Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Sao Luis Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Sao Luis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $970 in Bishkek versus $857 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,500 in Bishkek versus $1,298 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,030 in Bishkek versus $1,739 in Sao Luis.

Living in Bishkek is roughly 13% more expensive than in Sao Luis, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bishkek 29% lower, Sao Luis 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.79 KGS 593

$6.40 R$32.63

6.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.78 KGS 2,516

$38.07 R$194

-24.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.81 KGS 508

$6.77 R$34.54

-14.18%

Cappuccino

$2.49 KGS 217

$2.17 R$11.08

14.75%

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

$0.75 KGS 65.6

$1.23 R$6.28

-39.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 KGS 32.86

$0.67 R$3.40

-43.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 KGS 123

$1.92 R$9.77

-27.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 KGS 166

$2.32 R$11.85

-18.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 KGS 90.6

$1.06 R$5.42

-1.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 KGS 36.62

$1.84 R$9.37

-77.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 KGS 151

$1.06 R$5.40

63.21%

Eggs

$1.70 KGS 149

$2.07 R$10.57

-17.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.45 KGS 651

$9.82 R$50.1

-24.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 KGS 412

$4.14 R$21.09

13.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.56 KGS 748

$7.40 R$37.74

15.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 KGS 123

$2.02 R$10.31

-30.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 KGS 157

$1.33 R$6.77

34.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 KGS 177

$1.16 R$5.92

74.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 KGS 135

$1.63 R$8.29

-4.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 KGS 51.2

$1.34 R$6.82

-55.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 KGS 41.52

$1.25 R$6.36

-62.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KGS 65.1

$0.85 R$4.32

-12.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 KGS 50.7

$0.69 R$3.52

-15.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 KGS 176

$2.33 R$11.90

-13.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 KGS 811

$8.04 R$41.02

15.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 KGS 121

$1.24 R$6.34

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 KGS 175

$2.16 R$11.01

-7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 KGS 21.05

$0.77 R$3.93

-68.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.50 KGS 1,005

$38.05 R$194

-69.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 KGS 72.8

$0.93 R$4.75

-10.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 KGS 41.87

$0.90 R$4.61

-46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 KGS 491

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 KGS 83.9

$1.17 R$5.98

-17.95%

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

$30.1K KGS 2.6M

$23.2K R$118.2K

29.70%

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

$32.7K KGS 2.9M

$29.0K R$148.1K

12.76%

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

$50.6 KGS 4,425

$93.1 R$475

-45.61%

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

$5.81 KGS 508

$16.90 R$86.2

-65.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.03 KGS 1,052

$20.64 R$105

-41.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 KGS 4,748

$19.76 R$101

174.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.55 KGS 1,272

$14.51 R$74.0

0.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.62 KGS 492

$7.55 R$38.48

-25.56%

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

$221 KGS 19.3K

$222 R$1,135

-0.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,696 KGS 672.8K

$4,659 R$23.8K

65.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 KGS 4,871

$47.59 R$243

17.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.80 KGS 3,830

$50.4 R$257

-13.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 KGS 8,018

$56.7 R$289

61.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 KGS 7,998

$57.1 R$291

60.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 KGS 50.7K

$343 R$1,749

69.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 KGS 36.3K

$223 R$1,138

86.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 KGS 94.0K

$543 R$2,769

98.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 KGS 62.7K

$317 R$1,614

126.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,773 KGS 155.0K

$1,474 R$7,519

20.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,195 KGS 104.4K

$692 R$3,529

72.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 KGS 43.9K

$375 R$1,911

33.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.22

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

Last update for Bishkek: August 29, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $580 in Bishkek and $343 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bishkek pays 34% 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 $38.00 in Sao Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $190 per month, with Bishkek cheaper across the board.

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 Sao Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Luis is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $580 in Bishkek versus $343 in Sao Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $221 in Bishkek versus $222 in Sao Luis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bishkek pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $857 in Sao Luis versus $970 in Bishkek, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Luis but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Luis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Luis 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 Sao Luis 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 Sao Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.