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 $2,184 per month in Australia vs $1,005 in Russia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Australia vs $1,556 in Russia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,249 per month in Australia vs $2,107 in Russia, rent included.

Australia costs about 117% more than Russia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Russia is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Australia has a wider regional cost range ($1,584–$2,827) than Russia ($685–$1,637), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$22.57

$10.28 ₽772

57.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$107

$44.41 ₽3,336

73.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 A$13.64

$6.46 ₽485

51.86%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$4.97

$2.58 ₽194

38.76%

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

$2.57 A$3.57

$1.15 ₽86.2

123.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.03

$0.51 ₽38.06

327.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.22

$2.52 ₽189

163.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$9.90

$3.19 ₽240

123.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.09

$1.21 ₽90.6

23.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.51

$0.69 ₽52.1

266.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.88

$1.45 ₽109

42.76%

Eggs

$4.29 A$5.96

$1.75 ₽132

145.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.02

$11.12 ₽836

-22.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.60

$5.28 ₽397

57.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 A$19.33

$10.13 ₽761

37.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.58

$1.82 ₽137

81.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.85

$1.93 ₽145

43.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.10

$2.12 ₽159

39.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.83

$3.09 ₽232

35.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.36

$0.84 ₽63.4

188.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.92

$0.72 ₽54.2

191.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.14

$1.37 ₽103

64.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.09

$0.68 ₽51.4

120.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.58 A$43.90

$3.02 ₽227

945.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 A$19.86

$8.10 ₽609

76.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.38

$0.99 ₽74.2

363.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.70

$1.95 ₽146

147.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 A$4.19

$0.53 ₽39.70

469.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 A$137

$34.63 ₽2,602

183.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.84

$2.46 ₽184

41.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.43

$0.35 ₽26.40

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 A$52.8

$6.39 ₽480

494.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.68

$0.73 ₽55.1

65.75%

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

$29.0K A$40.4K

$37.6K ₽2.8M

-22.83%

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

$22.6K A$31.4K

$35.8K ₽2.7M

-37.02%

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

$177 A$247

$121 ₽9,065

47.00%

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

$26.85 A$37.32

$6.60 ₽496

306.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 A$72.9

$8.05 ₽604

551.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 A$66.1

$39.32 ₽2,954

20.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.46 A$22.88

$21.29 ₽1,600

-22.69%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.09

$5.54 ₽417

147.83%

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

$1,593 A$2,215

$411 ₽30.9K

287.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.7K

$9,272 ₽696.6K

37.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 A$100

$79.1 ₽5,946

-8.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$71.3

$46.90 ₽3,524

9.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$143

$115 ₽8,653

-10.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$151

$117 ₽8,808

-7.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 A$1,947

$583 ₽43.8K

140.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,501

$378 ₽28.4K

185.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 A$3,253

$1,158 ₽87.0K

102.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 A$2,441

$729 ₽54.8K

140.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,733 A$10.7K

$2,674 ₽200.9K

189.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,563 A$7,733

$1,851 ₽139.0K

200.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,000 A$5,560

$865 ₽65.0K

362.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

16.88

-62.38%

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

Last update for Australia: April 27, 2026

Last update for Russia: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $446 in Russia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,529 in Canberra and $1,335 in Moscow.

Average salary: $3,878 in Australia vs $802 in Russia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 176% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 93% more in Australia.

Public transport is 644% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 384% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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 90% 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 90% 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.