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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $901 in Bishkek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,378 in Bishkek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,855 in Bishkek.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 154% more expensive than in Bishkek, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Bishkek is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$6.44 KGS 563

151.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$21.10 KGS 1,844

200.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$5.69 KGS 498

81.37%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$2.07 KGS 181

36.71%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.63 KGS 55.4

263.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.36 KGS 31.14

338.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$1.22 KGS 106

178.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$1.71 KGS 149

135.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$0.96 KGS 84.3

13.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.50 KGS 43.37

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.57 KGS 137

12.10%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.73 KGS 152

83.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$8.20 KGS 717

60.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$4.84 KGS 423

64.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$7.93 KGS 693

95.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.12 KGS 98.1

111.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.94 KGS 170

-11.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$2.11 KGS 185

-4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$1.72 KGS 150

41.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.55 KGS 48.44

220.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.50 KGS 43.48

306.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.55 KGS 48.27

249.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.47 KGS 41.53

80.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$1.76 KGS 154

273.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$8.18 KGS 715

-31.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.15 KGS 100

15.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.89 KGS 166

57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.22 KGS 19.21

936.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$11.45 KGS 1,001

299.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.41 KGS 123

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.24 KGS 21.00

237.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$3.34 KGS 292

452.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.85 KGS 74.5

144.71%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$37.2K KGS 3.3M

-6.84%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$33.5K KGS 2.9M

16.71%

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

$148 €129

$34.63 KGS 3,027

327.52%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$6.76 KGS 591

202.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$11.94 KGS 1,044

231.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$42.67 KGS 3,730

12.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$15.96 KGS 1,395

16.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$4.49 KGS 393

105.35%

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

$616 €538

$200 KGS 17.5K

207.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,546 KGS 397.4K

261.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$37.74 KGS 3,300

172.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$40.29 KGS 3,522

3.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$96.0 KGS 8,395

-1.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$104 KGS 9,128

16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$498 KGS 43.5K

228.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$370 KGS 32.4K

232.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$922 KGS 80.6K

236.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$633 KGS 55.3K

220.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$1,783 KGS 155.8K

339.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$1,176 KGS 102.8K

273.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$490 KGS 42.9K

227.76%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $498 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 228% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $21.00 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $171 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 154% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 228% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $498 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $200 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $901 in Bishkek versus $2,291 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 154% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.