Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karakol and Osh

For one person, living is cheaper in Karakol: $439 a month against $703 in Osh, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Osh
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Osh Living Index

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Karakol

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$439

/mo nomad

Osh

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$703

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karakol and in Osh

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 Osh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $439 in Karakol versus $703 in Osh.

Karakol $439
Osh $703

Estimated couple costs with rent: $648 in Karakol versus $1,143 in Osh.

Karakol $648
Osh $1,143

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $857 in Karakol versus $1,583 in Osh.

Karakol $857
Osh $1,583

Living in Karakol costs roughly 38% less than in Osh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karakol 68% lower, Osh 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 KGS 198

$4.53 KGS 396

-50.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.90 KGS 779

$23.15 KGS 2,025

-61.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 KGS 802

Cappuccino

$1.69 KGS 147

$1.93 KGS 169

-12.44%

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

$0.59 KGS 51.8

$0.76 KGS 66.8

-22.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 KGS 24.24

$0.28 KGS 24.68

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 KGS 97.6

$1.16 KGS 101

-3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 KGS 146

$1.23 KGS 107

35.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 KGS 67.6

$0.83 KGS 72.5

-7.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.22 KGS 19.21

$0.38 KGS 32.98

-42.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 KGS 122

$1.15 KGS 101

21.74%

Eggs

$1.68 KGS 147

$1.50 KGS 131

12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.84 KGS 598

$4.91 KGS 429

39.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 KGS 348

$3.60 KGS 315

10.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.84 KGS 511

$7.78 KGS 681

-24.94%

Apples (1kg)

$0.81 KGS 71.1

$0.66 KGS 58.0

22.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 KGS 122

$1.50 KGS 131

-6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 KGS 196

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 KGS 97.4

$1.16 KGS 101

-4.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 KGS 48.19

$0.47 KGS 40.76

17.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 KGS 37.43

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 KGS 28.57

$0.64 KGS 55.9

-48.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 KGS 48.47

$0.74 KGS 65.1

-25.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.74 KGS 152

$2.01 KGS 176

-13.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.24 KGS 458

$5.03 KGS 440

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 KGS 97.3

$1.13 KGS 98.5

-1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 KGS 196

$1.73 KGS 151

30.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 KGS 19.71

$0.22 KGS 19.14

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 KGS 1,063

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 KGS 114

$0.24 KGS 21.05

441.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 KGS 32.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 KGS 689

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 KGS 90.8

$1.01 KGS 88.6

2.97%

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)

$17.2K KGS 1.5M

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

$38.49 KGS 3,367

$38.93 KGS 3,405

-1.13%

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

$4.22 KGS 370

$5.27 KGS 461

-19.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.83 KGS 860

$9.42 KGS 824

4.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.17 KGS 1,327

$45.83 KGS 4,009

-66.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 KGS 1,739

Cinema Ticket

$3.41 KGS 298

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

$92.3 KGS 8,073

$170 KGS 14.9K

-45.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,876 KGS 164.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.17 KGS 1,677

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.84 KGS 3,136

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.3 KGS 4,754

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.08 KGS 2,982

$52.3 KGS 4,571

-34.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$230 KGS 20.1K

$367 KGS 32.1K

-37.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 KGS 15.3K

$271 KGS 23.7K

-35.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 KGS 24.7K

$914 KGS 80.0K

-69.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 KGS 25.5K

$577 KGS 50.5K

-49.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,235 KGS 108.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,032 KGS 90.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$305 KGS 26.7K

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

Last update for Karakol: October 13, 2026

Last update for Osh: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Karakol

–

Osh

$271 38.6%

Groceries & Markets

Karakol

–

Osh

$139 19.7%

Eating Out

Karakol

–

Osh

$99 14.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Karakol

–

Osh

$73 10.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karakol

–

Osh

$54 7.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Karakol

–

Osh

$53 7.5%

Getting Around

Karakol

–

Osh

$15 2.2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $230 in Karakol and $367 in Osh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $9.00 in Karakol vs $23.00 in Osh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $128 vs $139 per month, with Karakol cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇬 Karakol

🇰🇬 Osh

🕒 Local time

13:43 1:43 PM

Same time as Karakol

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,400

270,347

💱 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 Osh 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Karakol
Osh

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 Osh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karakol and Osh differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($439 vs $703 including rent). Karakol is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $658 in Karakol and $1,055 in Osh 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $230 in Karakol versus $367 in Osh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Osh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $439 per month in Karakol versus $703 in Osh – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Karakol 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 Osh 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 Karakol gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Osh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.