Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oskemen and Bishkek

For one person, living is cheaper in Oskemen: $908 a month against $980 in Bishkek, rent and utilities included – about $860 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bishkek outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Oskemen
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Oskemen Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Bishkek
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Bishkek Living Index

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Oskemen

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$908

/mo nomad

Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $908 in Oskemen versus $980 in Bishkek.

Oskemen $908
Bishkek $980

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,529 in Oskemen versus $1,503 in Bishkek.

Oskemen $1,529
Bishkek $1,503

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,151 in Oskemen versus $2,026 in Bishkek.

Oskemen $2,151
Bishkek $2,026

Living in Oskemen costs roughly 7% less than in Bishkek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Oskemen 33% lower, Bishkek 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.44 ₸6,075

$7.02 KGS 614

91.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.34 ₸11.9K

$28.73 KGS 2,513

-8.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.96 ₸1,789

$5.73 KGS 501

-30.89%

Cappuccino

$3.45 ₸1,558

$2.40 KGS 210

43.75%

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

$0.97 ₸440

$0.75 KGS 66.0

29.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₸252

$0.40 KGS 35.19

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ₸689

$1.41 KGS 123

7.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₸762

$1.89 KGS 165

-11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 ₸619

$1.03 KGS 90.1

33.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 ₸251

$0.38 KGS 33.63

44.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 ₸595

$1.64 KGS 144

-19.51%

Eggs

$1.75 ₸791

$1.77 KGS 155

-1.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 ₸4,676

$7.70 KGS 674

34.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 ₸2,582

$4.51 KGS 395

26.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.01 ₸3,619

$9.00 KGS 787

-11.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₸527

$1.36 KGS 119

-13.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 ₸942

$1.88 KGS 165

10.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 ₸1,226

$2.01 KGS 176

34.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 ₸1,107

$1.53 KGS 134

60.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 ₸408

$0.58 KGS 50.8

55.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ₸220

$0.48 KGS 41.73

2.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ₸144

$0.70 KGS 61.2

-54.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₸493

$0.61 KGS 53.8

78.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 ₸976

$2.02 KGS 177

6.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.96 ₸2,242

$9.18 KGS 803

-45.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₸692

$1.42 KGS 124

7.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₸733

$2.01 KGS 176

-19.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸112

$0.22 KGS 19.13

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.78 KGS 1,031

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₸488

$0.87 KGS 76.4

24.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₸147

$0.47 KGS 41.43

-31.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ₸1,072

$5.65 KGS 494

-58.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 ₸315

$1.02 KGS 89.4

-31.37%

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

$32.4K ₸14.6M

$30.0K KGS 2.6M

8.12%

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

$31.7K ₸14.3M

$33.6K KGS 2.9M

-5.66%

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

$46.36 ₸21.0K

$50.2 KGS 4,393

-7.67%

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

$11.34 ₸5,128

$5.62 KGS 491

101.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.89 ₸10.3K

$11.77 KGS 1,029

94.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.11 ₸11.8K

$55.0 KGS 4,813

-52.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.58 ₸8,850

$14.87 KGS 1,301

31.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 ₸2,315

$5.68 KGS 497

-9.86%

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

$66.8 ₸30.2K

$222 KGS 19.4K

-69.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,831 ₸1.3M

$7,839 KGS 685.7K

-63.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 ₸51.0K

$55.4 KGS 4,843

103.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.8 ₸37.0K

$42.81 KGS 3,745

91.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 ₸44.8K

$89.6 KGS 7,841

10.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₸55.0K

$91.8 KGS 8,030

32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 ₸152.5K

$612 KGS 53.5K

-44.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$227 ₸102.8K

$410 KGS 35.8K

-44.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 ₸305.3K

$1,041 KGS 91.1K

-35.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$586 ₸264.7K

$708 KGS 62.0K

-17.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,137 ₸513.9K

$1,803 KGS 157.7K

-36.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$848 ₸383.2K

$1,224 KGS 107.0K

-30.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$816 ₸369.0K

$514 KGS 45.0K

58.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.5

20.1

-2.99%

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

Last update for Oskemen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oskemen

$227 25%

Bishkek

$410 41.8% 80.2% $182

Groceries & Markets

Oskemen

$195 21.5%

Bishkek

$177 18% 9.6% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Oskemen

$187 20.6%

Bishkek

$126 12.8% 32.7% $61

Eating Out

Oskemen

$178 19.6%

Bishkek

$118 12% 33.9% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oskemen

$81 8.9%

Bishkek

$68 6.9% 16.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Oskemen

$36 4%

Bishkek

$66 6.8% 82.6% $30

Getting Around

Oskemen

$3.7 * 0.4%

Bishkek

$16 1.6% 331% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $337 in Oskemen and $612 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oskemen pays 59% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Oskemen vs $29.00 in Bishkek. Groceries flip the comparison at $195 vs $177, with Bishkek cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Oskemen

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

Same time as Oskemen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

354,770

1,012,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 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 KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Oskemen Bishkek 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Oskemen
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

Oskemen vs Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oskemen is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 59% higher in Oskemen, 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: $337 in Oskemen versus $612 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $66.8 in Oskemen versus $222 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Oskemen – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $29.00 in Bishkek. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $908 in Oskemen versus $980 in Bishkek, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oskemen but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Oskemen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Oskemen 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, Oskemen 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 Oskemen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.