Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Struga Cost of Living Comparison Between Bishkek and Struga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $898 in Bishkek versus $784 in Struga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,371 in Bishkek versus $1,197 in Struga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,844 in Bishkek versus $1,609 in Struga.

Living in Bishkek is roughly 15% more expensive than Struga, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bishkek 33% lower, Struga 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 KGS 542

$7.69 MKD 406

-19.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.18 KGS 1,852

$29.80 MKD 1,570

-28.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.81 KGS 508

$4.63 MKD 244

25.49%

Cappuccino

$2.11 KGS 184

$1.60 MKD 84.1

31.87%

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

$0.67 KGS 58.7

$1.72 MKD 90.5

-61.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 KGS 28.67

$1.27 MKD 67.1

-74.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 KGS 103

$2.60 MKD 137

-55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 KGS 147

$3.46 MKD 183

-51.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 KGS 76.5

$1.14 MKD 60.3

-23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KGS 43.39

$0.63 MKD 33.43

-20.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 KGS 142

$1.69 MKD 88.8

-4.14%

Eggs

$1.72 KGS 150

$2.05 MKD 108

-16.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 KGS 696

$6.72 MKD 354

18.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 KGS 432

$5.69 MKD 300

-13.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.08 KGS 707

$9.52 MKD 502

-15.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 KGS 94.4

$0.54 MKD 28.29

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 KGS 166

$1.35 MKD 70.9

40.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 KGS 183

$0.93 MKD 49.01

124.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 KGS 150

$1.14 MKD 60.2

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 KGS 47.85

$0.74 MKD 38.99

-25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 KGS 46.67

$0.98 MKD 51.8

-45.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KGS 52.0

$0.57 MKD 30.29

3.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 KGS 41.46

$0.39 MKD 20.70

20.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 KGS 147

$3.21 MKD 169

-47.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 KGS 698

$4.79 MKD 253

66.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 KGS 105

$1.06 MKD 55.7

13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 KGS 164

$1.05 MKD 55.4

79.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 KGS 21.03

$0.64 MKD 33.55

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.77 KGS 1,029

$19.90 MKD 1,049

-40.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 KGS 122

$0.98 MKD 51.8

41.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 KGS 21.08

$0.53 MKD 27.72

-54.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 KGS 308

$7.70 MKD 406

-54.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 KGS 72.6

$1.43 MKD 75.4

-41.96%

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

$38.1K KGS 3.3M

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

12.20%

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

$34.2K KGS 3.0M

$29.9K MKD 1.6M

14.05%

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

$34.27 KGS 2,996

$91.5 MKD 4,822

-62.55%

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

$6.76 KGS 591

$14.82 MKD 781

-54.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.77 KGS 1,029

$19.53 MKD 1,029

-39.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.99 KGS 3,671

$26.04 MKD 1,372

61.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.78 KGS 1,380

$22.43 MKD 1,182

-29.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 KGS 396

$6.48 MKD 341

-30.09%

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

$196 KGS 17.2K

$316 MKD 16.6K

-37.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,510 KGS 394.3K

$1,200 MKD 63.3K

275.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.04 KGS 3,238

$77.9 MKD 4,106

-52.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.11 KGS 3,507

$27.75 MKD 1,462

44.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 KGS 8,291

$65.8 MKD 3,468

44.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 KGS 8,901

$37.39 MKD 1,970

172.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$486 KGS 42.5K

$281 MKD 14.8K

73.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 KGS 32.3K

$230 MKD 12.1K

60.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 KGS 80.1K

$394 MKD 20.8K

132.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 KGS 54.7K

$318 MKD 16.7K

97.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,653 KGS 144.5K

$1,607 MKD 84.7K

2.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,160 KGS 101.4K

$1,424 MKD 75.0K

-18.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$479 KGS 41.8K

$1,006 MKD 53.0K

-52.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.2

3.5

477.14%

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

Last update for Bishkek: May 30, 2026

Last update for Struga: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $486 in Bishkek and $281 in Struga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Struga pays 110% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Bishkek vs $30.00 in Struga. Groceries flip the comparison at $170 vs $158, with Struga cheaper for home cooking.

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 Struga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Struga is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Struga earns 110% less. 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: $486 in Bishkek versus $281 in Struga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $196 in Bishkek versus $316 in Struga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Bishkek. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $784 in Struga versus $898 in Bishkek, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Struga but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Struga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Struga 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 Struga 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 Struga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.