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: $700 in Brest versus $898 in Bishkek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,107 in Brest versus $1,371 in Bishkek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,514 in Brest versus $1,844 in Bishkek.

Living in Brest costs roughly 22% 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

$7.68 BYN 21.35

$6.20 KGS 542

23.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.62 BYN 79.6

$21.18 KGS 1,852

35.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.94 BYN 19.30

$5.81 KGS 508

19.45%

Cappuccino

$1.50 BYN 4.18

$2.11 KGS 184

-28.91%

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

$0.79 BYN 2.19

$0.67 KGS 58.7

17.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 BYN 2.00

$0.33 KGS 28.67

118.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 BYN 3.34

$1.17 KGS 103

2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 BYN 7.85

$1.68 KGS 147

67.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 BYN 2.42

$0.87 KGS 76.5

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 BYN 1.99

$0.50 KGS 43.39

44.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 BYN 2.23

$1.62 KGS 142

-50.62%

Eggs

$1.36 BYN 3.79

$1.72 KGS 150

-20.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.72 BYN 18.68

$7.96 KGS 696

-15.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 BYN 9.86

$4.94 KGS 432

-28.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.59 BYN 9.99

$8.08 KGS 707

-55.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 BYN 3.62

$1.08 KGS 94.4

20.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 BYN 4.61

$1.90 KGS 166

-12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 BYN 4.69

$2.09 KGS 183

-19.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 BYN 4.91

$1.71 KGS 150

3.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 BYN 2.18

$0.55 KGS 47.85

41.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 BYN 2.23

$0.53 KGS 46.67

50.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 BYN 3.73

$0.59 KGS 52.0

127.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 BYN 2.93

$0.47 KGS 41.46

123.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.87 BYN 5.20

$1.69 KGS 147

10.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.22 BYN 22.86

$7.98 KGS 698

3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BYN 3.04

$1.20 KGS 105

-9.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BYN 5.01

$1.88 KGS 164

-4.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 BYN 0.90

$0.24 KGS 21.03

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.89 BYN 41.39

$11.77 KGS 1,029

26.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 BYN 5.83

$1.39 KGS 122

51.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 BYN 1.75

$0.24 KGS 21.08

162.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 BYN 17.25

$3.53 KGS 308

75.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 BYN 2.28

$0.83 KGS 72.6

-1.20%

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

$17.9K BYN 49.7K

$38.1K KGS 3.3M

-53.12%

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

$25.5K BYN 71.0K

$34.2K KGS 3.0M

-25.25%

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

$49.51 BYN 138

$34.27 KGS 2,996

44.47%

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

$8.38 BYN 23.29

$6.76 KGS 591

23.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.21 BYN 61.7

$11.77 KGS 1,029

88.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.05 BYN 80.8

$41.99 KGS 3,671

-30.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.78 KGS 1,380

Cinema Ticket

$4.66 BYN 12.96

$4.53 KGS 396

2.87%

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

$302 BYN 840

$196 KGS 17.2K

54.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,778 BYN 16.1K

$4,510 KGS 394.3K

28.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.24 BYN 131

$37.04 KGS 3,238

27.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 BYN 101

$40.11 KGS 3,507

-9.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 BYN 282

$94.8 KGS 8,291

6.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 BYN 219

$102 KGS 8,901

-22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$345 BYN 960

$486 KGS 42.5K

-28.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 BYN 474

$370 KGS 32.3K

-53.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 BYN 1,340

$916 KGS 80.1K

-47.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 BYN 830

$626 KGS 54.7K

-52.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,652 BYN 7,372

$1,653 KGS 144.5K

60.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,002 BYN 8,346

$1,160 KGS 101.4K

158.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$577 BYN 1,604

$479 KGS 41.8K

20.51%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $345 in Brest and $486 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brest pays 21% 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 $170, 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Brest pays 21% 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: $345 in Brest versus $486 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Brest versus $196 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Bishkek. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $700 in Brest versus $898 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 28% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.