Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Abaza

For one person, living is cheaper in Abaza: $1,027 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Abaza
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Abaza Living Index

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Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Abaza

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,027

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Abaza

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,887 in Moscow versus $1,027 in Abaza.

Moscow $1,887
Abaza $1,027

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,893 in Moscow versus $1,668 in Abaza.

Moscow $2,893
Abaza $1,668

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,899 in Moscow versus $2,310 in Abaza.

Moscow $3,899
Abaza $2,310

Living in Moscow is roughly 84% more expensive than in Abaza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Moscow is 39% above, Abaza is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 ₽1,018

$12.79 ₽1,067

-4.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 ₽4,952

$35.27 ₽2,944

68.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 ₽589

$5.86 ₽489

20.48%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₽326

$3.03 ₽253

28.71%

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

$1.70 ₽142

$1.25 ₽104

36.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₽71.6

$0.61 ₽51.0

40.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ₽411

$1.54 ₽129

219.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 ₽437

$2.69 ₽224

94.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.03 ₽85.8

19.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₽85.2

$0.67 ₽56.0

52.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽147

$1.25 ₽105

41.60%

Eggs

$1.97 ₽164

$1.51 ₽126

30.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 ₽1,229

$13.05 ₽1,089

12.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 ₽582

$5.72 ₽478

21.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 ₽1,279

$12.92 ₽1,078

18.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ₽179

$1.95 ₽163

10.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₽150

$1.89 ₽158

-4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ₽171

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 ₽333

$2.68 ₽223

48.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ₽77.6

$0.91 ₽75.6

2.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₽59.8

$0.66 ₽54.7

9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 ₽138

$1.40 ₽117

17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.74 ₽62.0

35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 ₽301

$2.63 ₽220

37.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 ₽1,011

$6.74 ₽563

79.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.07 ₽89.1

14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₽220

$2.30 ₽192

14.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.58 ₽48.22

72.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.43 ₽3,541

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₽298

$2.48 ₽207

43.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₽67.7

$0.33 ₽27.80

145.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.22 ₽1,020

$5.89 ₽491

107.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₽78.5

$0.89 ₽74.7

5.62%

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

$43.9K ₽3.7M

$46.4K ₽3.9M

-5.33%

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

$39.5K ₽3.3M

$40.1K ₽3.3M

-1.37%

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

$195 ₽16.2K

$112 ₽9,388

73.06%

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

$8.83 ₽737

$6.92 ₽578

27.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 ₽845

$7.25 ₽605

39.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.77 ₽3,570

$31.69 ₽2,645

34.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.27 ₽3,779

$23.28 ₽1,943

94.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 ₽791

$6.03 ₽503

57.21%

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

$850 ₽70.9K

$359 ₽29.9K

136.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K ₽2.4M

$5,380 ₽449.0K

440.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ₽9,237

$89.2 ₽7,442

24.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 ₽5,709

$59.1 ₽4,932

15.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 ₽12.4K

$136 ₽11.3K

9.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 ₽15.4K

$97.2 ₽8,110

89.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 ₽123.5K

$541 ₽45.1K

173.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 ₽70.6K

$282 ₽23.6K

199.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,083 ₽257.3K

$896 ₽74.8K

244.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 ₽128.7K

$616 ₽51.4K

150.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K ₽844.1K

$2,494 ₽208.1K

305.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₽399.1K

$1,431 ₽119.4K

234.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 ₽145.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.56

21.45

-8.81%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Abaza: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$846 44.8%

Abaza

$282 27.5% 66.6% $564

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$271 14.3%

Abaza

$219 21.4% 19% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$230 12.2%

Abaza

$172 16.7% 25.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$214 11.3%

Abaza

$127 12.3% 40.7% $87

Eating Out

Moscow

$211 11.2%

Abaza

$177 17.2% 16.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$62 3.3%

Abaza

$44 4.3% 29.1% $18

Getting Around

Moscow

$54 2.9%

Abaza

$6.5 * 0.6% 88.1% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,480 in Moscow and $541 in Abaza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59.0 in Moscow vs $35.00 in Abaza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $219 per month, with Abaza cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Abaza

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

22:15 10:15 PM

4 h ahead of Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

14,816

💱 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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Between locations

Moscow Abaza 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Abaza

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

Moscow vs Abaza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abaza is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,831 in Moscow and $1,540 in Abaza 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: $1,480 in Moscow versus $541 in Abaza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $850 in Moscow versus $359 in Abaza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Abaza – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $59.0 in Moscow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,027 in Abaza versus $1,887 in Moscow, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Abaza but tight or insufficient in Moscow. The gap between the two cities makes Abaza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Abaza is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Moscow, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Abaza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Moscow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.