Cost of Living Comparison Between Struga and Bishkek Cost of Living Comparison Between Struga and Bishkek

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $784 in Struga versus $898 in Bishkek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,197 in Struga versus $1,371 in Bishkek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,609 in Struga versus $1,844 in Bishkek.

Living in Struga costs roughly 13% less than in Bishkek, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Struga 41% lower, Bishkek 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 MKD 406

$6.20 KGS 542

24.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.80 MKD 1,570

$21.18 KGS 1,852

40.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 MKD 244

$5.81 KGS 508

-20.31%

Cappuccino

$1.60 MKD 84.1

$2.11 KGS 184

-24.17%

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

$1.72 MKD 90.5

$0.67 KGS 58.7

156.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MKD 67.1

$0.33 KGS 28.67

284.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 MKD 137

$1.17 KGS 103

122.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 MKD 183

$1.68 KGS 147

105.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 MKD 60.3

$0.87 KGS 76.5

31.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 MKD 33.43

$0.50 KGS 43.39

26.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MKD 88.8

$1.62 KGS 142

4.32%

Eggs

$2.05 MKD 108

$1.72 KGS 150

19.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.72 MKD 354

$7.96 KGS 696

-15.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 MKD 300

$4.94 KGS 432

15.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.52 MKD 502

$8.08 KGS 707

17.82%

Apples (1kg)

$0.54 MKD 28.29

$1.08 KGS 94.4

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 70.9

$1.90 KGS 166

-28.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 MKD 49.01

$2.09 KGS 183

-55.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 MKD 60.2

$1.71 KGS 150

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 MKD 38.99

$0.55 KGS 47.85

34.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 MKD 51.8

$0.53 KGS 46.67

84.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 MKD 30.29

$0.59 KGS 52.0

-3.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 MKD 20.70

$0.47 KGS 41.46

-17.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.21 MKD 169

$1.69 KGS 147

89.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.79 MKD 253

$7.98 KGS 698

-39.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 55.7

$1.20 KGS 105

-11.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MKD 55.4

$1.88 KGS 164

-44.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MKD 33.55

$0.24 KGS 21.03

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.90 MKD 1,049

$11.77 KGS 1,029

69.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 MKD 51.8

$1.39 KGS 122

-29.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MKD 27.72

$0.24 KGS 21.08

120.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 MKD 406

$3.53 KGS 308

118.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MKD 75.4

$0.83 KGS 72.6

72.29%

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

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

$38.1K KGS 3.3M

-10.87%

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

$29.9K MKD 1.6M

$34.2K KGS 3.0M

-12.32%

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

$91.5 MKD 4,822

$34.27 KGS 2,996

167.03%

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

$14.82 MKD 781

$6.76 KGS 591

119.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 MKD 1,029

$11.77 KGS 1,029

65.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.04 MKD 1,372

$41.99 KGS 3,671

-37.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.43 MKD 1,182

$15.78 KGS 1,380

42.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 MKD 341

$4.53 KGS 396

43.05%

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

$316 MKD 16.6K

$196 KGS 17.2K

60.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,200 MKD 63.3K

$4,510 KGS 394.3K

-73.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.9 MKD 4,106

$37.04 KGS 3,238

110.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.75 MKD 1,462

$40.11 KGS 3,507

-30.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.8 MKD 3,468

$94.8 KGS 8,291

-30.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.39 MKD 1,970

$102 KGS 8,901

-63.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 MKD 14.8K

$486 KGS 42.5K

-42.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 MKD 12.1K

$370 KGS 32.3K

-37.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MKD 20.8K

$916 KGS 80.1K

-57.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MKD 16.7K

$626 KGS 54.7K

-49.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,607 MKD 84.7K

$1,653 KGS 144.5K

-2.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,424 MKD 75.0K

$1,160 KGS 101.4K

22.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 MKD 53.0K

$479 KGS 41.8K

110.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

20.2

-82.67%

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

Last update for Struga: May 30, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Struga and $486 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Struga pays 110% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Struga vs $21.00 in Bishkek. Groceries flip the comparison at $158 vs $170, with Struga cheaper for home cooking.

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

Struga vs Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Struga is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Struga pays 110% more on average, 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: $281 in Struga versus $486 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Struga versus $196 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Bishkek. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $784 in Struga versus $898 in Bishkek, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Struga but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Struga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Struga 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, Struga 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 Struga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.