Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bishkek Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bishkek

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $898 in Bishkek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,371 in Bishkek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,844 in Bishkek.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 146% more expensive than Bishkek, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Bishkek is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$6.20 KGS 542

156.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$21.18 KGS 1,852

205.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.81 KGS 508

80.90%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.11 KGS 184

36.02%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.67 KGS 58.7

234.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.33 KGS 28.67

354.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.17 KGS 103

198.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.68 KGS 147

130.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.87 KGS 76.5

31.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.50 KGS 43.39

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.62 KGS 142

8.64%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.72 KGS 150

87.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.96 KGS 696

69.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.94 KGS 432

60.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$8.08 KGS 707

96.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.08 KGS 94.4

113.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.90 KGS 166

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.09 KGS 183

-3.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.71 KGS 150

43.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.55 KGS 47.85

234.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.53 KGS 46.67

277.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.59 KGS 52.0

227.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.47 KGS 41.46

68.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$1.69 KGS 147

291.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$7.98 KGS 698

-28.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.20 KGS 105

14.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.88 KGS 164

57.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.24 KGS 21.03

887.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$11.77 KGS 1,029

287.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.39 KGS 122

208.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.24 KGS 21.08

241.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$3.53 KGS 308

418.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.83 KGS 72.6

148.19%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.1K KGS 3.3M

-10.06%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$34.2K KGS 3.0M

15.03%

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

$148 €127

$34.27 KGS 2,996

331.49%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$6.76 KGS 591

203.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$11.77 KGS 1,029

236.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$41.99 KGS 3,671

13.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$15.78 KGS 1,380

19.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.53 KGS 396

102.65%

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

$614 €528

$196 KGS 17.2K

212.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,510 KGS 394.3K

255.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$37.04 KGS 3,238

182.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$40.11 KGS 3,507

4.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$94.8 KGS 8,291

-0.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$102 KGS 8,901

17.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$486 KGS 42.5K

234.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$370 KGS 32.3K

239.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$916 KGS 80.1K

230.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$626 KGS 54.7K

222.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,653 KGS 144.5K

371.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,160 KGS 101.4K

268.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$479 KGS 41.8K

234.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

20.2

-81.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $486 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 235% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $21.00 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $170 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

Lisbon vs Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bishkek is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 146% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 235% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $486 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $196 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $898 in Bishkek versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bishkek but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bishkek the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bishkek is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon 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 Bishkek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.