Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osh and Bishkek

For one person, living is cheaper in Osh: $705 a month against $977 in Bishkek, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Osh
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Osh Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bishkek
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Bishkek Living Index

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Osh

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$705

/mo nomad

Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$977

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $705 in Osh versus $977 in Bishkek.

Osh $705
Bishkek $977

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,140 in Osh versus $1,505 in Bishkek.

Osh $1,140
Bishkek $1,505

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,575 in Osh versus $2,032 in Bishkek.

Osh $1,575
Bishkek $2,032

Living in Osh costs roughly 28% less than in Bishkek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Osh 48% lower, Bishkek 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 KGS 398

$6.80 KGS 595

-33.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.74 KGS 1,989

$29.12 KGS 2,547

-21.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.99 KGS 786

$5.70 KGS 499

57.72%

Cappuccino

$1.97 KGS 172

$2.45 KGS 215

-19.59%

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

$0.83 KGS 72.4

$0.75 KGS 65.8

10.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 KGS 22.51

$0.41 KGS 35.69

-36.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 KGS 101

$1.39 KGS 121

-17.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 KGS 108

$1.92 KGS 168

-35.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 KGS 79.4

$1.03 KGS 89.9

-11.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 KGS 32.65

$0.41 KGS 36.15

-9.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 KGS 105

$1.73 KGS 151

-30.06%

Eggs

$1.46 KGS 128

$1.76 KGS 154

-17.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.91 KGS 430

$7.73 KGS 676

-36.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 KGS 310

$4.62 KGS 404

-23.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 KGS 684

$8.74 KGS 764

-10.53%

Apples (1kg)

$0.62 KGS 54.4

$1.42 KGS 124

-56.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 KGS 134

$1.83 KGS 160

-16.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 KGS 196

$2.01 KGS 176

11.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 KGS 102

$1.56 KGS 137

-25.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 KGS 41.23

$0.61 KGS 53.4

-22.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 KGS 37.72

$0.51 KGS 44.33

-15.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 KGS 55.0

$0.71 KGS 62.3

-11.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 KGS 59.8

$0.57 KGS 49.86

19.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 KGS 182

$2.07 KGS 181

0.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 KGS 438

$9.05 KGS 792

-44.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 KGS 102

$1.37 KGS 120

-15.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 KGS 151

$1.93 KGS 169

-10.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 KGS 19.12

$0.24 KGS 21.01

-8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.95 KGS 1,045

$11.55 KGS 1,010

3.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.22 KGS 19.22

$0.89 KGS 78.2

-75.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 KGS 29.51

$0.44 KGS 38.34

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 KGS 685

$5.56 KGS 486

40.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 KGS 85.2

$0.98 KGS 85.6

-1.02%

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

$18.0K KGS 1.6M

$29.8K KGS 2.6M

-39.47%

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

$17.1K KGS 1.5M

$33.2K KGS 2.9M

-48.59%

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

$39.07 KGS 3,417

$49.36 KGS 4,317

-20.85%

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

$5.14 KGS 449

$5.75 KGS 503

-10.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.37 KGS 820

$11.91 KGS 1,042

-21.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.04 KGS 3,939

$53.9 KGS 4,712

-16.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.70 KGS 1,723

$14.66 KGS 1,282

34.38%

Cinema Ticket

$3.49 KGS 305

$5.59 KGS 489

-37.57%

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

$168 KGS 14.7K

$217 KGS 19.0K

-22.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,886 KGS 164.9K

$7,810 KGS 683.1K

-75.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.23 KGS 1,682

$56.3 KGS 4,923

-65.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.24 KGS 3,169

$43.87 KGS 3,837

-17.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.3 KGS 4,749

$91.8 KGS 8,026

-40.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.8 KGS 4,441

$89.9 KGS 7,861

-43.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$355 KGS 31.1K

$599 KGS 52.4K

-40.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 KGS 24.0K

$410 KGS 35.9K

-33.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 KGS 80.6K

$1,030 KGS 90.0K

-10.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 KGS 50.2K

$718 KGS 62.8K

-20.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,219 KGS 106.6K

$1,811 KGS 158.4K

-32.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,044 KGS 91.3K

$1,209 KGS 105.8K

-13.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 KGS 26.4K

$498 KGS 43.5K

-39.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.1

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

Last update for Osh: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osh

$275 38.9%

Bishkek

$410 42% 49.3% $135

Groceries & Markets

Osh

$139 19.7%

Bishkek

$176 18% 27% $37

Eating Out

Osh

$100 14.1%

Bishkek

$116 11.9% 16.9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Osh

$72 10.2%

Bishkek

$127 13% 75.6% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osh

$54 7.6%

Bishkek

$67 6.9% 25.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Osh

$52 7.4%

Bishkek

$65 6.7% 25.1% $13

Getting Around

Osh

$15 2.1%

Bishkek

$16 1.6% 5.8% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $355 in Osh and $599 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bishkek pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Osh vs $29 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $139 vs $176 per month, with Osh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇬 Osh

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

Same time as Osh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

270,347

1,012,500 Capital

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Osh Bishkek 300 km

From you

Osh
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

Osh vs Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osh is about 28% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Osh. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $355 in Osh versus $599 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $168 in Osh versus $217 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Bishkek. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $705 in Osh versus $977 in Bishkek, a $800 budget is realistic in Osh but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Osh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Osh and Bishkek are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Osh wins on affordability, Bishkek on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.