Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyzyl-Kiya and Karakol

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyzyl-Kiya: $363 a month against $438 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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Kyzyl-Kiya

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$363

/mo nomad

Karakol

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$438

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $363 in Kyzyl-Kiya versus $438 in Karakol.

Kyzyl-Kiya $363
Karakol $438

Estimated couple costs with rent: $598 in Kyzyl-Kiya versus $649 in Karakol.

Kyzyl-Kiya $598
Karakol $649

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $833 in Kyzyl-Kiya versus $859 in Karakol.

Kyzyl-Kiya $833
Karakol $859

Living in Kyzyl-Kiya costs roughly 17% less than in Karakol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 KGS 245

$2.24 KGS 196

25.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.97 KGS 2,009

$9.34 KGS 817

145.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 KGS 816

Cappuccino

$1.89 KGS 165

$1.74 KGS 152

8.62%

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

$0.32 KGS 28.43

$0.58 KGS 50.9

-44.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 KGS 13.65

$0.28 KGS 24.12

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 KGS 97.9

$1.17 KGS 102

-4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 KGS 108

$1.67 KGS 146

-25.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 KGS 67.0

$0.76 KGS 66.3

1.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.33 KGS 28.55

$0.24 KGS 21.06

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 KGS 101

$1.40 KGS 123

-17.14%

Eggs

$1.41 KGS 123

$1.67 KGS 146

-15.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.94 KGS 432

$6.82 KGS 597

-27.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.06 KGS 180

$4.12 KGS 360

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 KGS 596

$5.58 KGS 488

22.22%

Apples (1kg)

$0.60 KGS 52.2

$0.81 KGS 71.2

-25.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 KGS 131

$1.39 KGS 121

7.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 KGS 123

Tomato (1kg)

$0.45 KGS 39.27

$1.12 KGS 97.7

-59.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 KGS 40.85

$0.54 KGS 47.59

-12.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 KGS 37.46

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 KGS 54.3

$0.35 KGS 30.90

77.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 KGS 45.67

$0.58 KGS 51.0

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 KGS 177

$1.75 KGS 153

16.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.23 KGS 457

$5.28 KGS 462

-0.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 KGS 102

$1.11 KGS 97.0

4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 KGS 144

$2.23 KGS 195

-26.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 KGS 31.11

$0.18 KGS 15.65

100.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.24 KGS 21.07

$1.30 KGS 114

-81.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 KGS 32.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 KGS 681

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 KGS 60.5

$1.04 KGS 91.1

-33.65%

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

$18.4K KGS 1.6M

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

$17.0K KGS 1.5M

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

$39.87 KGS 3,487

$39.47 KGS 3,453

1.01%

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

$2.62 KGS 229

$4.24 KGS 371

-38.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.92 KGS 781

$9.56 KGS 836

-6.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.06 KGS 3,505

$15.34 KGS 1,342

161.15%

Cinema Ticket

$1.70 KGS 149

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

$170 KGS 14.8K

$91.0 KGS 7,958

86.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,894 KGS 165.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.95 KGS 1,658

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.13 KGS 3,160

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.1 KGS 4,646

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.75 KGS 3,040

$33.69 KGS 2,947

3.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$228 KGS 19.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 KGS 15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 KGS 24.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 KGS 25.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$393 KGS 34.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$346 KGS 30.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$427 KGS 37.3K

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

Last update for Kyzyl-Kiya: October 18, 2026

Last update for Karakol: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kyzyl-Kiya

$117 32.3%

Karakol

–

Eating Out

Kyzyl-Kiya

$83 22.9%

Karakol

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kyzyl-Kiya

$64 17.7%

Karakol

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kyzyl-Kiya

$51 14.2%

Karakol

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kyzyl-Kiya

$43 12%

Karakol

–

Getting Around

Kyzyl-Kiya

$3.5 * 1%

Karakol

–

Accommodation & Living

Kyzyl-Kiya

- * 0%

Karakol

–

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $23.00 in Kyzyl-Kiya vs $9.00 in Karakol. Groceries flip the comparison at $117 vs $129, with Kyzyl-Kiya cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇬 Kyzyl-Kiya

🇰🇬 Karakol

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

Same time as Kyzyl-Kiya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,300

63,400

💱 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

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

From you

Kyzyl-Kiya
Karakol

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

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

Kyzyl-Kiya and Karakol differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($363 vs $438 including rent). Kyzyl-Kiya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $544 in Kyzyl-Kiya and $657 in Karakol 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 $363 per month in Kyzyl-Kiya versus $438 in Karakol – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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, Kyzyl-Kiya and Karakol 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 Kyzyl-Kiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Karakol. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.