Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Korolyov and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Korolyov: $1,310 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Korolyov
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,310
/mo nomad
Moscow
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,887
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Korolyov and in Moscow

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 Moscow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,310 in Korolyov versus $1,887 in Moscow.

  • Korolyov $1,310
  • Moscow $1,887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,911 in Korolyov versus $2,893 in Moscow.

  • Korolyov $1,911
  • Moscow $2,893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,512 in Korolyov versus $3,899 in Moscow.

  • Korolyov $2,512
  • Moscow $3,899

Living in Korolyov costs roughly 31% less than in Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Korolyov is 3% below, Moscow is 39% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Korolyov
Moscow
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.06 ₽1,006
$12.20 ₽1,018
-1.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 ₽5,093
$59.3 ₽4,952
2.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.42 ₽619
$7.06 ₽589
5.10%
Cappuccino
$2.79 ₽233
$3.90 ₽326
-28.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 ₽82.6
$1.70 ₽142
-41.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 ₽45.79
$0.86 ₽71.6
-36.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.02 ₽84.9
$4.92 ₽411
-79.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46 ₽122
$5.23 ₽437
-72.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Korolyov
Moscow
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 ₽107
$1.23 ₽103
4.07%
White Bread (500g)
$0.87 ₽72.9
$1.02 ₽85.2
-14.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 ₽102
$1.77 ₽147
-31.07%
Eggs
$1.58 ₽132
$1.97 ₽164
-19.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.83 ₽737
$14.72 ₽1,229
-40.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.11 ₽510
$6.97 ₽582
-12.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.00 ₽1,002
$15.33 ₽1,279
-21.72%
Apples (1kg)
$1.61 ₽134
$2.15 ₽179
-25.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 ₽119
$1.80 ₽150
-21.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.52 ₽127
$2.05 ₽171
-25.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.62 ₽302
$3.99 ₽333
-9.27%
Potato (1kg)
$0.73 ₽60.9
$0.93 ₽77.6
-21.51%
Onion (1kg)
$0.41 ₽33.95
$0.72 ₽59.8
-43.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 ₽123
$1.65 ₽138
-10.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 ₽79.0
$1.00 ₽83.6
-5.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.24 ₽187
$3.61 ₽301
-37.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.95 ₽914
$12.11 ₽1,011
-9.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 ₽65.6
$1.23 ₽103
-35.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₽129
$2.64 ₽220
-41.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Korolyov
Moscow
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.95 ₽79.2
$1.00 ₽83.6
-5.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$42.43 ₽3,541
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.67 ₽306
$3.57 ₽298
2.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ₽14.61
$0.81 ₽67.7
-79.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.67 ₽306
$12.22 ₽1,020
-69.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.90 ₽75.2
$0.94 ₽78.5
-4.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.6K ₽3.6M
$43.9K ₽3.7M
-2.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.1K ₽3.3M
$39.5K ₽3.3M
-1.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Korolyov
Moscow
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$129 ₽10.8K
$195 ₽16.2K
-33.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.69 ₽392
$8.83 ₽737
-46.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.49 ₽709
$10.13 ₽845
-16.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Korolyov
Moscow
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$145 ₽12.1K
$42.77 ₽3,570
237.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$45.27 ₽3,779
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.43 ₽453
$9.48 ₽791
-42.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Korolyov
Moscow
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$179 ₽14.9K
$850 ₽70.9K
-78.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,611 ₽301.4K
$29.1K ₽2.4M
-87.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Korolyov
Moscow
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.3 ₽5,117
$111 ₽9,237
-44.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.32 ₽2,530
$68.4 ₽5,709
-55.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$143 ₽12.0K
$148 ₽12.4K
-3.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 ₽10.0K
$184 ₽15.4K
-34.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Korolyov
Moscow
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$551 ₽46.0K
$1,480 ₽123.5K
-62.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ₽38.6K
$846 ₽70.6K
-45.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$816 ₽68.1K
$3,083 ₽257.3K
-73.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$536 ₽44.7K
$1,542 ₽128.7K
-65.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,427 ₽202.6K
$10.1K ₽844.1K
-76.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,166 ₽180.7K
$4,782 ₽399.1K
-54.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Korolyov
Moscow
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,197 ₽99.9K
$1,743 ₽145.4K
-31.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.56
19.56
-

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

Last update for Korolyov: October 20, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Korolyov
$462
Moscow
$846 83.1% $384
Groceries & Markets
Korolyov
$216
Moscow
$271 25.4% $55
Eating Out
Korolyov
$166
Moscow
$211 26.8% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Korolyov
$160
Moscow
$230 44.1% $70
Sport & Entertainment
Korolyov
$155
Moscow
$62 60.3% $94
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Korolyov
$143
Moscow
$214 49.8% $71
Getting Around
Korolyov
$8.3 *
Moscow
$54 549% $46

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 $551 in Korolyov and $1,480 in Moscow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Moscow pays 46% 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: $61.0 in Korolyov vs $59.0 in Moscow. Groceries flip the comparison at $216 vs $271, with Korolyov cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Korolyov
🇷🇺 Moscow
🕒 Local time
13:50 1:50 PM
13:50 1:50 PM
Same time as Korolyov
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
225,299
12,700,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Korolyov Moscow 22 km
From you
  • Korolyov
  • Moscow

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 Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Korolyov or Moscow?
Korolyov wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Moscow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Korolyov the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Korolyov or in Moscow?
On paper, salaries run 46% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Korolyov compared to Moscow?
Rent for a central apartment: $551 in Korolyov versus $1,480 in Moscow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Korolyov or in Moscow?
Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Moscow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Korolyov compared to Moscow?
All in, you'll spend $1,310 per month in Korolyov versus $1,887 in Moscow – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Korolyov or in Moscow?
At $1,310 in Korolyov versus $1,887 in Moscow, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Korolyov but tight or insufficient in Moscow. The gap between the two cities makes Korolyov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Korolyov or Moscow?
Both work as nomad bases, but Korolyov delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,310 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Korolyov hard to pass up.
How safe is Korolyov compared to Moscow?
Safety-wise, Korolyov and Moscow are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Korolyov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Moscow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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