Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makhachkala and Saint Petersburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,009 a month against $1,326 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Makhachkala
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Makhachkala Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index

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Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,326

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,009 per month in Makhachkala vs $1,326 in Saint Petersburg, rent included.

Makhachkala $1,009
Saint Petersburg $1,326

A couple spends around $1,562 per month in Makhachkala vs $2,102 in Saint Petersburg, rent included.

Makhachkala $1,562
Saint Petersburg $2,102

A family of three spends $2,115 per month in Makhachkala vs $2,878 in Saint Petersburg, rent included.

Makhachkala $2,115
Saint Petersburg $2,878

Makhachkala is about 24% cheaper than Saint Petersburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Makhachkala and Saint Petersburg are more affordable than the global median – Makhachkala 25% lower, Saint Petersburg 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.20 ₽851

$11.75 ₽981

-13.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.73 ₽2,648

$41.76 ₽3,485

-24.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 ₽457

$6.59 ₽550

-16.84%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ₽221

$3.11 ₽260

-14.79%

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

$1.17 ₽98.0

$1.55 ₽129

-24.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₽51.1

$0.72 ₽60.0

-15.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 ₽162

$2.89 ₽241

-32.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₽246

$3.68 ₽307

-20.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₽91.6

$1.09 ₽91.4

0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₽58.9

$0.92 ₽76.6

-22.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ₽118

$1.69 ₽141

-16.57%

Eggs

$1.53 ₽127

$1.68 ₽140

-8.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 ₽917

$12.48 ₽1,042

-11.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.39 ₽450

$6.41 ₽535

-15.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ₽921

$12.22 ₽1,020

-9.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₽142

$1.69 ₽141

0.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ₽146

$1.66 ₽138

5.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ₽146

$1.73 ₽145

1.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 ₽232

$3.06 ₽255

-9.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₽67.4

$0.85 ₽70.7

-4.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽51.1

$0.60 ₽50.0

1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.28 ₽107

-3.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₽61.8

$0.78 ₽65.3

-5.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₽278

$2.92 ₽244

14.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 ₽661

$8.40 ₽701

-5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₽91.4

$1.15 ₽95.6

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₽168

$1.98 ₽165

2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₽44.80

$1.02 ₽85.1

-47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ₽4,502

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 ₽225

$2.92 ₽243

-7.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ₽33.48

$0.62 ₽51.9

-35.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 ₽477

$8.61 ₽719

-33.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽70.2

$0.92 ₽77.0

-8.70%

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

$41.0K ₽3.4M

$35.2K ₽2.9M

16.28%

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

$37.4K ₽3.1M

$32.9K ₽2.7M

13.50%

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

$110 ₽9,172

$152 ₽12.7K

-27.61%

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

$5.49 ₽458

$7.33 ₽612

-25.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.44 ₽705

$8.55 ₽713

-1.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.62 ₽2,973

$39.05 ₽3,260

-8.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.57 ₽1,967

$42.28 ₽3,529

-44.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.13 ₽512

$7.20 ₽601

-14.86%

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

$348 ₽29.1K

$625 ₽52.2K

-44.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,288 ₽441.3K

$17.1K ₽1.4M

-69.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 ₽6,688

$97.2 ₽8,110

-17.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 ₽4,518

$51.8 ₽4,325

4.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₽8,539

$134 ₽11.2K

-23.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₽9,353

$122 ₽10.1K

-7.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₽38.4K

$742 ₽62.0K

-38.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 ₽26.3K

$452 ₽37.7K

-30.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ₽74.4K

$1,599 ₽133.5K

-44.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 ₽46.4K

$919 ₽76.7K

-39.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 ₽185.8K

$4,496 ₽375.3K

-50.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,492 ₽124.5K

$2,811 ₽234.6K

-46.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 ₽51.9K

$1,150 ₽96.0K

-45.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.45

19.81

8.28%

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

Last update for Makhachkala: October 13, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makhachkala

$315 31.2%

Saint Petersburg

$452 34.1% 43.3% $137

Groceries & Markets

Makhachkala

$206 20.4%

Saint Petersburg

$225 17% 9.6% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Makhachkala

$157 15.6%

Saint Petersburg

$182 13.7% 15.9% $25

Eating Out

Makhachkala

$153 15.1%

Saint Petersburg

$182 13.7% 19.3% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makhachkala

$124 12.3%

Saint Petersburg

$168 12.7% 35.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Makhachkala

$48 4.8%

Saint Petersburg

$53 4% 11.7% $5.6

Getting Around

Makhachkala

$6.9 * 0.7%

Saint Petersburg

$64 4.8% 835% $57

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 $742 in Saint Petersburg. 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 85% higher in Saint Petersburg, 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 $42.00 in Saint Petersburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $225 – making Makhachkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

Same time as Makhachkala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

604,266

5,597,763

💱 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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Makhachkala Saint Petersburg 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Makhachkala
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

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

Yes – Saint Petersburg is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,513 per month in Makhachkala and $1,989 in Saint Petersburg. 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 $1,009 in Makhachkala and $1,326 in Saint Petersburg. That's a gap of about 31%.

Kindergarten costs $348 per month in Makhachkala and $625 in Saint Petersburg. 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 $1,009, than in Saint Petersburg at $1,326. In Makhachkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Petersburg 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, Saint Petersburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.