Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Korolyov and Kaluga

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaluga: $1,016 a month against $1,326 in Korolyov, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Korolyov
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Korolyov Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Kaluga
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Kaluga Living Index

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Korolyov

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,326

/mo nomad

Kaluga

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,016

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Korolyov and in Kaluga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,326 in Korolyov versus $1,016 in Kaluga.

Korolyov $1,326
Kaluga $1,016

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,956 in Korolyov versus $1,591 in Kaluga.

Korolyov $1,956
Kaluga $1,591

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,585 in Korolyov versus $2,167 in Kaluga.

Korolyov $2,585
Kaluga $2,167

Living in Korolyov is roughly 31% more expensive than in Kaluga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Korolyov 3% lower, Kaluga 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.33 ₽994

$10.08 ₽813

22.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₽4,908

$37.84 ₽3,052

60.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₽607

$4.89 ₽394

53.78%

Cappuccino

$2.84 ₽229

$2.62 ₽211

8.40%

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

$0.97 ₽78.2

$0.92 ₽74.4

5.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₽44.64

$0.59 ₽47.19

-6.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ₽81.0

$1.40 ₽113

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₽118

$1.81 ₽146

-19.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₽102

$1.25 ₽100

0.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ₽68.6

$0.95 ₽76.9

-10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ₽102

$2.43 ₽196

-47.74%

Eggs

$1.60 ₽129

$2.04 ₽164

-21.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 ₽770

$13.30 ₽1,073

-28.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.15 ₽496

$6.56 ₽529

-6.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 ₽982

$14.41 ₽1,162

-15.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₽136

$1.77 ₽143

-5.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₽123

$1.73 ₽139

-12.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ₽129

$1.64 ₽132

-2.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 ₽304

$3.00 ₽242

25.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₽60.4

$0.58 ₽46.63

29.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₽33.09

$0.54 ₽43.67

-24.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 ₽118

$1.48 ₽120

-1.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽81.6

$0.89 ₽71.5

13.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.27 ₽183

$3.22 ₽260

-29.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 ₽911

$8.74 ₽705

29.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₽60.9

$1.21 ₽97.9

-37.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₽127

$2.79 ₽225

-43.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₽81.6

$0.44 ₽35.68

129.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.96 ₽1,529

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 ₽307

$0.94 ₽76.1

305.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 ₽15.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ₽298

$6.58 ₽531

-43.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽67.8

$0.81 ₽65.2

3.70%

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

$44.8K ₽3.6M

$53.0K ₽4.3M

-15.42%

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

$39.9K ₽3.2M

$42.3K ₽3.4M

-5.75%

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

$131 ₽10.6K

$125 ₽10.1K

4.62%

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

$5.01 ₽404

$6.14 ₽496

-18.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.81 ₽711

$9.38 ₽756

-6.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$149 ₽12.0K

$48.76 ₽3,933

205.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.77 ₽1,997

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ₽458

$3.79 ₽306

49.87%

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

$188 ₽15.2K

$343 ₽27.7K

-45.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,666 ₽295.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 ₽5,041

$97.2 ₽7,840

-35.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.88 ₽2,490

$36.71 ₽2,961

-15.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 ₽12.0K

$182 ₽14.7K

-18.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₽10.2K

$95.1 ₽7,671

32.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 ₽44.9K

$309 ₽24.9K

80.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 ₽36.8K

$223 ₽18.0K

104.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$851 ₽68.6K

$621 ₽50.1K

37.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 ₽45.4K

$375 ₽30.2K

50.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,483 ₽200.3K

$1,522 ₽122.8K

63.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,217 ₽178.8K

$1,296 ₽104.5K

71.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,257 ₽101.4K

$668 ₽53.9K

88.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.58

23.12

-15.31%

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

Last update for Korolyov: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kaluga: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Korolyov

$456 34.4%

Kaluga

$223 22% 51% $233

Groceries & Markets

Korolyov

$222 16.7%

Kaluga

$245 24.1% 10.5% $23

Eating Out

Korolyov

$169 12.8%

Kaluga

$143 14.1% 15.3% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Korolyov

$165 12.5%

Kaluga

$185 18.2% 11.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Korolyov

$160 12.1%

Kaluga

$56 5.6% 64.8% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Korolyov

$145 10.9%

Kaluga

$141 13.9% 2.8% $4.1

Getting Around

Korolyov

$8.8 * 0.7%

Kaluga

$22 * 2.1% 146% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $557 in Korolyov and $309 in Kaluga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Korolyov pays 88% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Korolyov vs $38 in Kaluga. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $245, with Korolyov cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Korolyov

🇷🇺 Kaluga

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

Same time as Korolyov

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

225,299

331,842

💱 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

Korolyov Kaluga 190 km

From you

Korolyov
Kaluga

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

Korolyov vs Kaluga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Korolyov and Kaluga differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,326 vs $1,016 including rent). Kaluga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 88% higher in Korolyov, 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: $557 in Korolyov versus $309 in Kaluga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $188 in Korolyov versus $343 in Kaluga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kaluga – a meal for two runs $38 versus $61 in Korolyov. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

Safety-wise, Korolyov and Kaluga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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