Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makhachkala and Novosibirsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,009 a month against $1,105 in Novosibirsk, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Makhachkala
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,009
/mo nomad
Novosibirsk
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,105
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,009 per month in Makhachkala vs $1,105 in Novosibirsk, rent included.

  • Makhachkala $1,009
  • Novosibirsk $1,105

A couple spends around $1,562 per month in Makhachkala vs $1,760 in Novosibirsk, rent included.

  • Makhachkala $1,562
  • Novosibirsk $1,760

A family of three spends $2,115 per month in Makhachkala vs $2,416 in Novosibirsk, rent included.

  • Makhachkala $2,115
  • Novosibirsk $2,416

Makhachkala is about 9% cheaper than Novosibirsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Makhachkala and Novosibirsk are more affordable than the global median – Makhachkala 25% lower, Novosibirsk 18% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Makhachkala
Novosibirsk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.20 ₽851
$11.39 ₽951
-10.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.73 ₽2,648
$48.13 ₽4,017
-34.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.48 ₽457
$5.87 ₽490
-6.64%
Cappuccino
$2.65 ₽221
$2.75 ₽229
-3.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.17 ₽98.0
$1.10 ₽92.0
6.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.61 ₽51.1
$0.56 ₽46.98
8.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.94 ₽162
$1.22 ₽102
59.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 ₽246
$3.65 ₽305
-19.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Makhachkala
Novosibirsk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 ₽91.6
$1.20 ₽100
-8.33%
White Bread (500g)
$0.71 ₽58.9
$0.66 ₽54.8
7.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.41 ₽118
$1.35 ₽113
4.44%
Eggs
$1.53 ₽127
$1.65 ₽137
-7.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.99 ₽917
$11.69 ₽976
-5.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.39 ₽450
$4.59 ₽383
17.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.03 ₽921
$11.87 ₽991
-7.08%
Apples (1kg)
$1.70 ₽142
$1.87 ₽156
-9.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 ₽146
$1.74 ₽145
0.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.75 ₽146
$1.99 ₽166
-12.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.78 ₽232
$3.25 ₽271
-14.46%
Potato (1kg)
$0.81 ₽67.4
$0.79 ₽66.1
2.53%
Onion (1kg)
$0.61 ₽51.1
$0.63 ₽52.7
-3.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 ₽103
$1.45 ₽121
-15.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 ₽61.8
$0.80 ₽67.1
-7.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.33 ₽278
$3.16 ₽264
5.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.92 ₽661
$10.04 ₽838
-21.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 ₽91.4
$0.94 ₽78.3
17.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 ₽168
$1.69 ₽141
19.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Makhachkala
Novosibirsk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.54 ₽44.80
$0.55 ₽46.02
-1.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$28.65 ₽2,391
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.70 ₽225
$2.43 ₽203
11.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 ₽33.48
$0.50 ₽41.34
-20.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.71 ₽477
$5.88 ₽491
-2.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 ₽70.2
$0.80 ₽66.6
5.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.0K ₽3.4M
$24.3K ₽2.0M
68.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.4K ₽3.1M
$33.0K ₽2.8M
13.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Makhachkala
Novosibirsk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$110 ₽9,172
$108 ₽9,012
1.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.49 ₽458
$7.19 ₽600
-23.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.44 ₽705
$8.18 ₽683
3.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Makhachkala
Novosibirsk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.62 ₽2,973
$36.00 ₽3,004
-1.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.57 ₽1,967
$29.88 ₽2,494
-21.12%
Cinema Ticket
$6.13 ₽512
$6.95 ₽580
-11.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Makhachkala
Novosibirsk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$348 ₽29.1K
$299 ₽24.9K
16.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,288 ₽441.3K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Makhachkala
Novosibirsk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.1 ₽6,688
$68.7 ₽5,732
16.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.1 ₽4,518
$46.29 ₽3,863
16.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 ₽8,539
$138 ₽11.5K
-25.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 ₽9,353
$96.7 ₽8,073
15.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Makhachkala
Novosibirsk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$460 ₽38.4K
$530 ₽44.2K
-13.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$315 ₽26.3K
$361 ₽30.1K
-12.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$891 ₽74.4K
$1,004 ₽83.8K
-11.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$556 ₽46.4K
$662 ₽55.2K
-15.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,226 ₽185.8K
$2,307 ₽192.5K
-3.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,492 ₽124.5K
$1,766 ₽147.4K
-15.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Makhachkala
Novosibirsk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$622 ₽51.9K
$864 ₽72.1K
-27.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
21.45
22.83
-6.04%

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

Last update for Makhachkala: October 13, 2026

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Makhachkala
$315
Novosibirsk
$361 14.6% $46
Groceries & Markets
Makhachkala
$206
Novosibirsk
$215 4.8% $9.9
Clothing & Footwear
Makhachkala
$157
Novosibirsk
$157 0.3% $0.4
Eating Out
Makhachkala
$153
Novosibirsk
$162 6% $9.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Makhachkala
$124
Novosibirsk
$123 0.4% $0.5
Sport & Entertainment
Makhachkala
$48
Novosibirsk
$50 4.2% $2
Getting Around
Makhachkala
$6.9 *
Novosibirsk
$36 422% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $460 in Makhachkala versus $530 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 39% higher in Novosibirsk, 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 $32.00 in Makhachkala versus $48.00 in Novosibirsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $215 – making Makhachkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Makhachkala
🇷🇺 Novosibirsk
🕒 Local time
10:40 10:40 AM
14:40 2:40 PM
4 h ahead of Makhachkala
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
604,266
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
  • Makhachkala Novosibirsk 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Makhachkala
  • 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
Makhachkala vs Novosibirsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Novosibirsk cheaper than Makhachkala?
Yes – Novosibirsk is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,513 per month in Makhachkala and $1,657 in Novosibirsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Makhachkala and in Novosibirsk?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,009 in Makhachkala and $1,105 in Novosibirsk. That's a gap of about 10%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $348 per month in Makhachkala and $299 in Novosibirsk. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Makhachkala or in Novosibirsk?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Makhachkala, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Novosibirsk at $1,105. In Makhachkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Novosibirsk it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Makhachkala or Novosibirsk more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Makhachkala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Novosibirsk makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Makhachkala vs other spots: cost of living compared

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