Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bishkek

For one person, living is cheaper in Bishkek: $989 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Bishkek
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Bishkek Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$989

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Bishkek

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $989 in Bishkek.

Mexico City $1,548
Bishkek $989

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,516 in Bishkek.

Mexico City $2,436
Bishkek $1,516

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $2,042 in Bishkek.

Mexico City $3,323
Bishkek $2,042

Living in Mexico City is roughly 57% more expensive than in Bishkek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Bishkek is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$7.01 KGS 613

57.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$28.94 KGS 2,531

68.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$6.00 KGS 525

81.67%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.49 KGS 218

47.79%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.71 KGS 62.5

129.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.37 KGS 32.76

237.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$1.33 KGS 116

144.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$1.96 KGS 172

182.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.99 KGS 86.2

71.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$0.39 KGS 33.95

674.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.71 KGS 149

12.28%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.75 KGS 153

56.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$7.82 KGS 684

50.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$4.68 KGS 410

103.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$8.86 KGS 775

62.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.37 KGS 120

120.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.83 KGS 160

3.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.01 KGS 176

-1.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.57 KGS 137

39.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$0.62 KGS 54.0

209.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$0.51 KGS 44.85

266.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.70 KGS 61.5

105.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.62 KGS 53.9

104.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$2.03 KGS 177

157.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$9.13 KGS 799

77.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.38 KGS 120

37.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$1.95 KGS 171

116.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.24 KGS 21.02

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$11.77 KGS 1,030

66.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$0.89 KGS 77.9

124.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.47 KGS 41.16

10.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$5.58 KGS 488

-4.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.96 KGS 83.8

58.33%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$29.7K KGS 2.6M

-25.71%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$33.4K KGS 2.9M

-26.61%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$50.5 KGS 4,417

20.95%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$5.77 KGS 505

395.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$11.99 KGS 1,049

187.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$55.3 KGS 4,839

1.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$14.53 KGS 1,271

71.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$5.81 KGS 508

14.63%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$218 KGS 19.1K

96.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$7,840 KGS 685.9K

48.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$56.2 KGS 4,917

20.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$43.43 KGS 3,799

19.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$90.5 KGS 7,916

17.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$89.8 KGS 7,855

25.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$595 KGS 52.0K

72.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$416 KGS 36.4K

57.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,016 KGS 88.9K

127.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$718 KGS 62.8K

72.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,748 KGS 152.9K

106.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$1,225 KGS 107.1K

58.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$497 KGS 43.5K

93.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

20.1

-43.78%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Bishkek

$416 42.1% 36.4% $238

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Bishkek

$177 17.9% 44.4% $141

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Bishkek

$119 12% 41.7% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Bishkek

$126 12.7% 17.3% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Bishkek

$68 6.9% 45% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Bishkek

$67 6.8% 3.9% $2.8

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Bishkek

$16 1.6% 37.7% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $595 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 94% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $29.00 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $177 per month, with Bishkek cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🕒 Local time

03:00 3:00 AM

15:00 3:00 PM

12 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,012,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 87.48 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.35 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Bishkek 13,060 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Bishkek

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

Mexico City vs Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bishkek is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 94% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $595 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $218 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $989 in Bishkek versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bishkek but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City 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 57% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.