Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chelyabinsk and Biysk

For one person, living is cheaper in Chelyabinsk: $966 a month against $1,273 in Biysk, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Chelyabinsk
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Chelyabinsk Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Biysk
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Biysk Living Index

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Chelyabinsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$966

/mo nomad

Biysk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chelyabinsk and in Biysk

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

A single person spends $966 per month in Chelyabinsk vs $1,273 in Biysk, rent included.

Chelyabinsk $966
Biysk $1,273

A couple spends around $1,424 per month in Chelyabinsk vs $1,926 in Biysk, rent included.

Chelyabinsk $1,424
Biysk $1,926

A family of three spends $1,881 per month in Chelyabinsk vs $2,578 in Biysk, rent included.

Chelyabinsk $1,881
Biysk $2,578

Chelyabinsk is about 24% cheaper than Biysk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chelyabinsk and Biysk are more affordable than the global median – Chelyabinsk 29% lower, Biysk 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 ₽711

$12.52 ₽1,010

-29.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.31 ₽2,767

$61.4 ₽4,955

-44.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 ₽454

$6.83 ₽551

-17.57%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ₽227

$2.61 ₽210

7.66%

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

$1.17 ₽94.0

$2.12 ₽171

-44.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₽58.7

$1.16 ₽93.9

-37.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 ₽302

$4.22 ₽340

-11.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 ₽404

$3.00 ₽242

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 ₽96.0

$1.41 ₽114

-15.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 ₽55.7

$0.86 ₽69.5

-19.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 ₽97.3

$1.44 ₽116

-15.97%

Eggs

$1.52 ₽122

$1.68 ₽136

-9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 ₽883

$8.68 ₽700

26.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 ₽407

$7.11 ₽573

-29.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 ₽966

$9.76 ₽787

22.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ₽164

$2.07 ₽167

-1.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 ₽147

$2.32 ₽187

-21.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ₽121

$2.39 ₽193

-37.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₽222

$4.28 ₽345

-35.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₽56.5

$0.90 ₽72.2

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 ₽45.95

$0.57 ₽45.96

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ₽120

$1.56 ₽126

-5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₽46.20

$0.76 ₽61.3

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₽244

$3.76 ₽303

-19.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.38 ₽515

$6.15 ₽496

3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₽72.0

$1.88 ₽151

-52.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₽147

$2.75 ₽222

-33.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 ₽45.04

$0.58 ₽46.43

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.98 ₽1,612

$26.28 ₽2,120

-23.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₽202

$1.87 ₽151

33.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₽17.40

$0.36 ₽29.04

-38.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 ₽352

$6.08 ₽491

-28.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₽72.6

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

$53.8K ₽4.3M

$33.9K ₽2.7M

58.89%

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

$39.3K ₽3.2M

$35.9K ₽2.9M

9.54%

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

$97.3 ₽7,849

$232 ₽18.7K

-58.12%

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

$6.01 ₽485

$5.33 ₽430

12.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 ₽739

$6.59 ₽532

39.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.89 ₽2,410

$40.72 ₽3,284

-26.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.73 ₽1,752

Cinema Ticket

$6.35 ₽512

$7.23 ₽583

-12.17%

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

$352 ₽28.4K

$353 ₽28.5K

-0.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,857 ₽311.1K

$6,481 ₽522.7K

-40.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 ₽4,046

$84.4 ₽6,803

-40.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.25 ₽2,521

$53.5 ₽4,317

-41.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ₽7,474

$123 ₽9,948

-24.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.9 ₽4,508

$105 ₽8,440

-46.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 ₽32.4K

$544 ₽43.8K

-26.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 ₽26.1K

$357 ₽28.8K

-9.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 ₽54.0K

$890 ₽71.8K

-24.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 ₽35.1K

$543 ₽43.8K

-19.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,304 ₽185.9K

$2,221 ₽179.1K

3.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,543 ₽124.4K

$1,520 ₽122.6K

1.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 ₽54.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.32

22.75

-10.68%

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

Last update for Chelyabinsk: October 25, 2026

Last update for Biysk: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chelyabinsk

$323 33.4%

Biysk

$357 28.1% 10.6% $34

Groceries & Markets

Chelyabinsk

$202 20.9%

Biysk

$228 17.9% 13% $26

Eating Out

Chelyabinsk

$157 16.3%

Biysk

$192 15.1% 22.1% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chelyabinsk

$112 11.6%

Biysk

$244 19.2% 117% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Chelyabinsk

$104 10.7%

Biysk

$165 12.9% 59.1% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Chelyabinsk

$43 4.4%

Biysk

$55 4.3% 29.6% $13

Getting Around

Chelyabinsk

$26 2.7%

Biysk

$32 2.5% 25% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $401 in Chelyabinsk versus $544 in Biysk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Chelyabinsk versus $61 in Biysk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $228 – making Chelyabinsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Chelyabinsk

🇷🇺 Biysk

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

01:04 1:04 AM

2 h ahead of Chelyabinsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,200,719

198,433

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chelyabinsk Biysk 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chelyabinsk
Biysk

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chelyabinsk vs Biysk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Biysk costs about 32% more than Chelyabinsk, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,450 per month in Chelyabinsk and $1,910 in Biysk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chelyabinsk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $401 there versus $544 in Biysk.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Biysk, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Chelyabinsk and $61 in Biysk. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $966 in Chelyabinsk and $1,273 in Biysk. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chelyabinsk has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $966 in Chelyabinsk to $1,273 in Biysk. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Chelyabinsk is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 32% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.