Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makhachkala and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,049 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Makhachkala
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Makhachkala Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index

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Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,049

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makhachkala 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 Makhachkala and in Moscow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,049 per month in Makhachkala vs $1,887 in Moscow, rent included.

Makhachkala $1,049
Moscow $1,887

A couple spends around $1,635 per month in Makhachkala vs $2,893 in Moscow, rent included.

Makhachkala $1,635
Moscow $2,893

A family of three spends $2,222 per month in Makhachkala vs $3,899 in Moscow, rent included.

Makhachkala $2,222
Moscow $3,899

Makhachkala is about 44% cheaper than Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Makhachkala sits 23% below the global median, while Moscow is 39% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.80 ₽902

$12.20 ₽1,018

-11.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.26 ₽3,026

$59.3 ₽4,952

-38.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 ₽534

$7.06 ₽589

-9.35%

Cappuccino

$3.05 ₽255

$3.90 ₽326

-21.79%

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

$1.25 ₽104

$1.70 ₽142

-26.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₽42.98

$0.86 ₽71.6

-40.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 ₽165

$4.92 ₽411

-59.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ₽236

$5.23 ₽437

-45.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 ₽93.1

$1.23 ₽103

-8.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 ₽60.3

$1.02 ₽85.2

-29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 ₽120

$1.77 ₽147

-18.64%

Eggs

$1.63 ₽136

$1.97 ₽164

-17.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 ₽959

$14.72 ₽1,229

-21.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 ₽453

$6.97 ₽582

-22.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 ₽933

$15.33 ₽1,279

-27.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₽149

$2.15 ₽179

-16.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 ₽148

$1.80 ₽150

-1.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 ₽153

$2.05 ₽171

-10.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 ₽225

$3.99 ₽333

-32.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₽69.8

$0.93 ₽77.6

-9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽51.2

$0.72 ₽59.8

-15.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 ₽120

$1.65 ₽138

-12.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₽59.2

$1.00 ₽83.6

-29.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ₽283

$3.61 ₽301

-6.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₽654

$12.11 ₽1,011

-35.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ₽87.1

$1.23 ₽103

-15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₽149

$2.64 ₽220

-32.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₽39.20

$1.00 ₽83.6

-53.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.43 ₽3,541

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 ₽177

$3.57 ₽298

-40.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₽28.11

$0.81 ₽67.7

-58.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 ₽503

$12.22 ₽1,020

-50.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽70.3

$0.94 ₽78.5

-10.64%

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

$57.5K ₽4.8M

$43.9K ₽3.7M

31.03%

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

$37.4K ₽3.1M

$39.5K ₽3.3M

-5.40%

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

$121 ₽10.1K

$195 ₽16.2K

-37.75%

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

$5.46 ₽455

$8.83 ₽737

-38.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.46 ₽706

$10.13 ₽845

-16.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.95 ₽3,001

$42.77 ₽3,570

-15.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.54 ₽1,964

$45.27 ₽3,779

-48.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 ₽520

$9.48 ₽791

-34.28%

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

$343 ₽28.7K

$850 ₽70.9K

-59.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,198 ₽517.3K

$29.1K ₽2.4M

-78.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 ₽7,266

$111 ₽9,237

-21.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 ₽5,044

$68.4 ₽5,709

-11.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₽9,895

$148 ₽12.4K

-19.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₽9,073

$184 ₽15.4K

-41.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 ₽39.0K

$1,480 ₽123.5K

-68.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ₽26.5K

$846 ₽70.6K

-62.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 ₽76.4K

$3,083 ₽257.3K

-70.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$571 ₽47.7K

$1,542 ₽128.7K

-62.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,241 ₽187.0K

$10.1K ₽844.1K

-77.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,521 ₽126.9K

$4,782 ₽399.1K

-68.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$614 ₽51.3K

$1,743 ₽145.4K

-64.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.45

19.56

9.66%

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

Last update for Makhachkala: October 18, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makhachkala

$317 30.3%

Moscow

$846 44.8% 167% $529

Groceries & Markets

Makhachkala

$209 19.9%

Moscow

$271 14.3% 29.7% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Makhachkala

$169 16.1%

Moscow

$230 12.2% 36.5% $62

Eating Out

Makhachkala

$165 15.7%

Moscow

$211 11.2% 27.9% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makhachkala

$135 12.9%

Moscow

$214 11.3% 58.1% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Makhachkala

$48 4.6%

Moscow

$62 3.3% 27.5% $13

Getting Around

Makhachkala

$5.7 * 0.5%

Moscow

$54 2.9% 852% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $467 in Makhachkala versus $1,480 in Moscow. 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 184% higher in Moscow, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Makhachkala versus $59.0 in Moscow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $271 – making Makhachkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

13:51 1:51 PM

Same time as Makhachkala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

604,266

12,700,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Makhachkala Moscow 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Makhachkala
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

Makhachkala vs Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Moscow is pricier by about 80%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,573 per month in Makhachkala and $2,831 in Moscow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Makhachkala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,049 in Makhachkala and $1,887 in Moscow. That's a gap of about 80%.

Kindergarten costs $343 per month in Makhachkala and $850 in Moscow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Makhachkala, where all-in costs run around $1,049, than in Moscow at $1,887. In Makhachkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Makhachkala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Makhachkala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moscow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.