Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Osh

For one person, living is cheaper in Osh: $705 a month against $977 in Bishkek, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Bishkek
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Bishkek Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Osh
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Osh Living Index

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Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$977

/mo nomad

Osh

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$705

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bishkek and in Osh

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $977 in Bishkek versus $705 in Osh.

Bishkek $977
Osh $705

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,505 in Bishkek versus $1,140 in Osh.

Bishkek $1,505
Osh $1,140

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,032 in Bishkek versus $1,575 in Osh.

Bishkek $2,032
Osh $1,575

Living in Bishkek is roughly 39% more expensive than in Osh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bishkek 28% lower, Osh 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.80 KGS 595

$4.55 KGS 398

49.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.12 KGS 2,547

$22.74 KGS 1,989

28.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 KGS 499

$8.99 KGS 786

-36.60%

Cappuccino

$2.45 KGS 215

$1.97 KGS 172

24.37%

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

$0.75 KGS 65.8

$0.83 KGS 72.4

-9.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 KGS 35.69

$0.26 KGS 22.51

57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 KGS 121

$1.15 KGS 101

20.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 KGS 168

$1.23 KGS 108

56.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 KGS 89.9

$0.91 KGS 79.4

13.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 KGS 36.15

$0.37 KGS 32.65

10.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 KGS 151

$1.21 KGS 105

42.98%

Eggs

$1.76 KGS 154

$1.46 KGS 128

20.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 KGS 676

$4.91 KGS 430

57.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.62 KGS 404

$3.54 KGS 310

30.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.74 KGS 764

$7.82 KGS 684

11.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 KGS 124

$0.62 KGS 54.4

129.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 KGS 160

$1.53 KGS 134

19.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 KGS 176

$2.24 KGS 196

-10.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 KGS 137

$1.16 KGS 102

34.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 KGS 53.4

$0.47 KGS 41.23

29.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 KGS 44.33

$0.43 KGS 37.72

18.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 KGS 62.3

$0.63 KGS 55.0

12.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 KGS 49.86

$0.68 KGS 59.8

-16.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 KGS 181

$2.08 KGS 182

-0.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.05 KGS 792

$5.00 KGS 438

81.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 KGS 120

$1.16 KGS 102

18.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 KGS 169

$1.73 KGS 151

11.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 KGS 21.01

$0.22 KGS 19.12

9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.55 KGS 1,010

$11.95 KGS 1,045

-3.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 KGS 78.2

$0.22 KGS 19.22

304.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 KGS 38.34

$0.34 KGS 29.51

29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 KGS 486

$7.83 KGS 685

-28.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 KGS 85.6

$0.97 KGS 85.2

1.03%

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

$29.8K KGS 2.6M

$18.0K KGS 1.6M

65.22%

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

$33.2K KGS 2.9M

$17.1K KGS 1.5M

94.50%

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

$49.36 KGS 4,317

$39.07 KGS 3,417

26.34%

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

$5.75 KGS 503

$5.14 KGS 449

11.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.91 KGS 1,042

$9.37 KGS 820

27.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 KGS 4,712

$45.04 KGS 3,939

19.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.66 KGS 1,282

$19.70 KGS 1,723

-25.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.59 KGS 489

$3.49 KGS 305

60.17%

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

$217 KGS 19.0K

$168 KGS 14.7K

29.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,810 KGS 683.1K

$1,886 KGS 164.9K

314.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 KGS 4,923

$19.23 KGS 1,682

192.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.87 KGS 3,837

$36.24 KGS 3,169

21.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 KGS 8,026

$54.3 KGS 4,749

69.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 KGS 7,861

$50.8 KGS 4,441

77.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 KGS 52.4K

$355 KGS 31.1K

68.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 KGS 35.9K

$275 KGS 24.0K

49.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 KGS 90.0K

$922 KGS 80.6K

11.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 KGS 62.8K

$573 KGS 50.2K

25.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,811 KGS 158.4K

$1,219 KGS 106.6K

48.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,209 KGS 105.8K

$1,044 KGS 91.3K

15.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$498 KGS 43.5K

$302 KGS 26.4K

65.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.1

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

Last update for Bishkek: October 27, 2026

Last update for Osh: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bishkek

$410 42%

Osh

$275 38.9% 33% $135

Groceries & Markets

Bishkek

$176 18%

Osh

$139 19.7% 21.2% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Bishkek

$127 13%

Osh

$72 10.2% 43% $55

Eating Out

Bishkek

$116 11.9%

Osh

$100 14.1% 14.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bishkek

$67 6.9%

Osh

$54 7.6% 20.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Bishkek

$65 6.7%

Osh

$52 7.4% 20.1% $13

Getting Around

Bishkek

$16 1.6%

Osh

$15 2.1% 5.5% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $599 in Bishkek and $355 in Osh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bishkek pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $29 in Bishkek vs $23 in Osh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $139 per month, with Osh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🇰🇬 Osh

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

Same time as Bishkek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,012,500 Capital

270,347

💱 Currency

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Bishkek Osh 300 km

From you

Bishkek
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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 Osh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osh is about 28% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 65% 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: $599 in Bishkek versus $355 in Osh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $217 in Bishkek versus $168 in Osh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Bishkek. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $705 in Osh versus $977 in Bishkek, a $800 budget is realistic in Osh but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Osh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bishkek and Osh are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Osh wins on affordability, Bishkek on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.