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: $796 in Struga versus $901 in Bishkek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,201 in Struga versus $1,378 in Bishkek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,607 in Struga versus $1,855 in Bishkek.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Struga 40% lower, Bishkek 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.68 MKD 412

$6.44 KGS 563

19.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.32 MKD 1,626

$21.10 KGS 1,844

43.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 MKD 254

$5.69 KGS 498

-16.70%

Cappuccino

$1.51 MKD 81.0

$2.07 KGS 181

-27.05%

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

$1.71 MKD 91.6

$0.63 KGS 55.4

171.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 MKD 66.0

$0.36 KGS 31.14

241.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MKD 138

$1.22 KGS 106

111.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MKD 176

$1.71 KGS 149

92.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 MKD 60.7

$0.96 KGS 84.3

17.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 MKD 36.67

$0.50 KGS 43.37

36.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MKD 92.5

$1.57 KGS 137

9.55%

Eggs

$2.07 MKD 111

$1.73 KGS 152

19.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.85 MKD 367

$8.20 KGS 717

-16.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.75 MKD 309

$4.84 KGS 423

18.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.47 MKD 508

$7.93 KGS 693

19.42%

Apples (1kg)

$0.58 MKD 30.97

$1.12 KGS 98.1

-48.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 MKD 68.2

$1.94 KGS 170

-34.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 MKD 51.9

$2.11 KGS 185

-54.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 MKD 62.4

$1.72 KGS 150

-32.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 MKD 39.31

$0.55 KGS 48.44

32.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 MKD 52.6

$0.50 KGS 43.48

96.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 MKD 29.02

$0.55 KGS 48.27

-1.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 MKD 19.43

$0.47 KGS 41.53

-23.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 MKD 167

$1.76 KGS 154

77.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.61 MKD 194

$8.18 KGS 715

-55.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 56.7

$1.15 KGS 100

-7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 54.1

$1.89 KGS 166

-46.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MKD 34.35

$0.22 KGS 19.21

190.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.10 MKD 1,078

$11.45 KGS 1,001

75.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 MKD 52.2

$1.41 KGS 123

-31.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 MKD 26.13

$0.24 KGS 21.00

104.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 MKD 408

$3.34 KGS 292

127.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MKD 79.3

$0.85 KGS 74.5

74.12%

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

$34.1K MKD 1.8M

$37.2K KGS 3.3M

-8.28%

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

$29.8K MKD 1.6M

$33.5K KGS 2.9M

-11.15%

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

$91.3 MKD 4,896

$34.63 KGS 3,027

163.56%

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

$15.16 MKD 813

$6.76 KGS 591

124.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.26 MKD 1,033

$11.94 KGS 1,044

61.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 MKD 1,389

$42.67 KGS 3,730

-39.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.67 MKD 1,216

$15.96 KGS 1,395

42.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MKD 353

$4.49 KGS 393

46.77%

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

$319 MKD 17.1K

$200 KGS 17.5K

59.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,221 MKD 65.5K

$4,546 KGS 397.4K

-73.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 MKD 4,220

$37.74 KGS 3,300

108.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.26 MKD 1,516

$40.29 KGS 3,522

-29.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.0 MKD 3,489

$96.0 KGS 8,395

-32.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.43 MKD 2,008

$104 KGS 9,128

-64.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 MKD 15.0K

$498 KGS 43.5K

-43.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$226 MKD 12.1K

$370 KGS 32.4K

-39.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 MKD 20.9K

$922 KGS 80.6K

-57.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MKD 17.0K

$633 KGS 55.3K

-49.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,545 MKD 82.9K

$1,783 KGS 155.8K

-13.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,381 MKD 74.1K

$1,176 KGS 102.8K

17.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 47.0K

$490 KGS 42.9K

78.55%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Struga and $498 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Struga pays 79% 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 $156 vs $171, 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 79% 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: $280 in Struga versus $498 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $319 in Struga versus $200 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Bishkek. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $796 in Struga versus $901 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 13% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.