Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tashkent and Bishkek

For one person, living is cheaper in Bishkek: $980 a month against $1,038 in Tashkent, rent and utilities included – about $700 less a year. The total is higher in Tashkent despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Tashkent
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Tashkent Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Bishkek
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Bishkek Living Index

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Tashkent

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$1,038

/mo nomad

Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tashkent and in Bishkek

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tashkent and in Bishkek actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,038 in Tashkent versus $980 in Bishkek.

Tashkent $1,038
Bishkek $980

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,636 in Tashkent versus $1,503 in Bishkek.

Tashkent $1,636
Bishkek $1,503

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,234 in Tashkent versus $2,026 in Bishkek.

Tashkent $2,234
Bishkek $2,026

Living in Tashkent is roughly 6% more expensive than in Bishkek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tashkent 23% lower, Bishkek 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.54 UZS 78.8K

$7.02 KGS 614

-6.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.23 UZS 412.5K

$28.73 KGS 2,513

19.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 UZS 61.7K

$5.73 KGS 501

-10.65%

Cappuccino

$2.62 UZS 31.6K

$2.40 KGS 210

9.17%

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

$0.71 UZS 8,593

$0.75 KGS 66.0

-5.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 UZS 3,921

$0.40 KGS 35.19

-17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 UZS 26.0K

$1.41 KGS 123

53.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 UZS 45.7K

$1.89 KGS 165

100.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 UZS 15.2K

$1.03 KGS 90.1

22.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 UZS 10.4K

$0.38 KGS 33.63

126.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 UZS 19.8K

$1.64 KGS 144

Eggs

$1.78 UZS 21.4K

$1.77 KGS 155

0.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 UZS 95.5K

$7.70 KGS 674

2.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 UZS 50.5K

$4.51 KGS 395

-7.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 UZS 151.8K

$9.00 KGS 787

40.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 UZS 18.5K

$1.36 KGS 119

12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 UZS 21.7K

$1.88 KGS 165

-4.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 UZS 28.0K

$2.01 KGS 176

15.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 UZS 20.7K

$1.53 KGS 134

11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 UZS 6,683

$0.58 KGS 50.8

-5.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 UZS 4,526

$0.48 KGS 41.73

-20.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 UZS 12.4K

$0.70 KGS 61.2

47.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 UZS 5,799

$0.61 KGS 53.8

-21.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 UZS 24.9K

$2.02 KGS 177

2.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 UZS 92.3K

$9.18 KGS 803

-16.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 UZS 16.4K

$1.42 KGS 124

-4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 UZS 43.9K

$2.01 KGS 176

81.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 UZS 1,937

$0.22 KGS 19.13

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 UZS 150.8K

$11.78 KGS 1,031

6.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 UZS 9,790

$0.87 KGS 76.4

-6.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 UZS 4,376

$0.47 KGS 41.43

-23.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 UZS 39.8K

$5.65 KGS 494

-41.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 UZS 13.9K

$1.02 KGS 89.4

12.75%

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

$16.6K UZS 200.4M

$30.0K KGS 2.6M

-44.48%

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

$24.0K UZS 289.1M

$33.6K KGS 2.9M

-28.53%

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

$68.1 UZS 821.0K

$50.2 KGS 4,393

35.69%

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

$4.49 UZS 54.1K

$5.62 KGS 491

-20.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.64 UZS 164.4K

$11.77 KGS 1,029

15.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 UZS 754.2K

$55.0 KGS 4,813

13.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.78 UZS 226.3K

$14.87 KGS 1,301

26.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 UZS 72.1K

$5.68 KGS 497

5.28%

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

$328 UZS 4.0M

$222 KGS 19.4K

48.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,455 UZS 113.9M

$7,839 KGS 685.7K

20.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.10 UZS 591.7K

$55.4 KGS 4,843

-11.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 UZS 708.4K

$42.81 KGS 3,745

37.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 UZS 1.4M

$89.6 KGS 7,841

26.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 UZS 1.7M

$91.8 KGS 8,030

52.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 UZS 7.2M

$612 KGS 53.5K

-1.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 UZS 4.6M

$410 KGS 35.8K

-6.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 UZS 14.6M

$1,041 KGS 91.1K

16.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 UZS 8.6M

$708 KGS 62.0K

0.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,585 UZS 19.1M

$1,803 KGS 157.7K

-12.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$945 UZS 11.4M

$1,224 KGS 107.0K

-22.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$711 UZS 8.6M

$514 KGS 45.0K

38.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.31

20.1

15.97%

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

Last update for Tashkent: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tashkent

$382 36.8%

Bishkek

$410 41.8% 7.2% $27

Groceries & Markets

Tashkent

$195 18.8%

Bishkek

$177 18% 9.7% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Tashkent

$162 15.6%

Bishkek

$126 12.8% 22.4% $36

Eating Out

Tashkent

$122 11.7%

Bishkek

$118 12% 3.4% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tashkent

$86 8.3%

Bishkek

$68 6.9% 21.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Tashkent

$75 7.2%

Bishkek

$66 6.8% 11% $8.2

Getting Around

Tashkent

$16 1.5%

Bishkek

$16 1.6% 0.7% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $600 in Tashkent and $612 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tashkent pays 38% 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: $34.00 in Tashkent vs $29.00 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $177 per month, with Bishkek cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇿 Tashkent

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🕒 Local time

02:31 2:31 AM

03:31 3:31 AM

1 h ahead of Tashkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,956,384 Capital

1,012,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to UZS – Uzbekistani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇿 Uzbekistani Som (soʻm)

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 12,051 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD). 1 EUR = 13,548 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR).

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 87.48 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.35 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

USD to UZS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tashkent Bishkek 470 km

From you

Tashkent
Bishkek

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Tashkent vs Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bishkek is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Tashkent, 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: $600 in Tashkent versus $612 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $328 in Tashkent versus $222 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Tashkent. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $980 in Bishkek versus $1,038 in Tashkent, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bishkek but tight or insufficient in Tashkent. The gap between the two cities makes Bishkek the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bishkek is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tashkent, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tashkent 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 Bishkek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Tashkent. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.