Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Apatity

For one person, living is cheaper in Apatity: $1,070 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 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 Apatity
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Apatity Living Index

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Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Apatity

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,070

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Apatity

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 Apatity actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,887 per month in Moscow vs $1,070 in Apatity, rent included.

Moscow $1,887
Apatity $1,070

A couple spends around $2,893 per month in Moscow vs $1,672 in Apatity, rent included.

Moscow $2,893
Apatity $1,672

A family of three spends $3,899 per month in Moscow vs $2,275 in Apatity, rent included.

Moscow $3,899
Apatity $2,275

Moscow costs about 76% more than Apatity, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Moscow sits 39% above the global median, while Apatity is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 ₽1,018

$12.81 ₽1,069

-4.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 ₽4,952

$33.57 ₽2,801

76.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 ₽589

$6.93 ₽578

1.88%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₽326

$2.72 ₽227

43.38%

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

$1.70 ₽142

$1.07 ₽89.0

58.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₽71.6

$0.57 ₽47.60

50.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ₽411

$1.69 ₽141

191.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 ₽437

$3.41 ₽285

53.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.05 ₽87.8

17.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₽85.2

$0.66 ₽54.8

54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽147

$1.23 ₽103

43.90%

Eggs

$1.97 ₽164

$1.73 ₽145

13.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 ₽1,229

$12.08 ₽1,008

21.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 ₽582

$6.03 ₽503

15.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 ₽1,279

$12.86 ₽1,073

19.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ₽179

$1.82 ₽152

18.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₽150

$1.67 ₽140

7.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ₽171

$1.61 ₽134

27.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 ₽333

$3.04 ₽254

31.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ₽77.6

$0.84 ₽69.8

10.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₽59.8

$0.64 ₽53.8

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 ₽138

$1.25 ₽104

32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.68 ₽56.7

47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 ₽301

$2.84 ₽237

27.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 ₽1,011

$8.52 ₽711

42.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₽103

$0.98 ₽81.6

25.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₽220

$1.93 ₽161

36.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.59 ₽48.86

69.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.43 ₽3,541

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₽298

$2.25 ₽188

58.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₽67.7

$0.34 ₽28.42

138.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.22 ₽1,020

$5.41 ₽452

125.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₽78.5

$0.82 ₽68.8

14.63%

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

$43.9K ₽3.7M

$56.8K ₽4.7M

-22.80%

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

$39.5K ₽3.3M

$41.0K ₽3.4M

-3.45%

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

$195 ₽16.2K

$134 ₽11.2K

45.43%

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

$8.83 ₽737

$7.14 ₽596

23.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 ₽845

$9.70 ₽810

4.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.77 ₽3,570

$33.93 ₽2,832

26.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.27 ₽3,779

$27.18 ₽2,269

66.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 ₽791

$7.27 ₽607

30.40%

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

$850 ₽70.9K

$401 ₽33.5K

111.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K ₽2.4M

$5,935 ₽495.3K

389.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ₽9,237

$90.8 ₽7,578

21.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 ₽5,709

$45.47 ₽3,795

50.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 ₽12.4K

$114 ₽9,533

29.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 ₽15.4K

$100 ₽8,361

83.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 ₽123.5K

$417 ₽34.8K

254.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 ₽70.6K

$312 ₽26.0K

171.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,083 ₽257.3K

$982 ₽81.9K

214.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 ₽128.7K

$587 ₽49.0K

162.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K ₽844.1K

$1,948 ₽162.6K

419.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₽399.1K

$1,630 ₽136.0K

193.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 ₽145.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.56

27.67

-29.31%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Apatity: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$846 44.8%

Apatity

$312 29.1% 63.2% $535

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$271 14.3%

Apatity

$217 20.3% 19.7% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$230 12.2%

Apatity

$158 14.8% 31.4% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$214 11.3%

Apatity

$151 14.1% 29.5% $63

Eating Out

Moscow

$211 11.2%

Apatity

$178 16.6% 15.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$62 3.3%

Apatity

$48 4.5% 21.5% $13

Getting Around

Moscow

$54 2.9%

Apatity

$6.3 * 0.6% 88.3% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,480 in Moscow versus $417 in Apatity. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Moscow versus $34.00 in Apatity. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $217 – making Apatity the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Apatity

🕒 Local time

19:57 7:57 PM

Same time as Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

48,748

💱 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 Apatity 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Apatity

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 Apatity: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Moscow is pricier by about 76%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,831 per month in Moscow and $1,605 in Apatity. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Apatity, 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 $1,887 in Moscow and $1,070 in Apatity. That's a gap of about 76%.

Kindergarten costs $850 per month in Moscow and $401 in Apatity. 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 Apatity, where all-in costs run around $1,070, than in Moscow at $1,887. In Apatity it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Apatity. 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.