Cost of Living Comparison Between Irkutsk and Moscow Cost of Living Comparison Between Irkutsk and Moscow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $919 in Irkutsk versus $1,707 in Moscow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,444 in Irkutsk versus $2,604 in Moscow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,968 in Irkutsk versus $3,501 in Moscow.

Living in Irkutsk costs roughly 46% less than in Moscow, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Irkutsk is 33% below, Moscow is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 ₽497

$11.43 ₽989

-49.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.13 ₽2,521

$57.2 ₽4,953

-49.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 ₽511

$6.96 ₽603

-15.23%

Cappuccino

$2.82 ₽244

$3.47 ₽300

-18.73%

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

$1.50 ₽130

$1.53 ₽133

-1.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₽51.5

$0.78 ₽67.4

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₽153

$4.68 ₽405

-62.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₽303

$4.76 ₽412

-26.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ₽111

$1.17 ₽101

9.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 ₽47.69

$0.97 ₽83.5

-43.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ₽135

$1.61 ₽139

-3.11%

Eggs

$1.82 ₽158

$1.85 ₽160

-1.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 ₽1,207

$12.72 ₽1,101

9.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ₽539

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.01 ₽953

$13.47 ₽1,166

-18.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 ₽231

$1.90 ₽164

40.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 ₽180

$1.71 ₽148

21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 ₽231

$1.94 ₽168

37.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 ₽344

$3.94 ₽341

1.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ₽77.0

$0.82 ₽71.2

8.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ₽61.0

$0.64 ₽55.1

9.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 ₽195

$1.57 ₽136

43.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₽61.9

$0.87 ₽75.2

-18.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₽266

$3.15 ₽273

-2.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₽663

$11.64 ₽1,007

-34.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₽80.9

$1.16 ₽100

-19.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 ₽212

$2.40 ₽208

2.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ₽43.31

$0.92 ₽80.0

-45.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.78 ₽1,192

$39.35 ₽3,405

-64.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 ₽147

$3.52 ₽304

-51.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₽52.5

$0.69 ₽59.5

-11.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 ₽638

$8.93 ₽773

-17.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 ₽69.6

$0.85 ₽73.8

-5.88%

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

$20.4K ₽1.8M

$36.9K ₽3.2M

-44.64%

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

$30.8K ₽2.7M

$38.1K ₽3.3M

-19.36%

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

$74.6 ₽6,455

$180 ₽15.6K

-58.65%

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

$6.36 ₽550

$8.22 ₽711

-22.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.15 ₽1,052

$9.47 ₽819

28.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.17 ₽3,563

$36.64 ₽3,171

12.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.21 ₽1,489

$43.52 ₽3,766

-60.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.66 ₽490

$7.89 ₽683

-28.26%

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

$173 ₽15.0K

$738 ₽63.9K

-76.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,150 ₽272.6K

$22.5K ₽1.9M

-85.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 ₽4,634

$96.0 ₽8,310

-44.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.24 ₽3,223

$59.2 ₽5,127

-37.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 ₽8,423

$136 ₽11.7K

-28.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 ₽6,919

$169 ₽14.6K

-52.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 ₽33.8K

$1,393 ₽120.5K

-71.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 ₽24.7K

$743 ₽64.3K

-61.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 ₽75.4K

$2,793 ₽241.7K

-68.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ₽45.2K

$1,397 ₽120.9K

-62.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,663 ₽230.5K

$10.0K ₽868.7K

-73.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,627 ₽140.8K

$4,413 ₽381.9K

-63.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$684 ₽59.2K

$1,665 ₽144.1K

-58.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.33

19.86

27.54%

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

Last update for Irkutsk: August 31, 2026

Last update for Moscow: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $391 in Irkutsk and $1,393 in Moscow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Moscow pays 143% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Irkutsk vs $57.0 in Moscow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $246 per month, with Irkutsk cheaper across the board.

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

Irkutsk vs Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irkutsk wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Moscow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irkutsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 143% lower in Moscow. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $391 in Irkutsk versus $1,393 in Moscow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $173 in Irkutsk versus $738 in Moscow. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Moscow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $919 in Irkutsk versus $1,707 in Moscow, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irkutsk but tight or insufficient in Moscow. The gap between the two cities makes Irkutsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Irkutsk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $919 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Irkutsk hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Irkutsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Moscow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.