Kyrgyzstan has lowest salary, but cheapest food products among EAEU countries

Bishkek, Apr. 22, 2019. /Kabar/. The National Statistics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic conducted a comparative analysis of prices of food products in the capitals of the countries participating in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), based on average market prices in each of the cities.
Calculations showed that the maximum average consumer prices for basic foodstuffs in March 2019 are observed in the city of Moscow.
Thus, the cost of a grocery basket, which included one kilogram of beef, lamb, butter, potatoes and flour, as well as a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread in the Russian capital amounted to $ 30.41. In Bishkek, this list of products averages $ 16.4, in Nur-Sultan - $ 18.69, in Minsk, excluding lamb - $ 15.7.
According to data of the ministry, in January-February of the current year in Kyrgyzstan, the average monthly nominal wage per employee (excluding small enterprises) was 15,226 soms, and increased by 4.6% compared to the same period last year. Based on the official exchange rate set by the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic, this amounted to $ 218.1.
A brief analysis of the average wage in the CIS countries shows that the level of wages in US dollars in the Kyrgyz Republic is lower than in other countries. For example, 3 times less than in Russia, 2 times less than in Kazakhstan and Belarus, 1.5 times less than in Armenia. Thus, Kyrgyzstan takes the last place in terms of average wages among the EAEU countries.