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: $898 in Bishkek versus $774 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,371 in Bishkek versus $1,169 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,844 in Bishkek versus $1,564 in Sao Luis.

Living in Bishkek is roughly 16% more expensive than Sao Luis, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bishkek 33% lower, Sao Luis 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 KGS 542

$5.01 R$25.36

23.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.18 KGS 1,852

$30.50 R$154

-30.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.81 KGS 508

$7.33 R$37.09

-20.74%

Cappuccino

$2.11 KGS 184

$2.05 R$10.38

2.93%

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

$0.67 KGS 58.7

$0.95 R$4.80

-29.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 KGS 28.67

$0.55 R$2.80

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 KGS 103

$1.84 R$9.29

-36.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 KGS 147

$3.19 R$16.16

-47.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 KGS 76.5

$0.96 R$4.86

-9.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KGS 43.39

$1.92 R$9.73

-73.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 KGS 142

$1.01 R$5.13

60.40%

Eggs

$1.72 KGS 150

$1.93 R$9.77

-10.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 KGS 696

$9.39 R$47.49

-15.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 KGS 432

$3.70 R$18.71

33.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.08 KGS 707

$7.21 R$36.49

12.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 KGS 94.4

$1.86 R$9.43

-41.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 KGS 166

$1.21 R$6.10

57.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 KGS 183

$0.96 R$4.85

117.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 KGS 150

$1.37 R$6.91

24.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 KGS 47.85

$1.11 R$5.61

-50.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 KGS 46.67

$1.24 R$6.28

-57.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KGS 52.0

$0.79 R$4.02

-25.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 KGS 41.46

$0.57 R$2.86

-17.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 KGS 147

$2.03 R$10.25

-16.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 KGS 698

$8.03 R$40.62

-0.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 KGS 105

$1.10 R$5.56

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 KGS 164

$1.94 R$9.82

-3.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 KGS 21.03

$0.79 R$4.02

-69.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.77 KGS 1,029

$35.80 R$181

-67.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 KGS 122

$0.94 R$4.74

47.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 KGS 21.08

$0.50 R$2.51

-52.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 KGS 308

$6.49 R$32.84

-45.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 KGS 72.6

$0.95 R$4.79

-12.63%

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

$38.1K KGS 3.3M

$17.2K R$86.9K

121.95%

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

$34.2K KGS 3.0M

$25.8K R$130.4K

32.50%

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

$34.27 KGS 2,996

$84.0 R$425

-59.20%

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

$6.76 KGS 591

$17.24 R$87.2

-60.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.77 KGS 1,029

$16.25 R$82.2

-27.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.99 KGS 3,671

$18.13 R$91.7

131.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.78 KGS 1,380

$15.52 R$78.5

1.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 KGS 396

$5.99 R$30.32

-24.37%

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

$196 KGS 17.2K

$204 R$1,030

-3.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,510 KGS 394.3K

$4,284 R$21.7K

5.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.04 KGS 3,238

$44.54 R$225

-16.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.11 KGS 3,507

$47.88 R$242

-16.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 KGS 8,291

$54.3 R$275

74.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 KGS 8,901

$55.0 R$278

85.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$486 KGS 42.5K

$389 R$1,970

24.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 KGS 32.3K

$208 R$1,053

77.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 KGS 80.1K

$516 R$2,609

77.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 KGS 54.7K

$295 R$1,495

111.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,653 KGS 144.5K

$1,505 R$7,614

9.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,160 KGS 101.4K

$723 R$3,660

60.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$479 KGS 41.8K

$381 R$1,927

25.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.2

10.92

84.98%

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

Last update for Bishkek: May 30, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $486 in Bishkek and $389 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bishkek pays 26% 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: $21.00 in Bishkek vs $31.00 in Sao Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $177 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 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bishkek pays 26% more on average, 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: $486 in Bishkek versus $389 in Sao Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $196 in Bishkek versus $204 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 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $774 in Sao Luis versus $898 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 16% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.