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: $900 in Struga versus $970 in Bishkek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,369 in Struga versus $1,500 in Bishkek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,838 in Struga versus $2,030 in Bishkek.

Living in Struga costs roughly 7% less than in Bishkek, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Struga 35% lower, Bishkek 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.65 MKD 404

$6.79 KGS 593

12.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.61 MKD 1,618

$28.78 KGS 2,516

6.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 MKD 293

$5.81 KGS 508

-4.48%

Cappuccino

$1.63 MKD 86.3

$2.49 KGS 217

-34.54%

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

$1.86 MKD 98.4

$0.75 KGS 65.6

148.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MKD 63.7

$0.38 KGS 32.86

218.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 MKD 148

$1.40 KGS 123

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 MKD 167

$1.90 KGS 166

66.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 MKD 70.2

$1.04 KGS 90.6

27.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 MKD 36.50

$0.42 KGS 36.62

64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MKD 87.5

$1.73 KGS 151

-4.05%

Eggs

$2.13 MKD 113

$1.70 KGS 149

25.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 MKD 430

$7.45 KGS 651

9.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 MKD 359

$4.71 KGS 412

43.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 MKD 692

$8.56 KGS 748

52.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 MKD 76.9

$1.41 KGS 123

2.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 MKD 72.0

$1.79 KGS 157

-24.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 MKD 67.7

$2.02 KGS 177

-36.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MKD 85.5

$1.55 KGS 135

4.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 MKD 46.16

$0.59 KGS 51.2

47.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 MKD 42.70

$0.47 KGS 41.52

72.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 MKD 34.09

$0.74 KGS 65.1

-13.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MKD 30.24

$0.58 KGS 50.7

-1.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 MKD 186

$2.02 KGS 176

74.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.84 MKD 256

$9.27 KGS 811

-47.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MKD 57.4

$1.38 KGS 121

-21.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 MKD 81.2

$2.00 KGS 175

-23.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 MKD 48.04

$0.24 KGS 21.05

279.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 MKD 3,000

$11.50 KGS 1,005

393.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MKD 58.4

$0.83 KGS 72.8

32.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 MKD 35.62

$0.48 KGS 41.87

39.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 MKD 276

$5.62 KGS 491

-7.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MKD 79.5

$0.96 KGS 83.9

56.25%

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

$36.4K MKD 1.9M

$30.1K KGS 2.6M

21.01%

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

$28.6K MKD 1.5M

$32.7K KGS 2.9M

-12.63%

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

$103 MKD 5,459

$50.6 KGS 4,425

104.11%

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

$11.17 MKD 590

$5.81 KGS 508

92.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.87 MKD 1,050

$12.03 KGS 1,052

65.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.14 MKD 1,065

$54.3 KGS 4,748

-62.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.05 MKD 637

$14.55 KGS 1,272

-17.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.01 MKD 371

$5.62 KGS 492

24.73%

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

$124 MKD 6,555

$221 KGS 19.3K

-43.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,634 MKD 86.4K

$7,696 KGS 672.8K

-78.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 MKD 4,807

$55.7 KGS 4,871

63.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.27 MKD 1,652

$43.80 KGS 3,830

-28.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 MKD 3,953

$91.7 KGS 8,018

-18.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.5 MKD 2,879

$91.5 KGS 7,998

-40.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 MKD 14.8K

$580 KGS 50.7K

-51.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$226 MKD 11.9K

$416 KGS 36.3K

-45.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 MKD 24.4K

$1,075 KGS 94.0K

-57.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 MKD 19.5K

$717 KGS 62.7K

-48.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,590 MKD 84.0K

$1,773 KGS 155.0K

-10.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 MKD 74.4K

$1,195 KGS 104.4K

17.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$883 MKD 46.7K

$502 KGS 43.9K

76.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

20.22

-81.45%

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

Last update for Struga: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Struga and $580 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Struga pays 76% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Struga vs $29.00 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 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

Struga vs Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Struga is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Struga, 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 $580 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $124 in Struga 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 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $900 in Struga versus $970 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 8% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.