✦ Compare
Bishkek vs
Melbourne
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 Melbourne, AU, you'd need
$341,976 / year
Melbourne, AU is 356% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Melbourne, AU vs Bishkek, KG)
- Housing+667%
- Food & groceries+273%
- Transport+355%
- Utilities+170%
- Healthcare+280%
- Goods & services+287%
Median 1-bed rent
$350 /mo
Bishkek, KG overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$1,800 /mo
Melbourne, AU overview →
â–¤ Full comparison
| Bishkek, KG | Melbourne, AU | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 26 | 118 |
| Housing | 18 | 138 |
| Food | 30 | 112 |
| Transport | 22 | 100 |
| Utilities | 40 | 108 |
| Healthcare | 25 | 95 |
| Goods & services | 30 | 116 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $350/mo | $1,800/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $220/mo | $1,350/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $700/mo | $3,400/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $900 | $9,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $3,862 | $847 |
| Inexpensive meal | $4 | $17 |
| Monthly transit pass | $12 | $110 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 10% | 45% |
| VAT / sales tax | 12% | 10% |
| Social security (employee) | 10% | — |
| Corporate tax | 10% | 30% |
| Capital gains | 10% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $430/mo | $3,900/mo |
| Minimum wage | $40/mo | $2,600/mo |
| GDP per capita | $1,900 | $65,000 |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Low | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 8 | 70 |
| Time zone | UTC+6 | UTC+10 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 62 | 68 |
| Healthcare index | 45 | 85 |
| Pollution index | 70 | 30 |
| Internet speed | 45 Mbps | 90 Mbps |
| Walkability | 60 | 78 |
| Public transport | 45 | 80 |
| Family-friendly | 60 | 74 |
| Tap water | Use caution | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $40/mo | — |
| Life expectancy | 72 yr | 83 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Low | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | -2 °C | +20 °C |
| July avg | +25 °C | +10 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 322 | 180 |
| Rainfall / year | 450 mm | 600 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 4 h | 1.5 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Kyrgyzstan vs Australia. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Is Bishkek cheaper than Melbourne?
Melbourne is about 356% more expensive than Bishkek overall — its cost-of-living index is 118 versus 26 for Bishkek.
How much do you need to earn in Melbourne to live like in Bishkek?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Bishkek is worth about $341,976 in Melbourne. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Bishkek or Melbourne?
Kyrgyzstan has the lower top income-tax rate — 10% versus 45% in Australia.
â—· More comparisons from Bishkek
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.