Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kostroma and Novosibirsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Novosibirsk: $1,121 a month against $1,312 in Kostroma, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Kostroma
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,312
/mo nomad
Novosibirsk
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,121
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kostroma and in Novosibirsk

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

A single person spends $1,312 per month in Kostroma vs $1,121 in Novosibirsk, rent included.

  • Kostroma $1,312
  • Novosibirsk $1,121

A couple spends around $2,085 per month in Kostroma vs $1,786 in Novosibirsk, rent included.

  • Kostroma $2,085
  • Novosibirsk $1,786

A family of three spends $2,859 per month in Kostroma vs $2,451 in Novosibirsk, rent included.

  • Kostroma $2,859
  • Novosibirsk $2,451

Kostroma costs about 17% more than Novosibirsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Kostroma and Novosibirsk are more affordable than the global median – Kostroma 3% lower, Novosibirsk 17% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kostroma
Novosibirsk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.01 ₽1,002
$11.52 ₽962
4.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.1 ₽5,102
$48.38 ₽4,038
26.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.20 ₽601
$6.06 ₽506
18.81%
Cappuccino
$3.91 ₽326
$2.66 ₽222
46.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 ₽136
$1.11 ₽92.7
45.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85 ₽71.1
$0.57 ₽47.92
49.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.80 ₽150
$1.18 ₽98.5
52.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.29 ₽441
$3.60 ₽300
46.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kostroma
Novosibirsk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 ₽103
$1.20 ₽100
3.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.01 ₽84.3
$0.70 ₽58.5
44.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 ₽140
$1.37 ₽114
22.63%
Eggs
$1.88 ₽157
$1.61 ₽135
16.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.95 ₽1,248
$12.06 ₽1,007
23.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.93 ₽578
$4.80 ₽401
44.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.95 ₽1,248
$12.01 ₽1,002
24.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 ₽181
$1.97 ₽164
10.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.82 ₽152
$1.78 ₽149
2.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 ₽165
$1.95 ₽163
1.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.96 ₽330
$3.30 ₽275
20.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.89 ₽74.0
$0.87 ₽73.0
2.30%
Onion (1kg)
$0.70 ₽58.7
$0.60 ₽50.0
16.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.65 ₽137
$1.47 ₽122
12.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 ₽78.0
$0.80 ₽66.6
16.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.49 ₽291
$3.19 ₽266
9.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.31 ₽1,027
$10.13 ₽846
21.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 ₽102
$0.95 ₽79.4
28.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 ₽212
$1.65 ₽138
53.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Kostroma
Novosibirsk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.54 ₽45.15
$0.56 ₽46.81
-3.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$29.40 ₽2,453
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.62 ₽302
$2.41 ₽201
50.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 ₽28.73
$0.49 ₽41.11
-30.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.94 ₽996
$6.16 ₽514
93.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 ₽73.3
$0.88 ₽73.1
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.4K ₽3.5M
$42.8K ₽3.6M
-1.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.1K ₽3.3M
$38.8K ₽3.2M
3.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kostroma
Novosibirsk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$191 ₽16.0K
$109 ₽9,089
75.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.70 ₽726
$7.32 ₽611
18.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.88 ₽825
$8.35 ₽697
18.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kostroma
Novosibirsk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.32 ₽3,365
$37.80 ₽3,155
6.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.01 ₽2,087
$29.99 ₽2,503
-16.61%
Cinema Ticket
$9.47 ₽791
$7.29 ₽609
29.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kostroma
Novosibirsk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$344 ₽28.7K
$303 ₽25.3K
13.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,317 ₽527.2K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kostroma
Novosibirsk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 ₽9,511
$70.3 ₽5,865
62.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$67.6 ₽5,645
$46.16 ₽3,852
46.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$148 ₽12.3K
$140 ₽11.7K
5.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$189 ₽15.8K
$98.3 ₽8,201
92.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kostroma
Novosibirsk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₽41.8K
$546 ₽45.6K
-8.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$340 ₽28.3K
$367 ₽30.6K
-7.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$837 ₽69.9K
$1,016 ₽84.8K
-17.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$643 ₽53.6K
$672 ₽56.1K
-4.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,226 ₽185.8K
$2,352 ₽196.3K
-5.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,489 ₽124.3K
$1,778 ₽148.4K
-16.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kostroma
Novosibirsk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$762 ₽63.6K
$887 ₽74.0K
-14.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.56
22.83
-14.32%

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

Last update for Kostroma: October 18, 2026

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kostroma
$340
Novosibirsk
$367 7.9% $27
Groceries & Markets
Kostroma
$268
Novosibirsk
$220 18.1% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Kostroma
$233
Novosibirsk
$160 31.6% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kostroma
$210
Novosibirsk
$125 40.7% $85
Eating Out
Kostroma
$194
Novosibirsk
$162 16.5% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Kostroma
$59
Novosibirsk
$52 11.6% $6.9
Getting Around
Kostroma
$7.5 *
Novosibirsk
$37 387% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Kostroma versus $546 in Novosibirsk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 16% higher in Novosibirsk, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Kostroma versus $48.00 in Novosibirsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $220 – making Novosibirsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Kostroma
🇷🇺 Novosibirsk
🕒 Local time
13:51 1:51 PM
17:51 5:51 PM
4 h ahead of Kostroma
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
277,393
1,620,162
💱 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
  • Kostroma Novosibirsk 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kostroma
  • Novosibirsk

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
Kostroma vs Novosibirsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kostroma or Novosibirsk?
Kostroma costs about 17% more than Novosibirsk, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kostroma and in Novosibirsk?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,968 per month in Kostroma and $1,682 in Novosibirsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kostroma or Novosibirsk?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Novosibirsk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Kostroma and in Novosibirsk?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Kostroma and $48.00 in Novosibirsk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Kostroma or in Novosibirsk?
Groceries cost about 22% more in Kostroma, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Kostroma or in Novosibirsk?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Novosibirsk, where all-in costs run around $1,121, than in Kostroma at $1,312. In Novosibirsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kostroma it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Novosibirsk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Kostroma or to Novosibirsk?
If budget matters most, go with Novosibirsk. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kostroma makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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