Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brest and Bishkek

For one person, living is cheaper in Brest: $845 a month against $980 in Bishkek, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bishkek outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

41

Cost of Living Index in Brest
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Brest Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Bishkek
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Bishkek Living Index

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Brest

🇧🇾 Belarus

$845

/mo nomad

Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brest and in Bishkek

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brest and in Bishkek actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $845 in Brest versus $980 in Bishkek.

Brest $845
Bishkek $980

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,344 in Brest versus $1,503 in Bishkek.

Brest $1,344
Bishkek $1,503

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,843 in Brest versus $2,026 in Bishkek.

Brest $1,843
Bishkek $2,026

Living in Brest costs roughly 14% less than in Bishkek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brest 37% lower, Bishkek 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.09 BYN 39.27

$7.02 KGS 614

86.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.95 BYN 114

$28.73 KGS 2,513

32.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 BYN 19.46

$5.73 KGS 501

13.26%

Cappuccino

$2.13 BYN 6.39

$2.40 KGS 210

-11.25%

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

$0.94 BYN 2.82

$0.75 KGS 66.0

25.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 BYN 2.66

$0.40 KGS 35.19

122.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 BYN 9.66

$1.41 KGS 123

128.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 BYN 12.05

$1.89 KGS 165

112.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 BYN 3.38

$1.03 KGS 90.1

9.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 BYN 3.02

$0.38 KGS 33.63

165.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 BYN 2.94

$1.64 KGS 144

-40.24%

Eggs

$1.54 BYN 4.62

$1.77 KGS 155

-12.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.79 BYN 20.37

$7.70 KGS 674

-11.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 BYN 10.65

$4.51 KGS 395

-21.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.42 BYN 10.25

$9.00 KGS 787

-62.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 BYN 5.82

$1.36 KGS 119

42.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 BYN 7.24

$1.88 KGS 165

28.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 BYN 6.40

$2.01 KGS 176

5.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 BYN 7.34

$1.53 KGS 134

60.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 BYN 2.39

$0.58 KGS 50.8

37.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 BYN 4.83

$0.48 KGS 41.73

235.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 BYN 5.85

$0.70 KGS 61.2

178.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 BYN 4.04

$0.61 KGS 53.8

121.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 BYN 7.72

$2.02 KGS 177

27.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 BYN 23.20

$9.18 KGS 803

-15.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 BYN 3.57

$1.42 KGS 124

-16.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 BYN 5.81

$2.01 KGS 176

-3.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 BYN 0.97

$0.22 KGS 19.13

45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.20 BYN 48.60

$11.78 KGS 1,031

37.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 BYN 2.28

$0.87 KGS 76.4

-12.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 BYN 1.72

$0.47 KGS 41.43

21.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.00 BYN 51.0

$5.65 KGS 494

200.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 BYN 2.58

$1.02 KGS 89.4

-15.69%

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

$18.9K BYN 56.8K

$30.0K KGS 2.6M

-36.85%

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

$27.7K BYN 83.0K

$33.6K KGS 2.9M

-17.60%

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

$64.3 BYN 193

$50.2 KGS 4,393

28.10%

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

$11.35 BYN 34.04

$5.62 KGS 491

101.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.41 BYN 67.2

$11.77 KGS 1,029

90.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.33 BYN 100.0

$55.0 KGS 4,813

-39.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.98 BYN 23.93

$14.87 KGS 1,301

-46.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.19 BYN 15.58

$5.68 KGS 497

-8.63%

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

$336 BYN 1,008

$222 KGS 19.4K

51.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,135 BYN 18.4K

$7,839 KGS 685.7K

-21.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 BYN 154

$55.4 KGS 4,843

-7.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.19 BYN 118

$42.81 KGS 3,745

-8.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 BYN 397

$89.6 KGS 7,841

47.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 BYN 255

$91.8 KGS 8,030

-7.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 BYN 1,071

$612 KGS 53.5K

-41.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 BYN 549

$410 KGS 35.8K

-55.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 BYN 1,528

$1,041 KGS 91.1K

-51.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 BYN 959

$708 KGS 62.0K

-54.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,387 BYN 7,161

$1,803 KGS 157.7K

32.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,788 BYN 8,363

$1,224 KGS 107.0K

127.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$520 BYN 1,560

$514 KGS 45.0K

1.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.1

-45.27%

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

Last update for Brest: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brest

$183 21.7%

Bishkek

$410 41.8% 124% $227

Eating Out

Brest

$181 21.4%

Bishkek

$118 12% 35.1% $64

Groceries & Markets

Brest

$180 21.2%

Bishkek

$177 18% 1.7% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Brest

$139 16.4%

Bishkek

$126 12.8% 9.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brest

$98 11.6%

Bishkek

$68 6.9% 31.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Brest

$44 5.2%

Bishkek

$66 6.8% 51.9% $23

Getting Around

Brest

$21 2.5%

Bishkek

$16 1.6% 24.7% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $357 in Brest and $612 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brest pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Brest vs $29.00 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $177 per month, with Bishkek cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇾 Brest

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

14:03 2:03 PM

3 h ahead of Brest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,521

1,012,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Belarusian Ruble BYN Br

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

1 BYN = 0.333 USD

1 BYN = 0.297 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to BYN – Belarusian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇾 Belarusian Ruble (Br)

Belarusian Ruble exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3 BYN (1 BYN = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 BYN (1 BYN = 0.297 EUR).

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 87.48 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.35 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

USD to BYN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brest Bishkek 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Brest
Bishkek

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

Brest vs Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brest is cheaper overall, especially in leisure. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Brest, 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: $357 in Brest versus $612 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $336 in Brest versus $222 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bishkek pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $845 in Brest versus $980 in Bishkek, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brest but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Brest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Brest 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, Brest and Bishkek 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 Brest 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.