Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek

Country Full Name: Kyrgyz Republic.

Location: Kyrgyzstan is in Central Asia, west of China.

Country Climate: Dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan Mountains; subtropical in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone.

Country Terrain: Peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass entire nation.

Major Languages: Kyrgyz, Russian.

Major Religions: Islam, Christianity.

Population: 0.762 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Kyrgyzstan was severely affected by the collapse of the Soviet trading block. Despite the backing of major Western lenders, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, Kyrgyzstan has had economic difficulties following independence. Agriculture is an important sector of the economy in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan is rich in mineral resources but has negligible petroleum and natural gas reserves.

Currency: Kyrgyzstanian Som (KGS).

Inflation: 7.1% (2011 est.).

Bishkek is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.

The economy in Bishkek is primarily agricultural with the mass amounts of fruits, vegetables and livestock providing a co-existing system of bartering in the outlying regions.

The cost of living in Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan is low compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan is currently ranked 532 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very low compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 742 places that are more expensive, and 37 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are high compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 190 places that are more expensive, and 589 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are average compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 426 places that are more expensive, and 353 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 571 places that are more expensive, and 208 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are average compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 356 places that are more expensive, and 423 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 715 places that are more expensive, and 64 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very high compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 65 places that are more expensive, and 714 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are very low compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 649 places that are more expensive, and 130 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 688 places that are more expensive, and 91 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very high compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 0 places that are more expensive, and 779 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are low compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 568 places that are more expensive, and 211 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 108 places that are more expensive, and 671 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are average compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 433 places that are more expensive, and 346 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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