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: $854 in Brest versus $970 in Bishkek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,334 in Brest versus $1,500 in Bishkek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Brest versus $2,030 in Bishkek.

Living in Brest costs roughly 12% less than in Bishkek, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brest 38% lower, Bishkek 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.25 BYN 40.82

$6.79 KGS 593

95.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.77 BYN 113

$28.78 KGS 2,516

27.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.34 BYN 19.53

$5.81 KGS 508

9.12%

Cappuccino

$2.03 BYN 6.25

$2.49 KGS 217

-18.47%

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

$1.01 BYN 3.10

$0.75 KGS 65.6

34.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 BYN 2.51

$0.38 KGS 32.86

113.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 BYN 9.33

$1.40 KGS 123

116.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 BYN 11.96

$1.90 KGS 166

104.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 BYN 3.59

$1.04 KGS 90.6

11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 BYN 3.10

$0.42 KGS 36.62

140.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 BYN 3.15

$1.73 KGS 151

-41.04%

Eggs

$1.60 BYN 4.92

$1.70 KGS 149

-5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.65 BYN 20.48

$7.45 KGS 651

-10.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 BYN 10.72

$4.71 KGS 412

-26.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.37 BYN 10.38

$8.56 KGS 748

-60.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 BYN 6.19

$1.41 KGS 123

42.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 BYN 7.57

$1.79 KGS 157

37.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 BYN 6.56

$2.02 KGS 177

5.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 BYN 7.46

$1.55 KGS 135

56.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 BYN 2.49

$0.59 KGS 51.2

37.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 BYN 5.12

$0.47 KGS 41.52

253.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 BYN 5.98

$0.74 KGS 65.1

162.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 BYN 3.92

$0.58 KGS 50.7

118.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 BYN 7.81

$2.02 KGS 176

25.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 BYN 23.39

$9.27 KGS 811

-18.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BYN 3.61

$1.38 KGS 121

-15.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 BYN 5.92

$2.00 KGS 175

-4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 BYN 1.06

$0.24 KGS 21.05

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.75 BYN 48.51

$11.50 KGS 1,005

36.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 BYN 2.30

$0.83 KGS 72.8

-9.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 BYN 1.72

$0.48 KGS 41.87

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.45 BYN 50.7

$5.62 KGS 491

192.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 BYN 2.71

$0.96 KGS 83.9

-8.33%

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

$18.7K BYN 57.5K

$30.1K KGS 2.6M

-37.86%

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

$26.6K BYN 81.9K

$32.7K KGS 2.9M

-18.77%

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

$62.6 BYN 193

$50.6 KGS 4,425

23.69%

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

$11.00 BYN 33.87

$5.81 KGS 508

89.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.38 BYN 68.9

$12.03 KGS 1,052

86.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.18 BYN 99.1

$54.3 KGS 4,748

-40.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.80 BYN 24.03

$14.55 KGS 1,272

-46.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 BYN 16.52

$5.62 KGS 492

-4.63%

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

$321 BYN 990

$221 KGS 19.3K

45.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,161 BYN 19.0K

$7,696 KGS 672.8K

-19.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 BYN 160

$55.7 KGS 4,871

-6.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 BYN 115

$43.80 KGS 3,830

-14.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 BYN 398

$91.7 KGS 8,018

40.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 BYN 262

$91.5 KGS 7,998

-7.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 BYN 1,102

$580 KGS 50.7K

-38.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 BYN 561

$416 KGS 36.3K

-56.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 BYN 1,541

$1,075 KGS 94.0K

-53.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 BYN 980

$717 KGS 62.7K

-55.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,385 BYN 7,345

$1,773 KGS 155.0K

34.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,708 BYN 8,342

$1,195 KGS 104.4K

126.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$514 BYN 1,582

$502 KGS 43.9K

2.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.22

-45.60%

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

Last update for Brest: August 31, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $358 in Brest and $580 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brest pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Brest vs $29.00 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $176 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

Brest vs Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brest is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $358 in Brest versus $580 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Brest versus $221 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 $854 in Brest versus $970 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 14% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.