Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Nanjing

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanjing: $846 a month against $989 in Bishkek, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Bishkek
Learn more

Bishkek Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Nanjing
Learn more

Nanjing Living Index

Jump to prices

Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$989

/mo nomad

Nanjing

🇨🇳 China

$846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bishkek and in Nanjing

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $989 in Bishkek versus $846 in Nanjing.

Bishkek $989
Nanjing $846

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,516 in Bishkek versus $1,333 in Nanjing.

Bishkek $1,516
Nanjing $1,333

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,042 in Bishkek versus $1,820 in Nanjing.

Bishkek $2,042
Nanjing $1,820

Living in Bishkek is roughly 17% more expensive than in Nanjing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bishkek 27% lower, Nanjing 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.01 KGS 613

$3.81 ¥25.50

83.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.94 KGS 2,531

$22.14 ¥148

30.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 KGS 525

$4.79 ¥32.03

25.26%

Cappuccino

$2.49 KGS 218

$3.04 ¥20.32

-18.09%

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

$0.71 KGS 62.5

$0.50 ¥3.34

42.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 KGS 32.76

$0.27 ¥1.81

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 KGS 116

$1.52 ¥10.17

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 KGS 172

$2.20 ¥14.68

-10.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 KGS 86.2

$2.17 ¥14.48

-54.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 KGS 33.95

$2.14 ¥14.30

-81.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 KGS 149

$0.91 ¥6.11

87.91%

Eggs

$1.75 KGS 153

$1.30 ¥8.71

34.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 KGS 684

$10.68 ¥71.4

-26.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 KGS 410

$3.04 ¥20.36

53.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.86 KGS 775

$8.64 ¥57.8

2.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 KGS 120

$2.06 ¥13.78

-33.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 KGS 160

$1.23 ¥8.26

48.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 KGS 176

$1.79 ¥11.99

12.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 KGS 137

$1.10 ¥7.37

42.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 KGS 54.0

$0.89 ¥5.97

-30.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 KGS 44.85

$0.97 ¥6.46

-47.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 KGS 61.5

$0.95 ¥6.37

-26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 KGS 53.9

$0.56 ¥3.71

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 KGS 177

$3.76 ¥25.17

-46.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.13 KGS 799

$13.41 ¥89.7

-31.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 KGS 120

$0.95 ¥6.34

45.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 KGS 171

$1.49 ¥9.98

30.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 KGS 21.02

$0.31 ¥2.10

-22.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.77 KGS 1,030

$30.18 ¥202

-61.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 KGS 77.9

$1.68 ¥11.21

-47.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 KGS 41.16

$0.38 ¥2.57

23.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 KGS 488

$8.90 ¥59.5

-37.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 KGS 83.8

$1.35 ¥9.01

-28.89%

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

$29.7K KGS 2.6M

$19.2K ¥128.3K

54.89%

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

$33.4K KGS 2.9M

$17.4K ¥116.1K

92.36%

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

$50.5 KGS 4,417

$55.5 ¥371

-8.98%

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

$5.77 KGS 505

$7.92 ¥53.0

-27.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.99 KGS 1,049

$7.09 ¥47.42

69.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 KGS 4,839

$28.56 ¥191

93.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 KGS 1,271

$34.80 ¥233

-58.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 KGS 508

$5.84 ¥39.03

-0.51%

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

$218 KGS 19.1K

$1,508 ¥10.1K

-85.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,840 KGS 685.9K

$22.7K ¥152.0K

-65.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 KGS 4,917

$43.37 ¥290

29.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.43 KGS 3,799

$34.01 ¥227

27.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 KGS 7,916

$64.4 ¥431

40.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.8 KGS 7,855

$88.6 ¥592

1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 KGS 52.0K

$524 ¥3,501

13.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 KGS 36.4K

$295 ¥1,974

40.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 KGS 88.9K

$1,117 ¥7,467

-8.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 KGS 62.8K

$558 ¥3,732

28.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,748 KGS 152.9K

$5,105 ¥34.1K

-65.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,225 KGS 107.1K

$3,140 ¥21.0K

-61.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$497 KGS 43.5K

$1,410 ¥9,430

-64.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.1

3.42

487.72%

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

Last update for Bishkek: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nanjing: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bishkek

$416 42.1%

Nanjing

$295 34.9% 29.1% $121

Groceries & Markets

Bishkek

$177 17.9%

Nanjing

$205 24.2% 16% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Bishkek

$126 12.7%

Nanjing

$104 12.3% 17.7% $22

Eating Out

Bishkek

$119 12%

Nanjing

$96 11.4% 18.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bishkek

$68 6.9%

Nanjing

$70 8.3% 3.3% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Bishkek

$67 6.8%

Nanjing

$40 4.8% 39.9% $27

Getting Around

Bishkek

$16 1.6%

Nanjing

$35 4.1% 119% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $595 in Bishkek and $524 in Nanjing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanjing pays 184% 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 $22.00 in Nanjing. Groceries flip the comparison at $177 vs $205, with Bishkek cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🇨🇳 Nanjing

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

19:40 7:40 PM

2 h ahead of Bishkek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,012,500 Capital

9,314,685

💱 Currency

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, 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).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KGS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bishkek Nanjing 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bishkek
Nanjing

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 Nanjing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanjing is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 184% lower in Nanjing. 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 $524 in Nanjing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Bishkek versus $1,508 in Nanjing. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bishkek pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $846 in Nanjing versus $989 in Bishkek, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nanjing but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Nanjing the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nanjing 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 Nanjing 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 Nanjing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.