Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Russia

Name: Russia
Address: RU

For one person, living is cheaper in Russia: $1,245 a month against $2,539 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Russia
Learn more

Russia Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,245

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Russia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in Russia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,539 per month in Australia vs $1,245 in Russia, rent included.

Australia $2,539
Russia $1,245

A couple spends around $3,716 per month in Australia vs $1,945 in Russia, rent included.

Australia $3,716
Russia $1,945

A family of three spends $4,892 per month in Australia vs $2,645 in Russia, rent included.

Australia $4,892
Russia $2,645

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,635–$3,245, Russia $81.0–$1,887. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Australia is about 104% higher than in Russia on average.

Australia sits 87% above the global median, while Russia is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 A$24.97

$11.70 ₽976

48.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$122

$42.07 ₽3,511

100.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 A$15.79

$6.50 ₽542

68.92%

Cappuccino

$3.84 A$5.53

$3.09 ₽258

24.27%

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

$2.89 A$4.16

$1.28 ₽107

125.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.29

$0.62 ₽51.5

269.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 A$11.21

$2.34 ₽195

232.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.42 A$12.12

$3.06 ₽256

175.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 A$2.52

$1.22 ₽101

43.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$0.84 ₽70.2

230.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.33

$1.47 ₽123

57.14%

Eggs

$4.89 A$7.04

$1.62 ₽135

201.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 A$14.32

$11.69 ₽976

-14.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.03

$5.90 ₽492

53.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.92 A$21.46

$11.88 ₽991

25.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 A$5.25

$1.92 ₽160

90.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.78 ₽149

70.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.66

$1.81 ₽151

79.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 A$6.76

$3.13 ₽261

49.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.11

$0.75 ₽62.9

280.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.34

$0.68 ₽56.7

241.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.50

$1.37 ₽115

77.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.39

$0.82 ₽68.3

102.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.47 A$55.4

$2.96 ₽247

1199.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 A$19.92

$8.54 ₽713

62.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$7.01

$1.13 ₽94.6

330.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.59

$2.08 ₽174

153.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 A$3.90

$0.55 ₽46.26

392.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.0 A$135

$40.65 ₽3,393

131.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$2.37 ₽197

50.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.35

$0.47 ₽38.98

246.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.04 A$57.6

$6.61 ₽551

505.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.91

$0.88 ₽73.5

51.14%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$52.4K ₽4.4M

-44.37%

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

$25.7K A$37.0K

$39.3K ₽3.3M

-34.64%

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

$205 A$296

$142 ₽11.9K

44.54%

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

$28.24 A$40.63

$7.19 ₽600

292.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$82.0

$9.03 ₽754

530.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 A$79.7

$38.29 ₽3,195

44.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 A$28.01

$32.29 ₽2,695

-39.73%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 A$21.66

$7.12 ₽594

111.52%

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

$2,097 A$3,017

$485 ₽40.4K

332.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K A$26.0K

$16.6K ₽1.4M

8.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 A$112

$89.1 ₽7,433

-12.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 A$79.6

$53.1 ₽4,432

4.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$129 ₽10.8K

-13.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$128 ₽10.7K

-4.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 A$2,244

$615 ₽51.3K

153.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 A$1,748

$409 ₽34.2K

196.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,435 A$3,504

$1,124 ₽93.8K

116.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 A$2,769

$763 ₽63.7K

152.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,175 A$11.8K

$3,103 ₽259.0K

163.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,060 A$8,721

$2,101 ₽175.3K

188.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,038 A$5,811

$933 ₽77.9K

332.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.94

21.27

-72.07%

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

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Russia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 47.8%

Russia

$409 32.9% 66.3% $805

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$372 14.7%

Russia

$222 17.8% 40.4% $150

Eating Out

Australia

$294 11.6%

Russia

$176 14.1% 40.4% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$291 11.4%

Russia

$158 12.7% 45.5% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$165 6.5%

Russia

$180 14.4% 8.8% $14

Getting Around

Australia

$117 4.6%

Russia

$48 3.8% 59.2% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$85 3.4%

Russia

$53 4.2% 38.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,364 in Australia vs $441 in Russia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,719 in Canberra and $1,480 in Moscow.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $799 in Russia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 209% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 110% more in Australia.

Public transport is 838% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 382% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇷🇺 Russia

🕒 Local time

10:07 10:07 AM

02:07 2:07 AM

8 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

145,975,300

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Australia Russia 14,480 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Russia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,364 versus $441 in Russia.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Russia, adding to the overall 104% price gap.

$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.