Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Magadan and Saint Petersburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Magadan: $1,144 a month against $1,370 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Magadan
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Magadan Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index

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Magadan

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,144

/mo nomad

Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,370

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Magadan and in Saint Petersburg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,144 in Magadan versus $1,370 in Saint Petersburg.

Magadan $1,144
Saint Petersburg $1,370

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,772 in Magadan versus $2,191 in Saint Petersburg.

Magadan $1,772
Saint Petersburg $2,191

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,401 in Magadan versus $3,011 in Saint Petersburg.

Magadan $2,401
Saint Petersburg $3,011

Living in Magadan costs roughly 17% less than in Saint Petersburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 ₽1,017

$12.09 ₽990

2.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.93 ₽3,435

$43.87 ₽3,594

-4.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 ₽597

$6.67 ₽546

9.30%

Cappuccino

$2.89 ₽237

$3.28 ₽268

-11.89%

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

$1.18 ₽96.7

$1.69 ₽138

-30.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₽46.81

$0.79 ₽64.8

-27.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 ₽149

$2.49 ₽204

-26.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₽286

$3.60 ₽295

-3.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₽99.1

$1.18 ₽96.6

2.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ₽64.4

$0.97 ₽79.5

-18.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 ₽120

$1.64 ₽134

-10.37%

Eggs

$1.66 ₽136

$1.74 ₽142

-4.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.13 ₽993

$12.76 ₽1,045

-4.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 ₽439

$6.68 ₽547

-19.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.17 ₽833

$12.89 ₽1,056

-21.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₽146

$1.74 ₽143

2.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ₽152

$1.61 ₽132

15.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ₽146

$1.79 ₽147

-0.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 ₽217

$3.27 ₽268

-18.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ₽69.3

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₽52.0

$0.68 ₽55.8

-5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₽98.2

$1.42 ₽116

-15.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₽49.96

$0.82 ₽67.1

-25.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ₽287

$3.15 ₽258

11.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 ₽642

$9.25 ₽758

-15.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 ₽88.8

$1.27 ₽104

-14.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ₽183

$2.06 ₽169

8.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₽43.92

$1.10 ₽89.9

-50.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.33 ₽2,075

$55.3 ₽4,532

-54.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ₽202

$3.15 ₽258

-21.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₽30.65

$0.65 ₽53.3

-43.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 ₽451

$8.87 ₽727

-37.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₽73.2

$0.87 ₽71.4

2.30%

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

$52.9K ₽4.3M

$42.8K ₽3.5M

23.68%

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

$41.0K ₽3.4M

$37.0K ₽3.0M

10.89%

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

$148 ₽12.2K

$158 ₽12.9K

-5.90%

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

$6.41 ₽525

$7.61 ₽623

-15.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.09 ₽663

$9.07 ₽743

-10.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.50 ₽2,744

$42.45 ₽3,477

-21.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 ₽2,175

$42.42 ₽3,475

-37.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 ₽509

$7.19 ₽589

-13.49%

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

$364 ₽29.9K

$682 ₽55.9K

-46.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,702 ₽467.1K

$23.7K ₽1.9M

-75.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 ₽7,459

$96.7 ₽7,918

-5.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 ₽4,749

$53.8 ₽4,408

7.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 ₽12.2K

$140 ₽11.4K

6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₽9,823

$126 ₽10.3K

-4.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 ₽36.1K

$766 ₽62.8K

-42.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ₽26.9K

$465 ₽38.1K

-29.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 ₽75.2K

$1,615 ₽132.3K

-43.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$571 ₽46.8K

$981 ₽80.4K

-41.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,122 ₽173.9K

$4,508 ₽369.3K

-52.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,479 ₽121.2K

$2,876 ₽235.6K

-48.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 ₽102.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.33

19.69

8.33%

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

Last update for Magadan: October 31, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Magadan

$328 28.7%

Saint Petersburg

$465 33.9% 41.5% $136

Groceries & Markets

Magadan

$208 18.2%

Saint Petersburg

$236 17.2% 13.3% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Magadan

$188 16.4%

Saint Petersburg

$187 13.7% 0.3% $0.6

Eating Out

Magadan

$179 15.7%

Saint Petersburg

$186 13.5% 3.7% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Magadan

$163 14.3%

Saint Petersburg

$174 12.7% 7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Magadan

$46 4%

Saint Petersburg

$57 4.2% 23.7% $11

Getting Around

Magadan

$32 2.8%

Saint Petersburg

$66 4.8% 108% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $441 in Magadan and $766 in Saint Petersburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Magadan vs $44 in Saint Petersburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $236 per month, with Magadan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Magadan

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

20:21 8:21 PM

8 h behind Magadan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,193

5,597,763

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Magadan Saint Petersburg 5,770 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Magadan
Saint Petersburg

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

Magadan vs Saint Petersburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Magadan wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Magadan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,716 in Magadan and $2,056 in Saint Petersburg to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $441 in Magadan versus $766 in Saint Petersburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,144 per month in Magadan versus $1,370 in Saint Petersburg – Magadan is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Magadan runs roughly 54% less than in Saint Petersburg. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Magadan is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Magadan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.