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: $764 in Sao Luis versus $901 in Bishkek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,164 in Sao Luis versus $1,378 in Bishkek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,564 in Sao Luis versus $1,855 in Bishkek.

Living in Sao Luis costs roughly 15% less than in Bishkek, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Luis 43% lower, Bishkek 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.92 R$25.16

$6.44 KGS 563

-23.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.38 R$155

$21.10 KGS 1,844

43.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 R$37.83

$5.69 KGS 498

30.05%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R$10.52

$2.07 KGS 181

-0.48%

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

$0.96 R$4.89

$0.63 KGS 55.4

52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.05

$0.36 KGS 31.14

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 R$9.52

$1.22 KGS 106

52.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 R$16.33

$1.71 KGS 149

87.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 R$5.00

$0.96 KGS 84.3

2.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 R$9.62

$0.50 KGS 43.37

276.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.05

$1.57 KGS 137

-36.94%

Eggs

$1.87 R$9.53

$1.73 KGS 152

8.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 R$48.04

$8.20 KGS 717

14.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 R$19.32

$4.84 KGS 423

-21.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 R$37.67

$7.93 KGS 693

-7.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 R$9.92

$1.12 KGS 98.1

73.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.49

$1.94 KGS 170

-34.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.07

$2.11 KGS 185

-53.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.92

$1.72 KGS 150

-21.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.92

$0.55 KGS 48.44

110.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.37

$0.50 KGS 43.48

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.95

$0.55 KGS 48.27

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.15

$0.47 KGS 41.53

31.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.05 R$10.48

$1.76 KGS 154

16.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 R$40.70

$8.18 KGS 715

-2.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R$5.89

$1.15 KGS 100

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R$9.80

$1.89 KGS 166

1.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 R$3.95

$0.22 KGS 19.21

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.77 R$178

$11.45 KGS 1,001

203.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R$4.73

$1.41 KGS 123

-34.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 R$2.50

$0.24 KGS 21.00

104.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 R$32.17

$3.34 KGS 292

88.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 R$4.99

$0.85 KGS 74.5

15.29%

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

$17.0K R$87.1K

$37.2K KGS 3.3M

-54.20%

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

$25.2K R$128.7K

$33.5K KGS 2.9M

-24.93%

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

$82.4 R$421

$34.63 KGS 3,027

138.06%

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

$17.31 R$88.5

$6.76 KGS 591

156.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.28 R$83.2

$11.94 KGS 1,044

36.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.44 R$94.2

$42.67 KGS 3,730

-56.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.44 R$78.9

$15.96 KGS 1,395

-3.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.24 R$31.91

$4.49 KGS 393

38.98%

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

$205 R$1,046

$200 KGS 17.5K

2.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,348 R$22.2K

$4,546 KGS 397.4K

-4.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.44 R$227

$37.74 KGS 3,300

17.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.93 R$240

$40.29 KGS 3,522

16.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.7 R$274

$96.0 KGS 8,395

-44.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 R$275

$104 KGS 9,128

-48.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 R$1,982

$498 KGS 43.5K

-22.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 R$1,061

$370 KGS 32.4K

-43.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 R$2,652

$922 KGS 80.6K

-43.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 R$1,531

$633 KGS 55.3K

-52.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,470 R$7,514

$1,783 KGS 155.8K

-17.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 R$3,655

$1,176 KGS 102.8K

-39.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$375 R$1,916

$490 KGS 42.9K

-23.54%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $388 in Sao Luis and $498 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bishkek pays 31% 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: $30.00 in Sao Luis vs $21.00 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $171 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 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% 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: $388 in Sao Luis versus $498 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $205 in Sao Luis versus $200 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bishkek pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $764 in Sao Luis versus $901 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 18% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.