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Bishkek vs Manila cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฐ๐ฌ Bishkek
๐ต๐ญ Manila
At a glance
- Where Manila is clearly cheaper: Massage (62%โ), Street food (49%โ), Laundry (39%โ)
- Where Bishkek is clearly cheaper: Taxi (47%โ), SIM card (44%โ), Convenience store (33%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Manila is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: language โ Bishkek 4 vs Manila 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bishkek | Manila | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ัะพะผ 400$4.58 | โฑ 280$4.91 | Bishkek โ7% |
| Street food1 item | ัะพะผ 150$1.72 | โฑ 50$0.88 | Manila โ49% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ัะพะผ 1,100$12.6 | โฑ 800$14 | Bishkek โ10% |
| Coffeeone cup | ัะพะผ 200$2.29 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Bishkek โ13% |
| Beerone bottle | ัะพะผ 150$1.72 | โฑ 120$2.11 | Bishkek โ18% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ัะพะผ 450$5.15 | โฑ 300$5.26 | similar |
| Bottled water | ัะพะผ 30$0.34 | โฑ 25$0.44 | Bishkek โ22% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ัะพะผ 65$0.74 | โฑ 63$1.11 | Bishkek โ33% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ัะพะผ 180$2.06 | โฑ 220$3.86 | Bishkek โ47% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ัะพะผ 110$1.26 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Manila โ16% |
| Transitone ride | ัะพะผ 20$0.23 | โฑ 15$0.26 | Bishkek โ13% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ัะพะผ 1,000$11.4 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Manila โ23% |
| Hotel night3-star | ัะพะผ 4,800$54.9 | โฑ 3,500$61.4 | Bishkek โ11% |
| Studio rent (month) | ัะพะผ 40,000$458 | โฑ 25,000$439 | similar |
| Laundry | ัะพะผ 150$1.72 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Manila โ39% |
| SIM card1 week data | ัะพะผ 300$3.43 | โฑ 350$6.14 | Bishkek โ44% |
| Haircutcut | ัะพะผ 400$4.58 | โฑ 180$3.16 | Manila โ31% |
| Massage1 hour | ัะพะผ 2,000$22.9 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Manila โ62% |
| Half-day tourper person | ัะพะผ 3,000$34.3 | โฑ 1,500$26.3 | Manila โ23% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ัะพะผ 200$2.29 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Bishkek โ13% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bishkek or Manila?
Bishkek is 9% cheaper than Manila. Daily budget $92.8 vs $107; a month $1,613 vs $1,683.
Which is easier to travel, Bishkek or Manila?
Manila is easier: Manila 2.6/5 vs Bishkek 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bishkek and Manila?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bishkek is about $1,613 and Manila about $1,683 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.