Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Artem

For one person, living is cheaper in Artem: $1,165 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Artem
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Artem Living Index

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Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Artem

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,165

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Artem

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,922 in Moscow versus $1,165 in Artem.

Moscow $1,922
Artem $1,165

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,941 in Moscow versus $1,803 in Artem.

Moscow $2,941
Artem $1,803

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,960 in Moscow versus $2,441 in Artem.

Moscow $3,960
Artem $2,441

Living in Moscow is roughly 65% more expensive than in Artem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Moscow is 41% above, Artem is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ₽1,008

$12.31 ₽992

1.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₽4,939

$36.87 ₽2,973

66.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ₽617

$6.68 ₽539

14.52%

Cappuccino

$3.84 ₽309

$3.10 ₽250

23.87%

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

$1.74 ₽140

$1.08 ₽87.1

61.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₽68.8

$0.67 ₽53.8

26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 ₽390

$1.41 ₽114

242.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 ₽417

$2.25 ₽181

129.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ₽107

$1.70 ₽137

-22.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₽84.0

$0.67 ₽53.9

55.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽143

$1.71 ₽138

3.51%

Eggs

$2.02 ₽163

$2.41 ₽194

-16.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 ₽1,216

$13.35 ₽1,076

12.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 ₽553

$6.12 ₽494

12.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ₽1,233

$11.46 ₽924

33.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₽173

$2.91 ₽235

-26.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₽148

$2.04 ₽165

-10.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₽164

$2.84 ₽229

-28.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ₽334

$4.23 ₽341

-2.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ₽76.0

$1.00 ₽80.4

-6.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ₽62.0

$1.01 ₽81.3

-23.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ₽137

$1.29 ₽104

31.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽81.3

$1.13 ₽91.4

-10.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ₽299

$2.94 ₽237

26.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 ₽986

$7.72 ₽622

58.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₽102

$1.19 ₽95.7

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₽220

$2.36 ₽190

15.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₽77.4

$0.56 ₽44.77

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.33 ₽3,494

$27.71 ₽2,235

56.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ₽296

$2.46 ₽198

49.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₽67.6

$0.37 ₽30.05

127.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 ₽994

$5.91 ₽477

108.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₽77.4

$0.83 ₽67.0

15.66%

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

$45.4K ₽3.7M

$52.5K ₽4.2M

-13.54%

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

$41.2K ₽3.3M

-0.12%

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

$199 ₽16.0K

$159 ₽12.8K

24.80%

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

$9.04 ₽729

$8.41 ₽678

7.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 ₽810

$9.50 ₽766

5.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 ₽3,589

$36.08 ₽2,909

23.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.40 ₽3,823

$24.08 ₽1,942

96.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 ₽777

$5.35 ₽431

80.00%

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

$898 ₽72.4K

$346 ₽27.9K

159.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₽2.4M

$6,363 ₽513.2K

360.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 ₽9,411

$82.0 ₽6,610

42.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 ₽5,595

$59.3 ₽4,780

17.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 ₽12.3K

$99.6 ₽8,030

53.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 ₽15.1K

$126 ₽10.1K

49.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ₽123.6K

$483 ₽39.0K

217.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 ₽69.4K

$313 ₽25.2K

175.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,127 ₽252.2K

$885 ₽71.3K

253.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 ₽125.1K

$564 ₽45.5K

175.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K ₽845.5K

$2,296 ₽185.2K

356.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,981 ₽401.7K

$1,472 ₽118.7K

238.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ₽145.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.58

23.6

-17.03%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 25, 2026

Last update for Artem: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$860 44.7%

Artem

$313 26.9% 63.6% $547

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$274 14.3%

Artem

$254 21.8% 7.2% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$237 12.3%

Artem

$165 14.2% 30.4% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$218 11.3%

Artem

$177 15.2% 18.7% $41

Eating Out

Moscow

$214 11.1%

Artem

$174 15% 18.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$64 3.3%

Artem

$47 4% 26.7% $17

Getting Around

Moscow

$55 2.9%

Artem

$34 2.9% 37.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,533 in Moscow and $483 in Artem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Moscow vs $37 in Artem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $254 per month, with Artem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Artem

🕒 Local time

01:56 1:56 AM

08:56 8:56 AM

7 h ahead of Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

104,926

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Moscow Artem 6,410 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Artem

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 Artem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Artem wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Moscow. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Artem the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,883 in Moscow and $1,747 in Artem 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: $1,533 in Moscow versus $483 in Artem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Artem runs roughly 36% less than in Moscow. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $898 in Moscow versus $346 in Artem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Artem is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Artem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Moscow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.