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: $857 in Sao Luis versus $970 in Bishkek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,298 in Sao Luis versus $1,500 in Bishkek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,739 in Sao Luis versus $2,030 in Bishkek.

Living in Sao Luis costs roughly 12% less than in Bishkek, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Luis 38% lower, Bishkek 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 R$32.63

$6.79 KGS 593

-5.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.07 R$194

$28.78 KGS 2,516

32.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.77 R$34.54

$5.81 KGS 508

16.52%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R$11.08

$2.49 KGS 217

-12.85%

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

$1.23 R$6.28

$0.75 KGS 65.6

64.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.40

$0.38 KGS 32.86

76.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 R$9.77

$1.40 KGS 123

37.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R$11.85

$1.90 KGS 166

22.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.42

$1.04 KGS 90.6

1.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.37

$0.42 KGS 36.62

338.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.40

$1.73 KGS 151

-38.73%

Eggs

$2.07 R$10.57

$1.70 KGS 149

21.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.82 R$50.1

$7.45 KGS 651

31.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.14 R$21.09

$4.71 KGS 412

-12.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.40 R$37.74

$8.56 KGS 748

-13.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R$10.31

$1.41 KGS 123

43.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.77

$1.79 KGS 157

-25.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.92

$2.02 KGS 177

-42.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.29

$1.55 KGS 135

5.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.82

$0.59 KGS 51.2

127.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$0.47 KGS 41.52

165.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 R$4.32

$0.74 KGS 65.1

14.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.52

$0.58 KGS 50.7

18.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 R$11.90

$2.02 KGS 176

15.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.04 R$41.02

$9.27 KGS 811

-13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.34

$1.38 KGS 121

-10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 R$11.01

$2.00 KGS 175

8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 R$3.93

$0.24 KGS 21.05

220.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.05 R$194

$11.50 KGS 1,005

230.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R$4.75

$0.83 KGS 72.8

12.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.61

$0.48 KGS 41.87

87.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 KGS 491

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 R$5.98

$0.96 KGS 83.9

21.87%

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

$23.2K R$118.2K

$30.1K KGS 2.6M

-22.90%

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

$29.0K R$148.1K

$32.7K KGS 2.9M

-11.32%

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

$93.1 R$475

$50.6 KGS 4,425

83.86%

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

$16.90 R$86.2

$5.81 KGS 508

190.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.64 R$105

$12.03 KGS 1,052

71.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.76 R$101

$54.3 KGS 4,748

-63.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.51 R$74.0

$14.55 KGS 1,272

-0.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 R$38.48

$5.62 KGS 492

34.34%

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

$222 R$1,135

$221 KGS 19.3K

0.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,659 R$23.8K

$7,696 KGS 672.8K

-39.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.59 R$243

$55.7 KGS 4,871

-14.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 R$257

$43.80 KGS 3,830

15.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.7 R$289

$91.7 KGS 8,018

-38.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.1 R$291

$91.5 KGS 7,998

-37.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 R$1,749

$580 KGS 50.7K

-40.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 R$1,138

$416 KGS 36.3K

-46.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 R$2,769

$1,075 KGS 94.0K

-49.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 R$1,614

$717 KGS 62.7K

-55.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,474 R$7,519

$1,773 KGS 155.0K

-16.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$692 R$3,529

$1,195 KGS 104.4K

-42.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$375 R$1,911

$502 KGS 43.9K

-25.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.22

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

Last update for Sao Luis: August 31, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $343 in Sao Luis and $580 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bishkek pays 34% 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: $38.00 in Sao Luis vs $29.00 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $176 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% 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: $343 in Sao Luis versus $580 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Sao Luis versus $221 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bishkek pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $857 in Sao Luis versus $970 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 13% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.