Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karaganda and Bishkek

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaganda: $926 a month against $980 in Bishkek, rent and utilities included – about $650 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bishkek outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Karaganda
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Karaganda Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Bishkek
Learn more

Bishkek Living Index

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Karaganda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$926

/mo nomad

Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karaganda 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 Karaganda and in Bishkek actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $926 in Karaganda versus $980 in Bishkek.

Karaganda $926
Bishkek $980

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,492 in Karaganda versus $1,503 in Bishkek.

Karaganda $1,492
Bishkek $1,503

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,058 in Karaganda versus $2,026 in Bishkek.

Karaganda $2,058
Bishkek $2,026

Living in Karaganda costs roughly 5% less than in Bishkek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karaganda 31% lower, Bishkek 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.85 ₸4,452

$7.02 KGS 614

40.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.09 ₸15.9K

$28.73 KGS 2,513

22.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 ₸2,453

$5.73 KGS 501

-5.24%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ₸869

$2.40 KGS 210

-20.00%

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

$0.91 ₸413

$0.75 KGS 66.0

21.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₸290

$0.40 KGS 35.19

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ₸617

$1.41 KGS 123

-3.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₸1,267

$1.89 KGS 165

48.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 ₸605

$1.03 KGS 90.1

30.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₸222

$0.38 KGS 33.63

28.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 ₸597

$1.64 KGS 144

-19.51%

Eggs

$1.79 ₸808

$1.77 KGS 155

1.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 ₸5,929

$7.70 KGS 674

70.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 ₸2,442

$4.51 KGS 395

19.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ₸5,060

$9.00 KGS 787

24.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 ₸673

$1.36 KGS 119

9.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₸856

$1.88 KGS 165

0.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ₸1,299

$2.01 KGS 176

42.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 ₸979

$1.53 KGS 134

41.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₸301

$0.58 KGS 50.8

15.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₸267

$0.48 KGS 41.73

22.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₸467

$0.70 KGS 61.2

47.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₸310

$0.61 KGS 53.8

13.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 ₸1,016

$2.02 KGS 177

11.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.43 ₸3,813

$9.18 KGS 803

-8.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸610

$1.42 KGS 124

-4.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₸957

$2.01 KGS 176

5.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₸94.9

$0.22 KGS 19.13

-4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.75 ₸7,119

$11.78 KGS 1,031

33.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 ₸568

$0.87 KGS 76.4

44.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ₸541

$0.47 KGS 41.43

155.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ₸1,496

$5.65 KGS 494

-41.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 ₸254

$1.02 KGS 89.4

-45.10%

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

$22.0K ₸10.0M

$30.0K KGS 2.6M

-26.40%

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

$31.9K ₸14.4M

$33.6K KGS 2.9M

-4.82%

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

$72.2 ₸32.7K

$50.2 KGS 4,393

43.88%

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

$10.01 ₸4,523

$5.62 KGS 491

78.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.86 ₸5,360

$11.77 KGS 1,029

0.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.00 ₸20.8K

$55.0 KGS 4,813

-16.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.82 ₸8,505

$14.87 KGS 1,301

26.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₸2,416

$5.68 KGS 497

-5.99%

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

$135 ₸60.8K

$222 KGS 19.4K

-39.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,839 KGS 685.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₸26.6K

$55.4 KGS 4,843

6.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 ₸26.1K

$42.81 KGS 3,745

34.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 ₸35.8K

$89.6 KGS 7,841

-11.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 ₸38.7K

$91.8 KGS 8,030

-6.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₸178.2K

$612 KGS 53.5K

-35.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₸123.2K

$410 KGS 35.8K

-33.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ₸333.5K

$1,041 KGS 91.1K

-29.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₸242.3K

$708 KGS 62.0K

-24.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,053 ₸476.1K

$1,803 KGS 157.7K

-41.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$711 ₸321.5K

$1,224 KGS 107.0K

-41.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$569 ₸257.3K

$514 KGS 45.0K

10.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.25

20.1

-4.23%

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

Last update for Karaganda: 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

Karaganda

$273 29.5%

Bishkek

$410 41.8% 50.3% $137

Groceries & Markets

Karaganda

$215 23.2%

Bishkek

$177 18% 18% $39

Eating Out

Karaganda

$137 14.8%

Bishkek

$118 12% 14.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Karaganda

$127 13.7%

Bishkek

$126 12.8% 0.6% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karaganda

$94 10.2%

Bishkek

$68 6.9% 28.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Karaganda

$57 6.1%

Bishkek

$66 6.8% 17.1% $9.7

Getting Around

Karaganda

$24 2.6%

Bishkek

$16 1.6% 33.3% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $394 in Karaganda and $612 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karaganda pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Karaganda vs $29.00 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $177 per month, with Bishkek cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Karaganda

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🕒 Local time

14:42 2:42 PM

Same time as Karaganda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,486

1,012,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 87.48 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.35 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Karaganda Bishkek 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Karaganda
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

Karaganda vs Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karaganda is cheaper overall, especially in leisure. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Karaganda, 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: $394 in Karaganda versus $612 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $135 in Karaganda 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 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $926 in Karaganda versus $980 in Bishkek, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karaganda but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Karaganda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Karaganda 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, Karaganda 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 Karaganda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.