✦ Compare
Bishkek vs
Chicago
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Chicago, IL, you'd need
$328,650 / year
Chicago, IL is 338% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Chicago, IL vs Bishkek, KG)
- Housing+611%
- Food & groceries+250%
- Transport+409%
- Utilities+150%
- Healthcare+332%
- Goods & services+260%
▤ Full comparison
| Bishkek, KG | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 26 | 113 |
| Housing | 18 | 128 |
| Food | 30 | 105 |
| Transport | 22 | 112 |
| Utilities | 40 | 100 |
| Healthcare | 25 | 108 |
| Goods & services | 30 | 108 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $350/mo | $1,900/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $220/mo | $1,450/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $700/mo | $3,600/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $900 | $5,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $3,862 | $881 |
| Inexpensive meal | $4 | $18 |
| Monthly transit pass | $12 | $105 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 10% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 12% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | 10% | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 10% | 21% |
| Capital gains | 10% | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $430/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Minimum wage | $40/mo | $1,257/mo |
| GDP per capita | $1,900 | $82,000 |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Low | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 8 | 90 |
| Time zone | UTC+6 | UTC-6 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 62 | 48 |
| Healthcare index | 45 | 80 |
| Pollution index | 70 | 45 |
| Internet speed | 45 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 60 | 78 |
| Public transport | 45 | 78 |
| Family-friendly | 60 | 60 |
| Tap water | Use caution | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $40/mo | $450/mo |
| Life expectancy | 72 yr | 79 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Low | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | -2 °C | -4 °C |
| July avg | +25 °C | +24 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 322 | 189 |
| Rainfall / year | 450 mm | 950 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 4 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Kyrgyzstan vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Is Bishkek cheaper than Chicago?
Chicago is about 338% more expensive than Bishkek overall — its cost-of-living index is 113 versus 26 for Bishkek.
How much do you need to earn in Chicago to live like in Bishkek?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Bishkek is worth about $328,650 in Chicago. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Bishkek or Chicago?
Kyrgyzstan has the lower top income-tax rate — 10% versus 37% in United States.
◷ More comparisons from Bishkek
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.