Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bishkek: $980 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$980

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bishkek and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $980 in Bishkek versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Bishkek $980
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,503 in Bishkek versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Bishkek $1,503
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,026 in Bishkek versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Bishkek $2,026
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Bishkek costs roughly 56% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bishkek is 27% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.02 KGS 614

$16.50 €14.67

-57.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.73 KGS 2,513

$61.3 €54.5

-53.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 KGS 501

$11.27 €10.02

-49.16%

Cappuccino

$2.40 KGS 210

$3.06 €2.72

-21.57%

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

$0.75 KGS 66.0

$2.26 €2.01

-66.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 KGS 35.19

$1.73 €1.54

-76.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 KGS 123

$3.39 €3.02

-58.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 KGS 165

$3.40 €3.02

-44.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 KGS 90.1

$1.12 €1.00

-8.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.38 KGS 33.63

$1.86 €1.65

-79.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 KGS 144

$1.53 €1.36

7.19%

Eggs

$1.77 KGS 155

$3.96 €3.53

-55.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 KGS 674

$12.76 €11.35

-39.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 KGS 395

$7.90 €7.02

-42.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 KGS 787

$16.97 €15.09

-46.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 KGS 119

$2.27 €2.02

-40.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 KGS 165

$1.75 €1.55

7.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 KGS 176

$1.85 €1.64

8.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 KGS 134

$2.57 €2.28

-40.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 KGS 50.8

$1.86 €1.65

-68.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 KGS 41.74

$2.02 €1.80

-76.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 KGS 61.3

$1.44 €1.28

-51.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 KGS 53.8

$0.82 €0.73

-25.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 KGS 177

$6.56 €5.83

-69.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 KGS 803

$5.62 €5.00

63.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 KGS 124

$1.28 €1.14

10.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 KGS 176

$2.07 €1.84

-2.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 KGS 19.13

$2.35 €2.09

-90.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.78 KGS 1,031

$44.18 €39.29

-73.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 KGS 76.4

$3.99 €3.55

-78.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 KGS 41.44

$1.09 €0.97

-56.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 KGS 495

$16.64 €14.80

-66.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 KGS 89.4

$2.28 €2.03

-55.26%

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

$30.0K KGS 2.6M

$33.7K €30.0K

-11.04%

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

$33.6K KGS 2.9M

$39.3K €34.9K

-14.58%

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

$50.2 KGS 4,393

$167 €149

-70.02%

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

$5.62 KGS 491

$18.80 €16.72

-70.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.77 KGS 1,030

$33.09 €29.43

-64.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 KGS 4,814

$46.01 €40.92

19.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.87 KGS 1,301

$19.19 €17.07

-22.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 KGS 497

$9.84 €8.75

-42.28%

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

$222 KGS 19.4K

$677 €602

-67.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,839 KGS 685.8K

$16.9K €15.0K

-53.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 KGS 4,843

$101 €90.0

-45.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 KGS 3,745

$45.76 €40.70

-6.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 KGS 7,842

$100.0 €88.9

-10.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 KGS 8,031

$123 €109

-25.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 KGS 53.5K

$1,614 €1,435

-62.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 KGS 35.8K

$1,197 €1,065

-65.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 KGS 91.1K

$2,862 €2,545

-63.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 KGS 62.0K

$1,990 €1,770

-64.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,803 KGS 157.8K

$7,577 €6,739

-76.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 KGS 107.0K

$4,307 €3,831

-71.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$514 KGS 45.0K

$1,588 €1,412

-67.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.1

3.85

422.08%

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

Last update for Bishkek: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bishkek

$410 41.8%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 192% $787

Groceries & Markets

Bishkek

$177 18%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 52.6% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Bishkek

$126 12.8%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 32.3% $41

Eating Out

Bishkek

$118 12%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 106% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bishkek

$68 6.9%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 225% $152

Sport & Entertainment

Bishkek

$66 6.8%

Lisbon

$66 3% 1.1% $0.7

Getting Around

Bishkek

$16 1.6%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 296% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $612 in Bishkek and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 209% 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 $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $269 per month, with Bishkek cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

15:02 3:02 PM

10:02 10:02 AM

5 h behind Bishkek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,012,500 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to KGS – Kyrgyzstani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstani Som (сом)

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 87.49 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.37 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to KGS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bishkek Lisbon 6,760 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bishkek
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bishkek is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 209% lower in Lisbon. 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: $612 in Bishkek versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Bishkek versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $980 in Bishkek versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bishkek but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bishkek the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bishkek is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bishkek and Lisbon 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 Bishkek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.