Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Carthage

For one person, living is cheaper in Carthage: $693 a month against $980 in Bishkek, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Carthage
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Carthage Living Index

Jump to prices

Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$980

/mo nomad

Carthage

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bishkek and in Carthage

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $980 in Bishkek versus $693 in Carthage.

Bishkek $980
Carthage $693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,503 in Bishkek versus $1,100 in Carthage.

Bishkek $1,503
Carthage $1,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,026 in Bishkek versus $1,508 in Carthage.

Bishkek $2,026
Carthage $1,508

Living in Bishkek is roughly 41% more expensive than in Carthage, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bishkek 27% lower, Carthage 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.02 KGS 614

$4.09 TND 12.26

71.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.73 KGS 2,513

$22.71 TND 68.0

26.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 KGS 501

$5.89 TND 17.65

-2.72%

Cappuccino

$2.40 KGS 210

$1.15 TND 3.44

108.70%

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

$0.75 KGS 66.0

$0.73 TND 2.20

2.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 KGS 35.19

$0.29 TND 0.88

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 KGS 123

$1.70 TND 5.08

-17.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 KGS 165

$2.05 TND 6.14

-7.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 KGS 90.1

$0.49 TND 1.46

110.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.38 KGS 33.63

$0.26 TND 0.78

46.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 KGS 144

$1.78 TND 5.33

-7.87%

Eggs

$1.77 KGS 155

$1.84 TND 5.50

-3.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 KGS 674

$10.20 TND 30.56

-24.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 KGS 395

$5.74 TND 17.21

-21.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 KGS 787

$14.42 TND 43.20

-37.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 KGS 119

$1.31 TND 3.92

3.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 KGS 165

$3.65 TND 10.93

-48.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 KGS 176

$1.17 TND 3.49

71.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 KGS 134

$0.83 TND 2.48

84.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 KGS 50.8

$0.90 TND 2.70

-35.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 KGS 41.73

$0.69 TND 2.07

-30.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 KGS 61.2

$0.53 TND 1.60

32.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 KGS 53.8

$0.34 TND 1.03

79.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 KGS 177

$3.59 TND 10.75

-43.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 KGS 803

$6.62 TND 19.82

38.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 KGS 124

$1.23 TND 3.68

15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 KGS 176

$1.24 TND 3.72

62.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 KGS 19.13

$0.43 TND 1.30

-48.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.78 KGS 1,031

$13.96 TND 41.82

-15.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 KGS 76.4

$0.31 TND 0.92

180.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 KGS 41.43

$0.34 TND 1.03

38.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 KGS 494

$1.78 TND 5.34

217.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 KGS 89.4

$0.88 TND 2.63

15.91%

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

$30.0K KGS 2.6M

$39.9K TND 119.4K

-24.86%

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

$33.6K KGS 2.9M

$35.4K TND 106.1K

-5.29%

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

$50.2 KGS 4,393

$45.22 TND 135

11.03%

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

$5.62 KGS 491

$9.23 TND 27.63

-39.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.77 KGS 1,029

$20.98 TND 62.9

-43.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 KGS 4,813

$32.18 TND 96.4

70.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.87 KGS 1,301

$13.26 TND 39.70

12.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 KGS 497

$5.17 TND 15.49

9.86%

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

$222 KGS 19.4K

$104 TND 311

113.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,839 KGS 685.7K

$3,218 TND 9,637

143.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 KGS 4,843

$43.72 TND 131

26.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 KGS 3,745

$59.3 TND 178

-27.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 KGS 7,841

$114 TND 340

-21.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 KGS 8,030

$67.7 TND 203

35.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 KGS 53.5K

$211 TND 633

189.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 KGS 35.8K

$154 TND 463

165.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 KGS 91.1K

$209 TND 625

398.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 KGS 62.0K

$272 TND 815

160.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,803 KGS 157.7K

$972 TND 2,911

85.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 KGS 107.0K

$622 TND 1,862

96.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$514 KGS 45.0K

$269 TND 807

90.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.1

10.28

95.53%

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

Last update for Bishkek: October 12, 2026

Last update for Carthage: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bishkek

$410 41.8%

Carthage

$154 22.3% 62.3% $255

Groceries & Markets

Bishkek

$177 18%

Carthage

$194 28% 9.9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Bishkek

$126 12.8%

Carthage

$128 18.5% 1.7% $2.1

Eating Out

Bishkek

$118 12%

Carthage

$81 11.7% 31.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bishkek

$68 6.9%

Carthage

$75 10.9% 11.6% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Bishkek

$66 6.8%

Carthage

$43 6.1% 35.9% $24

Getting Around

Bishkek

$16 1.6%

Carthage

$18 2.6% 11.5% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $612 in Bishkek and $211 in Carthage. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bishkek pays 91% 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 $23.00 in Carthage. Groceries flip the comparison at $177 vs $194, with Bishkek cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🇹🇳 Carthage

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

09:03 9:03 AM

5 h behind Bishkek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,012,500 Capital

21,276

💱 Currency

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, 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).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to KGS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bishkek Carthage 5,390 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bishkek
Carthage

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 Carthage: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carthage is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and leisure. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 91% 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: $612 in Bishkek versus $211 in Carthage. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Bishkek versus $104 in Carthage. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bishkek pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $693 in Carthage versus $980 in Bishkek, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Carthage but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Carthage the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Carthage 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 Carthage 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 Carthage gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.