Cost of Living Comparison Between Brest and Bishkek Cost of Living Comparison Between Brest and Bishkek

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $693 in Brest versus $901 in Bishkek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,111 in Brest versus $1,378 in Bishkek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,529 in Brest versus $1,855 in Bishkek.

Living in Brest costs roughly 23% less than in Bishkek, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brest 48% lower, Bishkek 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.49 BYN 21.56

$6.44 KGS 563

16.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.44 BYN 84.8

$21.10 KGS 1,844

39.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.77 BYN 19.50

$5.69 KGS 498

18.98%

Cappuccino

$1.49 BYN 4.29

$2.07 KGS 181

-28.02%

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

$0.77 BYN 2.21

$0.63 KGS 55.4

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 BYN 1.96

$0.36 KGS 31.14

88.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 BYN 3.57

$1.22 KGS 106

1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 BYN 8.08

$1.71 KGS 149

63.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 BYN 2.34

$0.96 KGS 84.3

-15.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 BYN 1.93

$0.50 KGS 43.37

34.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 BYN 2.38

$1.57 KGS 137

-47.13%

Eggs

$1.37 BYN 3.94

$1.73 KGS 152

-20.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 BYN 19.53

$8.20 KGS 717

-17.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 BYN 10.13

$4.84 KGS 423

-27.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.62 BYN 10.43

$7.93 KGS 693

-54.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 BYN 3.74

$1.12 KGS 98.1

16.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 BYN 4.81

$1.94 KGS 170

-13.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 BYN 5.06

$2.11 KGS 185

-16.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 BYN 5.06

$1.72 KGS 150

2.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 BYN 2.19

$0.55 KGS 48.44

38.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BYN 2.45

$0.50 KGS 43.48

70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 BYN 3.77

$0.55 KGS 48.27

138.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 BYN 3.17

$0.47 KGS 41.53

134.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 BYN 5.19

$1.76 KGS 154

2.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.22 BYN 23.68

$8.18 KGS 715

0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BYN 3.15

$1.15 KGS 100

-5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 BYN 5.21

$1.89 KGS 166

-4.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 BYN 0.86

$0.22 KGS 19.21

36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.60 BYN 42.06

$11.45 KGS 1,001

27.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 BYN 6.01

$1.41 KGS 123

48.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 BYN 1.83

$0.24 KGS 21.00

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.01 BYN 17.31

$3.34 KGS 292

79.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 BYN 2.38

$0.85 KGS 74.5

-3.53%

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

$17.5K BYN 50.3K

$37.2K KGS 3.3M

-53.11%

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

$25.9K BYN 74.5K

$33.5K KGS 2.9M

-22.95%

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

$50.8 BYN 146

$34.63 KGS 3,027

46.58%

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

$8.62 BYN 24.84

$6.76 KGS 591

27.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.44 BYN 64.6

$11.94 KGS 1,044

87.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.13 BYN 83.9

$42.67 KGS 3,730

-31.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 KGS 1,395

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 BYN 13.54

$4.49 KGS 393

4.68%

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

$311 BYN 895

$200 KGS 17.5K

55.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,642 BYN 16.2K

$4,546 KGS 397.4K

24.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.41 BYN 137

$37.74 KGS 3,300

25.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.98 BYN 104

$40.29 KGS 3,522

-10.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BYN 302

$96.0 KGS 8,395

9.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 BYN 231

$104 KGS 9,128

-23.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 BYN 973

$498 KGS 43.5K

-32.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 BYN 492

$370 KGS 32.4K

-53.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 BYN 1,408

$922 KGS 80.6K

-46.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 BYN 888

$633 KGS 55.3K

-51.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,473 BYN 7,123

$1,783 KGS 155.8K

38.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,933 BYN 8,448

$1,176 KGS 102.8K

149.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$558 BYN 1,608

$490 KGS 42.9K

13.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.2

-45.54%

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

Last update for Brest: July 13, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $338 in Brest and $498 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brest pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Brest vs $21.00 in Bishkek. Groceries flip the comparison at $153 vs $171, with Brest 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

Brest vs Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brest is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $338 in Brest versus $498 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $311 in Brest versus $200 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Bishkek. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $693 in Brest versus $901 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 30% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.