Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Russia Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Russia

Name: Russia
Address: RU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,487 per month in Australia vs $994 in Russia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,622 per month in Australia vs $1,535 in Russia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,757 per month in Australia vs $2,075 in Russia, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 150% higher than in Russia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 82% above the global median, while Russia is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,215–$3,100) than in Russia ($410–$1,707), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.49 A$24.56

$9.99 ₽836

75.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 A$118

$40.66 ₽3,405

106.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 A$15.04

$6.18 ₽518

73.30%

Cappuccino

$3.97 A$5.58

$2.77 ₽232

43.32%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 A$4.03

$1.22 ₽102

135.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 A$3.40

$0.55 ₽46.09

340.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 A$11.02

$1.77 ₽148

343.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 A$11.16

$2.96 ₽248

168.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 A$2.52

$1.22 ₽102

47.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 A$4.02

$0.71 ₽59.8

302.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.24

$1.48 ₽124

56.08%

Eggs

$4.98 A$6.99

$1.66 ₽139

200.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 A$13.59

$11.15 ₽933

-13.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 A$12.95

$5.21 ₽436

76.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.48 A$21.73

$10.85 ₽908

42.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 A$5.39

$1.87 ₽157

105.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.29

$1.89 ₽158

61.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.45

$1.80 ₽151

76.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 A$6.82

$3.08 ₽258

57.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.10

$0.85 ₽71.3

243.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.28

$0.69 ₽58.2

237.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.36

$1.39 ₽116

71.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.37

$0.72 ₽60.1

134.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.07 A$53.5

$2.99 ₽251

1173.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.03

$8.27 ₽693

72.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.84 A$6.80

$1.09 ₽91.2

344.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.08

$2.10 ₽176

140.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 A$4.00

$0.56 ₽47.14

408.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$133

$31.38 ₽2,628

201.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 A$5.09

$2.49 ₽208

45.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 A$2.34

$0.44 ₽36.81

277.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.92 A$57.5

$6.32 ₽529

547.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.84

$0.83 ₽69.9

57.83%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.1K A$39.5K

$35.8K ₽3.0M

-21.50%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.3K A$41.2K

$33.3K ₽2.8M

-11.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$200 A$280

$132 ₽11.1K

50.83%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$29.33 A$41.19

$6.82 ₽571

330.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 A$81.3

$8.35 ₽699

593.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 A$79.0

$37.79 ₽3,165

48.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.23 A$27.00

$25.35 ₽2,123

-24.14%

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 A$22.23

$5.97 ₽500

165.16%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,163 A$3,037

$379 ₽31.7K

470.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K A$25.5K

$11.4K ₽957.7K

59.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 A$113

$75.6 ₽6,329

6.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 A$77.0

$47.23 ₽3,955

16.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$159

$119 ₽9,959

-4.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$177

$112 ₽9,396

12.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 A$2,204

$528 ₽44.2K

197.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 A$1,748

$355 ₽29.7K

250.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,448 A$3,438

$923 ₽77.3K

165.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 A$2,743

$644 ₽53.9K

203.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,257 A$11.6K

$2,543 ₽212.9K

224.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,108 A$8,577

$1,793 ₽150.1K

240.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,015 A$5,638

$825 ₽69.1K

386.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

21.3

-72.16%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: August 17, 2026

Last update for Russia: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,376 in Australia vs $426 in Russia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,754 in Canberra and $1,453 in Moscow.

Average salary: $3,873 in Australia vs $765 in Russia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 223% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 124% more in Australia.

Public transport is 295% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 406% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Australia vs Russia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Russia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 104% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Russia, contributing to the overall 104% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Russia, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Russia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.