- Film in Kyrgyzstan
- Production costs
Cost of filming in Kyrgyzstan
A 12-hour shooting day in Kyrgyzstan with a local crew of 13 and a standard ARRI Alexa Mini LF camera package costs about $2,600: about $1,500 in crew fees and $1,100 in equipment rental. A comparable day costs about $8,000 in Spain, $10,900 in Germany and $31,700 in the USA. The main reason is the cost of the crew: below are the day rates we actually pay local specialists, position by position, so you can build a first estimate before you write to us. Figures are indicative; the final budget depends on the scale of the project, the locations and the equipment.
How to read the rates
All figures are per 12-hour shooting day for one specialist, without equipment: camera, lighting, grip and sound packages are rented separately through our rental partners and added to the estimate per project. Overtime beyond 12 hours, travel days and rest days are agreed in the estimate before the shoot.
Rates are in Kyrgyz som, converted at the National Bank rate of October 2026 (87.45 KGS per USD) and rounded. They reflect our current practice and are updated when the market changes; the date of the last update is at the bottom of the page.
Crew day rates in Kyrgyzstan (2026)
| Position | Per 12-hour day, KGS | USD, approx. |
|---|---|---|
| Director | 20 000 | from $230 |
| Director of photography | 15 000 | from $170 |
| Production designer | 15 000 | from $170 |
| First assistant director | 15 000 | from $170 |
| Assistant director | 5 000 | from $55 |
| Gaffer | 15 000 | from $170 |
| Lighting technician | 7 000 | from $80 |
| Camera technician / key grip | 10 000 | from $115 |
| Focus puller | 5 000 | from $55 |
| Props master | 10 000 | from $115 |
| Costume designer | 7 000 | from $80 |
| Make-up artist | 7 000 | from $80 |
| Sound recordist | 10 000 | from $115 |
| Line producer | 10 000 | from $115 |
| Unit manager | 7 000 | from $80 |
| Location manager | 7 000 | from $80 |
| Casting director | 15 000 | from $170 |
| Craft service | 5 000 | from $55 |
Per specialist, per 12-hour shooting day, without equipment. Som converted at 87.45 KGS/USD and rounded to $5.
Sample crew budget for one shooting day
A typical unit for a commercial or music video in Kyrgyzstan: director, director of photography, first assistant director, gaffer, two lighting technicians, camera technician, focus puller, sound recordist, line producer, unit manager, location manager and craft service. Thirteen local specialists for a 12-hour day cost about $1,500 in crew fees.
Add a standard equipment package (ARRI Alexa Mini LF, six cinema primes, HMI and LED lighting, a dolly with track, a sound kit) for about $1,100 per day, and the shooting day comes to about $2,600. Transport and 4x4 vehicles, catering, accommodation outside Bishkek and location costs are added per project. Larger crews, feature films and remote high-mountain locations cost more, and we show every line in the itemised estimate before work begins.
What is not in the crew rates
Equipment rental (camera, lenses, lighting, grip, power, sound), transport and fuel, crew accommodation and catering outside the city, location fees and permits, actors and extras, props, costumes and set construction, and post-production. All of these are planned together with the shooting schedule and fixed in the estimate, so the budget agreed before the shoot is the budget you pay.
How Kyrgyzstan compares with other countries
| Country | Shooting day | vs Kyrgyzstan | Saved over 10 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | $31,700 | ×12.1 | $290,200 |
| Germany | $10,900 | ×4.2 | $82,800 |
| Spain | $8,000 | ×3.0 | $53,100 |
| Turkey | $10,000 | ×3.8 | $73,600 |
| Romania | $6,200 | ×2.4 | $35,900 |
| Kyrgyzstan | $2,600 | ×1.0 | base |
Sources
Frequently asked questions
01How much does a shooting day cost?
02How does payment work?
03What happens if the plan changes?
04Can we bring our own team?
Didn’t find the right location?
We can run a location scout specifically for your script.
Updated: 2026-10-20