Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanjing and Bishkek

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanjing: $846 a month against $989 in Bishkek, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Nanjing
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Nanjing Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Bishkek
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Bishkek Living Index

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Nanjing

🇨🇳 China

$846

/mo nomad

Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$989

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nanjing 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 Nanjing and in Bishkek actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $846 in Nanjing versus $989 in Bishkek.

Nanjing $846
Bishkek $989

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,333 in Nanjing versus $1,516 in Bishkek.

Nanjing $1,333
Bishkek $1,516

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,820 in Nanjing versus $2,042 in Bishkek.

Nanjing $1,820
Bishkek $2,042

Living in Nanjing costs roughly 14% less than in Bishkek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nanjing 38% lower, Bishkek 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 ¥25.50

$7.01 KGS 613

-45.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.14 ¥148

$28.94 KGS 2,531

-23.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 ¥32.03

$6.00 KGS 525

-20.17%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.32

$2.49 KGS 218

22.09%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.71 KGS 62.5

-29.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.37 KGS 32.76

-27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$1.33 KGS 116

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ¥14.68

$1.96 KGS 172

12.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ¥14.48

$0.99 KGS 86.2

119.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 ¥14.30

$0.39 KGS 33.95

448.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$1.71 KGS 149

-46.78%

Eggs

$1.30 ¥8.71

$1.75 KGS 153

-25.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 ¥71.4

$7.82 KGS 684

36.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 ¥20.36

$4.68 KGS 410

-35.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 ¥57.8

$8.86 KGS 775

-2.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 ¥13.78

$1.37 KGS 120

50.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$1.83 KGS 160

-32.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$2.01 KGS 176

-10.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.37

$1.57 KGS 137

-29.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.97

$0.62 KGS 54.0

43.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.46

$0.51 KGS 44.85

90.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 ¥6.37

$0.70 KGS 61.5

35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.62 KGS 53.9

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.17

$2.03 KGS 177

85.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.41 ¥89.7

$9.13 KGS 799

46.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥6.34

$1.38 KGS 120

-31.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ¥9.98

$1.95 KGS 171

-23.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.24 KGS 21.02

29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.18 ¥202

$11.77 KGS 1,030

156.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$0.89 KGS 77.9

88.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.57

$0.47 KGS 41.16

-19.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 ¥59.5

$5.58 KGS 488

59.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.01

$0.96 KGS 83.8

40.63%

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

$19.2K ¥128.3K

$29.7K KGS 2.6M

-35.44%

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

$17.4K ¥116.1K

$33.4K KGS 2.9M

-48.01%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$50.5 KGS 4,417

9.86%

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

$7.92 ¥53.0

$5.77 KGS 505

37.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.09 ¥47.42

$11.99 KGS 1,049

-40.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.56 ¥191

$55.3 KGS 4,839

-48.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.80 ¥233

$14.53 KGS 1,271

139.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.84 ¥39.03

$5.81 KGS 508

0.52%

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

$1,508 ¥10.1K

$218 KGS 19.1K

592.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K ¥152.0K

$7,840 KGS 685.9K

189.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.37 ¥290

$56.2 KGS 4,917

-22.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 ¥227

$43.43 KGS 3,799

-21.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥431

$90.5 KGS 7,916

-28.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ¥592

$89.8 KGS 7,855

-1.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$595 KGS 52.0K

-12.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 ¥1,974

$416 KGS 36.4K

-29.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥7,467

$1,016 KGS 88.9K

9.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 ¥3,732

$718 KGS 62.8K

-22.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,105 ¥34.1K

$1,748 KGS 152.9K

192.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,140 ¥21.0K

$1,225 KGS 107.1K

156.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,410 ¥9,430

$497 KGS 43.5K

183.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

20.1

-82.99%

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

Last update for Nanjing: October 18, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nanjing

$295 34.9%

Bishkek

$416 42.1% 40.9% $121

Groceries & Markets

Nanjing

$205 24.2%

Bishkek

$177 17.9% 13.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Nanjing

$104 12.3%

Bishkek

$126 12.7% 21.5% $22

Eating Out

Nanjing

$96 11.4%

Bishkek

$119 12% 23.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanjing

$70 8.3%

Bishkek

$68 6.9% 3.2% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nanjing

$40 4.8%

Bishkek

$67 6.8% 66.4% $27

Getting Around

Nanjing

$35 4.1%

Bishkek

$16 1.6% 54.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $524 in Nanjing and $595 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanjing pays 184% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Nanjing vs $29.00 in Bishkek. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $177, with Bishkek cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Nanjing

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🕒 Local time

18:51 6:51 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

2 h behind Nanjing

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,314,685

1,012,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 87.48 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.35 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Nanjing Bishkek 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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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

Nanjing vs Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanjing is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 184% higher in Nanjing, 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: $524 in Nanjing versus $595 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,508 in Nanjing versus $218 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bishkek pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $846 in Nanjing versus $989 in Bishkek, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nanjing but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Nanjing the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Nanjing 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 Nanjing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.