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 $1,006 in Russia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,219 per month in Australia vs $1,557 in Russia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,253 per month in Australia vs $2,108 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.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Australia spans $1,592–$2,842, Russia spans $683–$1,689. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.23

$10.08 ₽730

63.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 A$110

$45.22 ₽3,276

72.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 A$14.05

$6.51 ₽472

52.69%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.08

$2.61 ₽189

37.93%

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

$2.68 A$3.78

$1.13 ₽81.8

137.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.02

$0.55 ₽40.10

289.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.23

$2.58 ₽187

153.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$9.96

$3.10 ₽225

127.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.23

$1.21 ₽87.5

30.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.57

$0.70 ₽50.4

261.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.93

$1.53 ₽111

35.29%

Eggs

$4.30 A$6.08

$1.75 ₽127

145.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.76

$11.19 ₽811

-19.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 A$12.08

$5.14 ₽372

66.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 A$19.72

$10.21 ₽740

36.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.49

$1.76 ₽128

80.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.01

$1.86 ₽135

52.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.17

$2.13 ₽154

38.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 A$6.26

$3.17 ₽230

39.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.47

$0.85 ₽61.3

189.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.07

$0.74 ₽53.7

193.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.24

$1.42 ₽103

61.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.22

$0.73 ₽52.8

115.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.87 A$43.61

$3.01 ₽218

925.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 A$19.86

$9.36 ₽678

50.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.43

$0.99 ₽71.5

359.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.80

$1.95 ₽142

146.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 A$4.05

$0.49 ₽35.45

485.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$135

$33.86 ₽2,454

182.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.15

$2.45 ₽177

48.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 A$2.49

$0.35 ₽25.44

402.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.27 A$54.1

$6.19 ₽448

518.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$0.73 ₽52.9

57.53%

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

$28.4K A$40.1K

$37.7K ₽2.7M

-24.79%

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

$23.0K A$32.5K

$35.4K ₽2.6M

-35.10%

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

$178 A$251

$122 ₽8,829

46.06%

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

$26.46 A$37.38

$6.50 ₽471

307.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 A$76.4

$7.94 ₽576

581.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.64 A$65.9

$40.40 ₽2,927

15.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.37

$21.63 ₽1,568

-23.53%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 A$19.28

$5.69 ₽412

139.89%

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

$1,575 A$2,225

$413 ₽29.9K

281.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.9K

$9,380 ₽679.7K

35.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 A$101

$77.7 ₽5,631

-8.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 A$71.8

$46.41 ₽3,363

9.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$142

$113 ₽8,167

-11.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$117 ₽8,462

-7.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 A$1,955

$585 ₽42.4K

136.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 A$1,562

$378 ₽27.4K

192.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 A$3,246

$1,133 ₽82.1K

102.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 A$2,441

$743 ₽53.8K

132.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,610 A$10.8K

$3,209 ₽232.5K

137.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,504 A$7,776

$2,055 ₽148.9K

167.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,002 A$5,654

$959 ₽69.5K

317.11%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Russia: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $447 in Russia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,568 in Canberra and $1,310 in Moscow.

Average salary: $3,845 in Australia vs $846 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 354% 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 87% 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 87% 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.