Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Luis and Bishkek

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Luis: $832 a month against $989 in Bishkek, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bishkek outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Luis
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Sao Luis Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Bishkek
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Bishkek Living Index

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Sao Luis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$832

/mo nomad

Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$989

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $832 in Sao Luis versus $989 in Bishkek.

Sao Luis $832
Bishkek $989

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,317 in Sao Luis versus $1,516 in Bishkek.

Sao Luis $1,317
Bishkek $1,516

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,802 in Sao Luis versus $2,042 in Bishkek.

Sao Luis $1,802
Bishkek $2,042

Living in Sao Luis costs roughly 16% less than in Bishkek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Luis 39% lower, Bishkek 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 R$33.64

$7.01 KGS 613

-5.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.14 R$203

$28.94 KGS 2,531

38.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 R$34.93

$6.00 KGS 525

14.83%

Cappuccino

$2.13 R$10.80

$2.49 KGS 218

-14.46%

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

$1.22 R$6.20

$0.71 KGS 62.5

71.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 R$3.60

$0.37 KGS 32.76

91.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 R$9.87

$1.33 KGS 116

46.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 R$12.31

$1.96 KGS 172

23.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.33

$0.99 KGS 86.2

6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.06

$0.39 KGS 33.95

407.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.80

$1.71 KGS 149

-33.33%

Eggs

$2.21 R$11.21

$1.75 KGS 153

26.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.82 R$49.77

$7.82 KGS 684

25.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.87

$4.68 KGS 410

-7.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.89 R$39.99

$8.86 KGS 775

-10.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 R$11.02

$1.37 KGS 120

58.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.02

$1.83 KGS 160

-24.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.08

$2.01 KGS 176

-40.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 R$8.58

$1.57 KGS 137

7.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.03

$0.62 KGS 54.0

124.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.45

$0.51 KGS 44.85

149.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 R$4.46

$0.70 KGS 61.5

25.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 R$3.88

$0.62 KGS 53.9

24.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 R$11.97

$2.03 KGS 177

16.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 R$40.90

$9.13 KGS 799

-11.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R$6.44

$1.38 KGS 120

-7.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 R$11.42

$1.95 KGS 171

15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 R$4.30

$0.24 KGS 21.02

254.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.93 R$192

$11.77 KGS 1,030

222.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.89 KGS 77.9

6.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$0.47 KGS 41.16

95.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 KGS 488

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.29

$0.96 KGS 83.8

29.17%

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

$23.8K R$120.7K

$29.7K KGS 2.6M

-19.87%

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

$30.7K R$155.9K

$33.4K KGS 2.9M

-7.93%

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

$95.3 R$483

$50.5 KGS 4,417

88.65%

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

$17.60 R$89.2

$5.77 KGS 505

205.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.13 R$107

$11.99 KGS 1,049

76.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.40 R$103

$55.3 KGS 4,839

-63.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.06 R$76.4

$14.53 KGS 1,271

3.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 R$34.25

$5.81 KGS 508

16.35%

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

$184 R$935

$218 KGS 19.1K

-15.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,903 R$14.7K

$7,840 KGS 685.9K

-62.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 R$327

$56.2 KGS 4,917

14.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 R$275

$43.43 KGS 3,799

24.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 R$386

$90.5 KGS 7,916

-15.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 R$300

$89.8 KGS 7,855

-34.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 R$1,824

$595 KGS 52.0K

-39.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 R$930

$416 KGS 36.4K

-55.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 R$2,923

$1,016 KGS 88.9K

-43.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 R$1,635

$718 KGS 62.8K

-55.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,529 R$7,749

$1,748 KGS 152.9K

-12.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$717 R$3,633

$1,225 KGS 107.1K

-41.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$394 R$1,998

$497 KGS 43.5K

-20.74%

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 Sao Luis: October 18, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sao Luis

$197 23.7%

Bishkek

$177 17.9% 10.4% $20

Accommodation & Living

Sao Luis

$184 22.1%

Bishkek

$416 42.1% 127% $233

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Luis

$134 16.1%

Bishkek

$68 6.9% 49.1% $66

Eating Out

Sao Luis

$122 14.6%

Bishkek

$119 12% 2.3% $2.8

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Luis

$114 13.8%

Bishkek

$126 12.7% 10.2% $12

Getting Around

Sao Luis

$47 5.6%

Bishkek

$16 1.6% 65.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Luis

$34 4.1%

Bishkek

$67 6.8% 97.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $360 in Sao Luis and $595 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: $40.00 in Sao Luis vs $29.00 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $177 per month, with Bishkek cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Luis

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🕒 Local time

07:52 7:52 AM

16:52 4:52 PM

9 h ahead of Sao Luis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,037,775

1,012,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 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 BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Luis Bishkek 12,520 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Luis
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

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

Sao Luis is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and leisure. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Bishkek. 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: $360 in Sao Luis versus $595 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $184 in Sao Luis 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 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $832 in Sao Luis versus $989 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 19% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.