How much we spent: 3 weeks in Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬

Calvin Chan
Aug 21, 2024
4 min read

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

Thumbnail of our short video on How much we spent for 19 days in Kyrgyzstan

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 📅 19 days in Jul 2024 | ☀️ Summer

This is how much we (2 people) spent during 19 days in Kyrgyzstan, from July to August 2024 (Summer). We hit up Bishkek, Song Kul, Bokonbayevo, Barskoon, Karakol, Ala Kul, Altyn Arashan and Jyrgalan in our 19 days.

For reference, we're nature-loving, value-seeking 20-something year olds from Australia who think with their stomachs. Hopefully this helps you plan and budget your trip to Kyrgyzstan! Three money saving tips for Kyrgyzstan below!

💲How much we spent

Total spend*: 2,441 AUD | 1,635 USD | 1,465 EUR

Daily spend: 100 AUD | 67 USD | 60 EUR

* The above prices are without international travel and shopping costs (i.e. arriving in country and souvenirs)

🛏️ Accomodation: 34 AUD /day 648 AUD | 434 USD | 389 EUR

Accomodation in Kyrgyzstan is very affordable. We stayed in a variety of private rooms in guesthouses, private yurts, shared yurts and hostels, and all were comfortable. The great thing about accomodation in Kyrgyzstan, is that no matter what type of accom you choose, there is always complimentary snacks like nuts, biscuits, fruit and hot tea in the common areas - free of charge! Our favourite stay in Kyrgyzstan, and our favourite from anywhere in our 6 months of travel so far was hands down Mine Hostel in Jyrgalan. It has clean modern rooms, a huge kitchen, washer-dryer and even a Russian style sauna on-site - you cannot go wrong with Mine Hostel.

Screenshot from our KimnCal Travel Budget Tracker, showing our Kyrgyzstan Accom expenses.

🍽️ Food: 24 AUD /day 448 AUD | 300 USD | 269 EUR

Continuing the theme of value, the food here was super affordable. We typically ate out more than once a day, and cooked about once per day during our trip here. Food here, like the rest of Central Asia is hearty, warm and homey. Our personal favourites were Laghman and any food cooked by the guesthouse auntie.

Screenshot from our KimnCal Travel Budget Tracker, showing our Kyrgyzstan Food expenses.

🚶🏻‍♂️ Activities: 26 AUD /day 490 AUD | 328 USD | 294 EUR

Here is where we splurged a little and dropped the most money we've spent on an activity, of our 6 months travel so far. Kyrgyzstan is known for their horses worldwide, with offers in the millions for some of the beautiful stallions and mares. Knowing this, and seeing pictures of the beautiful Song Kul lake and milky-way above it, we knew we had to do a horse-riding tour. We got recommended to Mirbekov Timur by fellow travellers and we're so glad we did. Timur and his family run a horse-tour operation where you stay with local families in yurts and eventually end up at Song Kul lake to stay at his own family's encampment. Chill, magical and serene. Must do!

Screenshot from our KimnCal Travel Budget Tracker, showing our Kyrgyzstan Activities expenses.

🚌 Local transport: 8 AUD /day 145 AUD | 97 USD | 87 EUR

Like most of Central Asia, Yandex is available in Kyrgyzstan, though mainly in the bigger cities. For trips outside the cities or in rural areas, Marshrutkas (local buses) or hiring a car are the only real options. Car hires start off at ~100 AUD per day, so we opted for marshrutkas between towns. Very easy to do, but be ready to run in and grab a seat at the bus during peak times, there is no waiting line. First come, first serve!

Screenshot from our KimnCal Travel Budget Tracker, showing our Kyrgyzstan Local Transport expenses.

🧺 Misc: 5 AUD /day 91 AUD | 61 USD | 54 EUR

This category encompasses anything and everything outside of the other categories, and shopping below. Typically this includes laundry, pharmaceuticals, buying replacement for things, and in this case multivitamins. We'd been feeling a little rundown after 6 months of travel, and though some multivitamins would help.

Screenshot from our KimnCal Travel Budget Tracker, showing our Kyrgyzstan Misc expenses.

🛍️ Shopping: 4 AUD /day 81 AUD | 54 USD | 49 EUR

The first shopping purchase of the trip! Pretty good for 6 months in. After trekking with camping gear in Tajikistan, our knees, feet and ankles were destroyed. With more hikes planned for Kyrgyzstan onwards, we thought it'd be a good idea to get some trekking poles at the start of our trip in Kyrgyzstan. So glad we did. Trekking poles aren't just for old people!

Screenshot from our KimnCal Travel Budget Tracker, showing our Kyrgyzstan Shopping expenses.

🧠 Tips on saving money in Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬

Download the Yandex app! It’s the equivalent of Uber in Central Asia and will save you $$$ if you take taxis. Only works in the bigger cities in Kyrgyzstan, but well worth it.
Eat local! There are tons of fancy foreign restaurants in Kyrgyzstan, especially in Bishkek, but the best value food,and best tasting in our opinion, are the local joints.
Take marshrutkas (local buses) between cities! This is definitely the cheapest way to travel between cities and towns in Kyrgyzstan, over a taxi/yandex or hiring a car. You never need to book these, just wait at the bus stop or even hitchhike one down on the road!