₱115

-48.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KGS 43.37

$1.19 ₱73.1

-57.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 KGS 137

$1.10 ₱67.8

42.73%

Eggs

$1.73 KGS 152

$2.29 ₱141

-24.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 KGS 717

$9.38 ₱578

-12.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 KGS 423

$3.82 ₱235

26.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.93 KGS 693

$8.37 ₱516

-5.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.12 KGS 98.1

$2.67 ₱164

-58.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 KGS 170

$1.86 ₱115

4.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 KGS 185

$2.37 ₱146

-10.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 KGS 150

$1.16 ₱71.5

48.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 KGS 48.44

$1.82 ₱112

-69.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 KGS 43.48

$2.19 ₱135

-77.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 KGS 48.27

$0.68 ₱42.08

-19.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 KGS 41.53

$0.72 ₱44.36

-34.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.76 KGS 154

$3.36 ₱207

-47.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 KGS 715

$8.77 ₱540

-6.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 KGS 100

$1.04 ₱63.8

10.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 KGS 166

$2.34 ₱144

-19.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 KGS 19.21

$0.26 ₱15.88

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.45 KGS 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 KGS 123

$0.87 ₱53.8

62.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 KGS 21.00

$0.22 ₱13.53

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 KGS 292

$2.42 ₱149

38.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 KGS 74.5

$1.15 ₱70.8

-26.09%

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

$37.2K KGS 3.3M

$32.0K ₱2.0M

16.31%

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

$33.5K KGS 2.9M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

62.53%

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

$34.63 KGS 3,027

$147 ₱9,069

-76.49%

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

$6.76 KGS 591

$34.10 ₱2,099

-80.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.94 KGS 1,044

$25.99 ₱1,600

-54.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 KGS 3,730

$34.44 ₱2,120

23.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 KGS 1,395

$4.56 ₱281

250.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 KGS 393

$5.65 ₱348

-20.53%

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

$200 KGS 17.5K

$153 ₱9,390

31.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,546 KGS 397.4K

$4,800 ₱295.5K

-5.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.74 KGS 3,300

$49.68 ₱3,058

-24.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.29 KGS 3,522

$27.12 ₱1,670

48.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 KGS 8,395

$74.8 ₱4,605

28.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 KGS 9,128

$46.97 ₱2,892

122.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 KGS 43.5K

$124 ₱7,617

302.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 KGS 32.4K

$81.2 ₱4,998

356.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 KGS 80.6K

$591 ₱36.4K

56.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 KGS 55.3K

$397 ₱24.4K

59.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,783 KGS 155.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,176 KGS 102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 KGS 42.9K

$258 ₱15.9K

90.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.2

4.5

348.89%

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

Last update for Bishkek: July 11, 2026

Last update for Calamba: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $498 in Bishkek and $124 in Calamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bishkek pays 90% 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: $21.00 in Bishkek vs $13.00 in Calamba. Groceries flip the comparison at $171 vs $205, with Bishkek 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 Calamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calamba is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 90% higher in Bishkek, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $498 in Bishkek versus $124 in Calamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $200 in Bishkek versus $153 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 $13.00 versus $21.00 in Bishkek. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $696 in Calamba versus $901 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 29% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.