Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kazan and Ulan Ude

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulan Ude: $1,138 a month against $1,254 in Kazan, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Kazan
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Kazan Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Ulan Ude
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Ulan Ude Living Index

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Kazan

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,254

/mo nomad

Ulan Ude

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kazan and in Ulan Ude

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,254 in Kazan versus $1,138 in Ulan Ude.

Kazan $1,254
Ulan Ude $1,138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,944 in Kazan versus $1,770 in Ulan Ude.

Kazan $1,944
Ulan Ude $1,770

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,635 in Kazan versus $2,402 in Ulan Ude.

Kazan $2,635
Ulan Ude $2,402

Living in Kazan is roughly 10% more expensive than in Ulan Ude, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kazan 8% lower, Ulan Ude 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 ₽1,117

$7.01 ₽565

97.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.79 ₽3,285

$49.90 ₽4,019

-18.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 ₽522

$7.38 ₽595

-12.06%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ₽263

$3.70 ₽298

-11.62%

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

$1.42 ₽115

$1.82 ₽147

-21.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₽50.6

$1.89 ₽153

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 ₽148

$3.80 ₽306

-51.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 ₽199

$6.33 ₽510

-60.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 ₽91.8

$1.46 ₽117

-21.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 ₽62.3

$0.87 ₽70.1

-11.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 ₽128

$1.43 ₽115

11.19%

Eggs

$1.49 ₽120

$2.22 ₽179

-32.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 ₽940

$12.66 ₽1,019

-7.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 ₽390

$6.81 ₽548

-28.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ₽888

$13.50 ₽1,087

-18.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₽161

$2.12 ₽171

-5.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ₽139

$1.86 ₽150

-6.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 ₽161

$1.87 ₽151

6.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 ₽255

$2.81 ₽226

12.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ₽68.5

$0.67 ₽53.9

26.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₽44.21

$0.79 ₽63.6

-30.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ₽121

$2.19 ₽176

-31.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽63.0

$0.65 ₽52.7

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 ₽243

$3.00 ₽242

0.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 ₽645

$6.99 ₽563

14.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₽88.7

$1.51 ₽121

-27.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₽160

$1.28 ₽103

55.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 ₽46.94

$0.49 ₽39.36

18.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.56 ₽2,542

$24.50 ₽1,973

28.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₽201

$1.27 ₽102

96.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ₽42.95

$0.15 ₽12.31

253.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.58 ₽611

$7.50 ₽604

1.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₽68.4

$0.81 ₽65.6

4.94%

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

$53.0K ₽4.3M

$50.2K ₽4.0M

5.55%

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

$42.4K ₽3.4M

$37.7K ₽3.0M

12.51%

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

$128 ₽10.3K

$95.1 ₽7,655

34.66%

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

$5.61 ₽451

$4.84 ₽390

15.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.33 ₽590

$7.89 ₽635

-7.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.72 ₽3,038

$24.48 ₽1,971

54.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.24 ₽2,516

$49.19 ₽3,962

-36.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 ₽541

$7.49 ₽603

-10.28%

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

$301 ₽24.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,657 ₽536.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 ₽7,671

$73.2 ₽5,895

30.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$96.1 ₽7,742

$30.56 ₽2,461

214.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ₽8,658

$122 ₽9,859

-12.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 ₽6,358

$126 ₽10.1K

-37.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 ₽56.3K

$526 ₽42.3K

32.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ₽36.1K

$396 ₽31.9K

13.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 ₽93.2K

$814 ₽65.5K

42.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 ₽64.9K

$616 ₽49.6K

30.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,519 ₽363.9K

$2,138 ₽172.2K

111.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ₽200.5K

$1,580 ₽127.3K

57.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,000 ₽80.5K

$911 ₽73.4K

9.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.8

21.67

-4.01%

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

Last update for Kazan: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ulan Ude: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kazan

$448 35.7%

Ulan Ude

$396 34.8% 11.5% $52

Groceries & Markets

Kazan

$213 17%

Ulan Ude

$238 20.9% 12% $25

Eating Out

Kazan

$192 15.3%

Ulan Ude

$169 14.9% 11.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Kazan

$170 13.6%

Ulan Ude

$158 13.9% 6.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kazan

$141 11.2%

Ulan Ude

$108 9.5% 23.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Kazan

$51 4.1%

Ulan Ude

$39 3.5% 22.9% $12

Getting Around

Kazan

$39 3.1%

Ulan Ude

$28 2.5% 27.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $699 in Kazan and $526 in Ulan Ude. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kazan pays 10% 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: $41 in Kazan vs $50 in Ulan Ude for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $238 per month, with Kazan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Kazan

🇷🇺 Ulan Ude

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

22:28 10:28 PM

5 h ahead of Kazan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,257,341

436,138

💱 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

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Between locations

Kazan Ulan Ude 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Kazan
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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

Kazan vs Ulan Ude: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,254 in Kazan and $1,138 in Ulan Ude, so Ulan Ude is about 9% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Kazan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $699 in Kazan versus $526 in Ulan Ude. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kazan pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,254 per month in Kazan versus $1,138 in Ulan Ude – Ulan Ude is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ulan Ude gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Ulan Ude wins on affordability, Kazan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.