Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Luis and Bishkek Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Luis and Bishkek

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $774 in Sao Luis versus $898 in Bishkek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,169 in Sao Luis versus $1,371 in Bishkek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,564 in Sao Luis versus $1,844 in Bishkek.

Living in Sao Luis costs roughly 14% less than in Bishkek, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Luis 42% lower, Bishkek 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.01 R$25.36

$6.20 KGS 542

-19.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.50 R$154

$21.18 KGS 1,852

44.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.33 R$37.09

$5.81 KGS 508

26.16%

Cappuccino

$2.05 R$10.38

$2.11 KGS 184

-2.84%

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

$0.95 R$4.80

$0.67 KGS 58.7

41.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 R$2.80

$0.33 KGS 28.67

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 R$9.29

$1.17 KGS 103

57.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 R$16.16

$1.68 KGS 147

89.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 R$4.86

$0.87 KGS 76.5

10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 R$9.73

$0.50 KGS 43.39

284.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.13

$1.62 KGS 142

-37.65%

Eggs

$1.93 R$9.77

$1.72 KGS 150

12.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 R$47.49

$7.96 KGS 696

17.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 R$18.71

$4.94 KGS 432

-25.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 R$36.49

$8.08 KGS 707

-10.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 R$9.43

$1.08 KGS 94.4

72.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.10

$1.90 KGS 166

-36.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.85

$2.09 KGS 183

-54.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.91

$1.71 KGS 150

-19.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.61

$0.55 KGS 47.85

101.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.28

$0.53 KGS 46.67

133.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 R$4.02

$0.59 KGS 52.0

33.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.86

$0.47 KGS 41.46

21.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 R$10.25

$1.69 KGS 147

20.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 R$40.62

$7.98 KGS 698

0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.56

$1.20 KGS 105

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R$9.82

$1.88 KGS 164

3.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 R$4.02

$0.24 KGS 21.03

229.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.80 R$181

$11.77 KGS 1,029

204.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R$4.74

$1.39 KGS 122

-32.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R$2.51

$0.24 KGS 21.08

108.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 R$32.84

$3.53 KGS 308

83.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.79

$0.83 KGS 72.6

14.46%

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

$17.2K R$86.9K

$38.1K KGS 3.3M

-54.95%

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

$25.8K R$130.4K

$34.2K KGS 3.0M

-24.53%

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

$84.0 R$425

$34.27 KGS 2,996

145.11%

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

$17.24 R$87.2

$6.76 KGS 591

155.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.25 R$82.2

$11.77 KGS 1,029

38.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.13 R$91.7

$41.99 KGS 3,671

-56.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.52 R$78.5

$15.78 KGS 1,380

-1.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 R$30.32

$4.53 KGS 396

32.23%

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

$204 R$1,030

$196 KGS 17.2K

3.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,284 R$21.7K

$4,510 KGS 394.3K

-5.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.54 R$225

$37.04 KGS 3,238

20.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.88 R$242

$40.11 KGS 3,507

19.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.3 R$275

$94.8 KGS 8,291

-42.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.0 R$278

$102 KGS 8,901

-45.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 R$1,970

$486 KGS 42.5K

-19.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 R$1,053

$370 KGS 32.3K

-43.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 R$2,609

$916 KGS 80.1K

-43.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 R$1,495

$626 KGS 54.7K

-52.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,505 R$7,614

$1,653 KGS 144.5K

-8.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$723 R$3,660

$1,160 KGS 101.4K

-37.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$381 R$1,927

$479 KGS 41.8K

-20.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

20.2

-45.94%

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

Last update for Sao Luis: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $389 in Sao Luis and $486 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bishkek pays 26% 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: $31.00 in Sao Luis vs $21.00 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $170 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

Sao Luis vs Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Luis is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bishkek earns 26% less. 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: $389 in Sao Luis versus $486 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $204 in Sao Luis versus $196 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bishkek pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $774 in Sao Luis versus $898 in Bishkek, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Luis but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Luis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Luis 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, Sao Luis 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 Sao Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.