Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karakol and Kyzyl-Kiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyzyl-Kiya: $361 a month against $436 in Karakol, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Karakol outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Kyzyl-Kiya
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Kyzyl-Kiya Living Index

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Karakol

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$436

/mo nomad

Kyzyl-Kiya

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karakol and in Kyzyl-Kiya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $436 in Karakol versus $361 in Kyzyl-Kiya.

Karakol $436
Kyzyl-Kiya $361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $644 in Karakol versus $594 in Kyzyl-Kiya.

Karakol $644
Kyzyl-Kiya $594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $853 in Karakol versus $828 in Kyzyl-Kiya.

Karakol $853
Kyzyl-Kiya $828

Living in Karakol is roughly 21% more expensive than in Kyzyl-Kiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karakol 68% lower, Kyzyl-Kiya 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.25 KGS 197

$2.71 KGS 237

-16.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.42 KGS 824

$22.56 KGS 1,974

-58.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 KGS 789

Cappuccino

$1.74 KGS 153

$1.97 KGS 173

-11.68%

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

$0.56 KGS 48.75

$0.32 KGS 28.36

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 KGS 24.30

$0.17 KGS 14.59

64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 KGS 101

$1.11 KGS 97.2

4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 KGS 148

$1.27 KGS 111

33.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 KGS 67.4

$0.77 KGS 67.7

White Bread (500g)

$0.22 KGS 19.21

$0.35 KGS 30.85

-37.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 KGS 123

$1.16 KGS 102

20.69%

Eggs

$1.63 KGS 143

$1.39 KGS 122

17.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.84 KGS 598

$4.90 KGS 429

39.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.94 KGS 345

$2.01 KGS 176

96.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.67 KGS 496

$6.75 KGS 591

-16.00%

Apples (1kg)

$0.82 KGS 71.9

$0.54 KGS 47.65

51.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 KGS 116

$1.55 KGS 135

-14.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 KGS 118

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 KGS 101

$0.44 KGS 38.81

161.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 KGS 48.25

$0.47 KGS 41.25

17.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 KGS 37.44

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 KGS 31.23

$0.60 KGS 52.3

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 KGS 48.83

$0.53 KGS 46.11

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.75 KGS 153

$2.12 KGS 186

-17.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 KGS 453

$5.06 KGS 443

2.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 KGS 102

$1.12 KGS 98.0

4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 KGS 197

$1.64 KGS 144

37.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 KGS 18.64

$0.32 KGS 28.34

-34.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 KGS 111

$0.24 KGS 21.08

425.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 KGS 29.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 KGS 686

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 KGS 91.0

$0.70 KGS 61.2

48.57%

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

$18.5K KGS 1.6M

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

$17.1K KGS 1.5M

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

$38.16 KGS 3,340

$39.38 KGS 3,447

-3.10%

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

$4.38 KGS 384

$2.62 KGS 229

67.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.80 KGS 858

$8.97 KGS 785

9.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.55 KGS 1,361

$40.16 KGS 3,515

-61.28%

Cinema Ticket

$1.71 KGS 149

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

$91.0 KGS 7,967

$170 KGS 14.9K

-46.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,903 KGS 166.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.43 KGS 1,701

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.00 KGS 3,151

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.7 KGS 4,701

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.33 KGS 3,005

$34.40 KGS 3,011

-0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 KGS 20.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 KGS 15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 KGS 24.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 KGS 25.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$394 KGS 34.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$350 KGS 30.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$440 KGS 38.5K

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

Last update for Karakol: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kyzyl-Kiya: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Karakol

–

Kyzyl-Kiya

$116 32.2%

Eating Out

Karakol

–

Kyzyl-Kiya

$82 22.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Karakol

–

Kyzyl-Kiya

$65 17.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karakol

–

Kyzyl-Kiya

$51 14.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Karakol

–

Kyzyl-Kiya

$44 12.1%

Getting Around

Karakol

–

Kyzyl-Kiya

$3.2 * 0.9%

Accommodation & Living

Karakol

–

Kyzyl-Kiya

- * 0%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $9 in Karakol vs $23 in Kyzyl-Kiya. Groceries flip the comparison at $128 vs $116, with Kyzyl-Kiya cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇬 Karakol

🇰🇬 Kyzyl-Kiya

🕒 Local time

03:58 3:58 AM

Same time as Karakol

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,400

51,300

💱 Currency

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karakol Kyzyl-Kiya 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Karakol
Kyzyl-Kiya

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

Karakol vs Kyzyl-Kiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $436 in Karakol and $361 in Kyzyl-Kiya, so Kyzyl-Kiya is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $653 in Karakol and $541 in Kyzyl-Kiya to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Karakol. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $436 per month in Karakol versus $361 in Kyzyl-Kiya – Kyzyl-Kiya is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Kyzyl-Kiya gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Karakol and Kyzyl-Kiya are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.