Living in Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Bukhara is a mid-sized inland city in Uzbekistan (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 17°C over the year with about 137 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,122 a month to live centrally. For foreigners, long-term residency in Uzbekistan is possible, with conditions.

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Est. cost: €2,122; a month for a couple
Climate: 17°C; 137 mm rain a year
Size: Mid-sized; 250,000 to 1 million people
Safety: 66/100; country-level
Residency: Possible, with conditions; for most foreigners

Limited data for Uzbekistan. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Uzbekistan are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Uzbekistan, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

What stands out about Bukhara

More affordable than 87% of the cities we compare
Dry: about 137 mm of rain a year

Climate

Bukhara averages 17°C across the year with about 137 mm of rain, which makes it mild and very dry. It is warmer than 43% of the 1225 cities we track.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Healthcare

Uzbekistan scores 54 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 8% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Uzbekistan: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €2,122 a month to live centrally in Bukhara, 22% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 87% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Residency and visas

Possible, with conditions. Long-term residency runs through capital routes (a five-year donation golden visa, a business-investment permit, or a property purchase granting indefinite residence) or a three-year IT visa for IT specialists and IT-sector investors, with marriage and study as other paths and no general passive-income or retirement option.

The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Uzbekistan:

Investment: about $100k (Uzbekistan real-estate residence route, property from USD 100,000 in Karakalpakstan/other regions (USD 200,000 Samarkand/Bukhara/etc., USD 300,000 Tashkent), open to a register of ~85 nationalities; thresholds are denominated in USD by the authorities so no FX conversion is needed, and the universal donation golden visa is USD 250,000.; as of June 2026)

For short visits, 93 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 47 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 58 need a visa in advance.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Safety and stability

Uzbekistan scores 66 out of 100 on safety, safer than 60% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 3.4 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Uzbekistan: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2021) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Questions couples ask about Bukhara

Is Bukhara a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Bukhara scores well on affordability. It is weaker on healthcare and political stability. Our figures for Uzbekistan are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a mild, very dry climate (17°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Bukhara and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Bukhara?

We estimate about €2,122 a month for a couple living centrally, 22% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Uzbekistan, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Uzbekistan long term?

Our assessment: possible, with conditions. Long-term residency runs through capital routes (a five-year donation golden visa, a business-investment permit, or a property purchase granting indefinite residence) or a three-year IT visa for IT specialists and IT-sector investors, with marriage and study as other paths and no general passive-income or retirement option. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $100k (as of 2026-06).

What is the weather like in Bukhara?

Bukhara averages 17°C across the year with about 137 mm of rain, which makes it mild and very dry. It is warmer than 43% of the cities we track.