In March 2026, Kyrgyzstan saw a significant increase in the prices of eggs (16.41%) and meat (4.3%). Meanwhile, the prices of bakery products and some vegetables remained stable or even decreased. These conclusions are based on data from weekly monitoring conducted by the National Statistical Committee from March 2 to March 30, 2026.
Overall Price Changes in March
The analysis of March data revealed a variety of price dynamics in the country's food market.
The most significant blow to citizens' budgets came from eggs, the price of which rose by almost 20.3 soms per dozen, as well as from meat products. The main contributors to food inflation in March were beef, lamb, and horse meat.
The prices of sugar, sunflower oil, and premium flour remained almost unchanged, varying within 0.14-0.42 percent.
Leaders in price reduction were milk and long-grain rice. The decrease in the price of milk by 3.47 percent is attributed to a seasonal increase in supply from farmers during the spring period.
Food Prices in Different Regions of Kyrgyzstan
Medium-Grain Rice
The price of this product fell by 0.37 percent, amounting to 146.37 soms. In Bishkek, the decrease was 0.79 percent, while in Osh it was 0.46 percent.
Long-Grain Rice
The average price decreased by 1.34 percent, reaching 159.58 soms. In Bishkek, the decrease was 1.26 percent, while in Osh it was 1.05 percent.
Premium Wheat Flour
The price increased by 0.14 percent, reaching 74.01 soms per kilogram. In Bishkek, the increase was 0.21 percent, while in Osh it was 0.06 percent.
First-Grade Wheat Flour
The average price was 54.45 soms (+0.80 percent). In Bishkek, it remained the same, while in Osh, prices increased by 1.49 percent.
First-Grade Bread
The average cost reached 72.78 soms (+0.5 percent). The price in Bishkek and Osh remained unchanged.
Flatbread
The price of traditional bread decreased by 0.71 percent, amounting to 104.15 soms. In Bishkek, it remained the same, while in Osh, there was a decrease of 2.94 percent.
Beef
The price of meat increased by 4.79 percent, with an average cost of 753.98 soms. In Bishkek, the increase was 3.43 percent, while in Osh it was 8.92 percent.
Lamb
The cost increased by 3.48 percent, amounting to 738.47 soms. In the capital, meat became more expensive by 2.51 percent, while in Osh it increased by 7.40 percent.
Horse Meat
The average price was 708.56 soms (+4.63 percent). In Bishkek, the increase was 5.91 percent.
Bulk Milk
The price decreased by 3.47 percent, amounting to 69 soms. In Bishkek, milk became cheaper by 2.51 percent, while in Osh it decreased by 5.32 percent.
Chicken Eggs
This product became the absolute leader in price growth: +16.41 percent on average across Kyrgyzstan (143.89 soms). In Bishkek, the price increased by 14.62 percent, while in Osh it rose by 21.8 percent.
Sunflower Oil
The average price was 191.48 soms (+0.42 percent). In Bishkek, the increase was 0.27 percent, while in Osh it was 1.6 percent.
Potatoes
The price decreased by 0.64 percent, amounting to 54.14 soms. In Bishkek, the decrease was 2.24 percent, while in Osh it was 0.65 percent.
Granulated Sugar
The average price across Kyrgyzstan was 81.64 soms (+0.21 percent). In the capital, sugar became more expensive by 1.65 percent, while in Osh it became cheaper by 3.42 percent.
Black Tea (100 grams)
The price increased by 1.38 percent, amounting to 117.90 soms. In Bishkek, the increase was 3.25 percent, while in Osh there was a decrease of 1.77 percent.
Green Tea (100 grams)
The cost increased by 1.25 percent, amounting to 83.18 soms. In Bishkek, there was an increase of 3.26 percent, while in Osh there was a decrease of 0.31 percent.
Wheat
The average price across the country was 32.36 soms, increasing by 0.84 percent. In Bishkek, the price remained the same, while in Osh it increased by 2.87 percent.
In Osh, the price dynamics for key products (meat and eggs) significantly exceed the average national indicators. For example, in the southern capital, the price of beef increased by almost 9 percent, which is twice as high as in Bishkek.
Comparison of Food Basket Prices in Bishkek and Osh
For the analysis, we decided to calculate the approximate cost of a set of 17 essential products in each city, based on data on average prices and their changes in March.
Where is the food basket cheaper?
By summing the cost of 1 kilogram (or unit) of each of the 17 products, we obtained the following results:
Although beef is more expensive in Bishkek (785.41 soms versus 783.81), Osh is experiencing a significant price increase — 8.92 percent over the month. If this trend continues, by April, the southern capital will surpass the northern one in meat prices.
Osh turned out to be the most expensive city for buying eggs, where the price increase was 21.8 percent, making this product the main factor of inflation in the south.
The southern capital benefits from lower prices for long-grain rice (cheaper by 20 soms), tea, and vegetables.
At the same time, Bishkek maintains its leadership in the cost of milk and potatoes (the highest values in the country), but does not show price increases for bread and flour.
