Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Gostivar

For one person, living is cheaper in Gostivar: $830 a month against $989 in Bishkek, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Gostivar
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Gostivar Living Index

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Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$989

/mo nomad

Gostivar

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$830

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bishkek and in Gostivar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $989 in Bishkek versus $830 in Gostivar.

Bishkek $989
Gostivar $830

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,516 in Bishkek versus $1,259 in Gostivar.

Bishkek $1,516
Gostivar $1,259

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,042 in Bishkek versus $1,687 in Gostivar.

Bishkek $2,042
Gostivar $1,687

Living in Bishkek is roughly 19% more expensive than in Gostivar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bishkek 27% lower, Gostivar 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.01 KGS 613

$6.22 MKD 339

12.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.94 KGS 2,531

$26.95 MKD 1,470

7.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 KGS 525

$5.86 MKD 320

2.39%

Cappuccino

$2.49 KGS 218

$1.34 MKD 73.3

85.82%

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

$0.71 KGS 62.5

$1.34 MKD 73.3

-47.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 KGS 32.76

$1.11 MKD 60.7

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 KGS 116

$1.31 MKD 71.4

1.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 KGS 172

$1.76 MKD 96.3

11.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 KGS 86.2

$1.22 MKD 66.8

-18.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 KGS 33.95

$0.75 MKD 41.14

-48.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 KGS 149

$1.49 MKD 81.0

14.77%

Eggs

$1.75 KGS 153

$2.41 MKD 132

-27.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 KGS 684

$6.41 MKD 350

22.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 KGS 410

$5.36 MKD 292

-12.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.86 KGS 775

$14.79 MKD 807

-40.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 KGS 120

$1.46 MKD 79.9

-6.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 KGS 160

$1.44 MKD 78.4

27.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 KGS 176

$1.38 MKD 75.0

45.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 KGS 137

$1.84 MKD 101

-14.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 KGS 54.0

$0.84 MKD 45.88

-26.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 KGS 44.85

$0.70 MKD 38.18

-27.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 KGS 61.5

$0.62 MKD 33.90

12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 KGS 53.9

$0.55 MKD 30.14

12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 KGS 177

$2.74 MKD 150

-25.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.13 KGS 799

$4.66 MKD 254

95.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 KGS 120

$0.94 MKD 51.4

46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 KGS 171

$1.49 MKD 81.4

30.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 KGS 21.02

$0.75 MKD 40.97

-68.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.77 KGS 1,030

$23.65 MKD 1,290

-50.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 KGS 77.9

$0.80 MKD 43.38

11.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 KGS 41.16

$0.31 MKD 16.84

51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 KGS 488

$7.38 MKD 403

-24.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 KGS 83.8

$1.50 MKD 81.8

-36.00%

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

$29.7K KGS 2.6M

$31.6K MKD 1.7M

-5.99%

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

$33.4K KGS 2.9M

$27.2K MKD 1.5M

22.98%

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

$50.5 KGS 4,417

$125 MKD 6,812

-59.57%

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

$5.77 KGS 505

$11.02 MKD 601

-47.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.99 KGS 1,049

$18.95 MKD 1,033

-36.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 KGS 4,839

$21.49 MKD 1,172

157.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 KGS 1,271

$17.38 MKD 948

-16.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 KGS 508

$7.21 MKD 393

-19.42%

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

$218 KGS 19.1K

$361 MKD 19.7K

-39.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,840 KGS 685.9K

$5,623 MKD 306.7K

39.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 KGS 4,917

$36.92 MKD 2,014

52.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.43 KGS 3,799

$36.48 MKD 1,990

19.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 KGS 7,916

$100 MKD 5,456

-9.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.8 KGS 7,855

$110 MKD 6,017

-18.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 KGS 52.0K

$269 MKD 14.7K

120.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 KGS 36.4K

$193 MKD 10.5K

115.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 KGS 88.9K

$494 MKD 26.9K

105.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 KGS 62.8K

$304 MKD 16.6K

136.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,748 KGS 152.9K

$1,512 MKD 82.5K

15.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,225 KGS 107.1K

$1,167 MKD 63.7K

4.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$497 KGS 43.5K

$852 MKD 46.5K

-41.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.1

4.23

375.18%

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

Last update for Bishkek: October 18, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bishkek

$416 42.1%

Gostivar

$193 23.3% 53.6% $223

Groceries & Markets

Bishkek

$177 17.9%

Gostivar

$186 22.5% 5.4% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Bishkek

$126 12.7%

Gostivar

$128 15.4% 1.4% $1.7

Eating Out

Bishkek

$119 12%

Gostivar

$103 12.5% 13.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bishkek

$68 6.9%

Gostivar

$155 18.7% 127% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Bishkek

$67 6.8%

Gostivar

$36 4.3% 46.4% $31

Getting Around

Bishkek

$16 1.6%

Gostivar

$29 3.5% 81.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $595 in Bishkek and $269 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gostivar pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Bishkek vs $27.00 in Gostivar. Groceries flip the comparison at $177 vs $186, with Bishkek cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🇲🇰 Gostivar

🕒 Local time

18:34 6:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

4 h behind Bishkek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,012,500 Capital

36,000

💱 Currency

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to KGS – Kyrgyzstani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstani Som (сом)

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 87.48 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.35 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to KGS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bishkek Gostivar 4,340 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bishkek
Gostivar

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 Gostivar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gostivar is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and leisure. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Gostivar. 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: $595 in Bishkek versus $269 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Bishkek versus $361 in Gostivar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bishkek pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $830 in Gostivar versus $989 in Bishkek, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gostivar but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Gostivar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gostivar 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 Gostivar 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 Gostivar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.