Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Arzamas

For one person, living is cheaper in Arzamas: $1,117 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Arzamas
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Arzamas Living Index

Jump to prices

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Arzamas

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Arzamas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,922 in Moscow versus $1,117 in Arzamas.

Moscow $1,922
Arzamas $1,117

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,941 in Moscow versus $1,737 in Arzamas.

Moscow $2,941
Arzamas $1,737

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,960 in Moscow versus $2,357 in Arzamas.

Moscow $3,960
Arzamas $2,357

Living in Moscow is roughly 72% more expensive than in Arzamas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Moscow is 41% above, Arzamas is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ₽1,007

$12.60 ₽1,015

-0.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₽4,932

$38.36 ₽3,090

59.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ₽616

$6.10 ₽491

25.41%

Cappuccino

$3.84 ₽309

$2.65 ₽214

44.91%

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

$1.74 ₽140

$1.08 ₽86.9

61.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₽68.7

$0.66 ₽52.9

28.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 ₽389

$1.90 ₽153

154.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 ₽417

$3.22 ₽260

60.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ₽107

$1.30 ₽105

1.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₽83.9

$0.79 ₽63.8

31.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽143

$1.57 ₽127

12.74%

Eggs

$2.02 ₽163

$1.68 ₽136

20.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 ₽1,215

$9.96 ₽802

51.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 ₽552

$5.69 ₽458

20.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ₽1,231

$12.43 ₽1,001

23.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₽172

$1.79 ₽144

19.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₽148

$1.79 ₽144

2.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₽163

$1.58 ₽127

28.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ₽333

$3.03 ₽244

36.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ₽75.9

$0.77 ₽61.9

22.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ₽61.9

$0.54 ₽43.79

42.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ₽136

$1.31 ₽105

29.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽81.2

$0.73 ₽59.0

38.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ₽299

$2.69 ₽216

37.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 ₽985

$8.28 ₽667

47.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₽101

$1.20 ₽97.0

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₽220

$2.06 ₽166

32.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₽77.3

$0.51 ₽40.90

88.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.33 ₽3,489

$26.27 ₽2,115

64.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ₽296

$2.27 ₽183

62.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₽67.5

$0.34 ₽27.10

147.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 ₽993

$5.64 ₽454

118.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₽77.3

$0.92 ₽74.5

4.35%

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

$45.4K ₽3.7M

$60.6K ₽4.9M

-25.10%

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

$41.2K ₽3.3M

0.04%

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

$199 ₽16.0K

$143 ₽11.5K

39.38%

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

$9.04 ₽728

$7.06 ₽568

28.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 ₽809

$7.59 ₽611

32.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 ₽3,584

$36.06 ₽2,904

23.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.40 ₽3,817

$25.44 ₽2,049

86.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 ₽776

$6.94 ₽559

38.76%

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

$898 ₽72.3K

$373 ₽30.1K

140.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₽2.4M

$7,263 ₽584.9K

303.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 ₽9,397

$76.4 ₽6,156

52.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 ₽5,587

$51.3 ₽4,128

35.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 ₽12.3K

$116 ₽9,369

31.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 ₽15.1K

$113 ₽9,109

66.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ₽123.5K

$303 ₽24.4K

405.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 ₽69.3K

$328 ₽26.4K

162.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,127 ₽251.8K

$497 ₽40.0K

529.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 ₽125.0K

$596 ₽48.0K

160.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K ₽844.3K

$2,238 ₽180.2K

368.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,981 ₽401.2K

$1,752 ₽141.1K

184.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ₽144.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.58

21.45

-8.72%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 25, 2026

Last update for Arzamas: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$860 44.7%

Arzamas

$328 29.4% 61.8% $532

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$274 14.3%

Arzamas

$215 19.2% 21.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$237 12.3%

Arzamas

$161 14.4% 32.2% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$218 11.3%

Arzamas

$157 14.1% 27.8% $61

Eating Out

Moscow

$214 11.1%

Arzamas

$174 15.6% 18.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$64 3.3%

Arzamas

$50 4.5% 21.7% $14

Getting Around

Moscow

$55 2.9%

Arzamas

$32 2.9% 41.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,533 in Moscow and $303 in Arzamas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Moscow vs $38 in Arzamas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $215 per month, with Arzamas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Arzamas

🕒 Local time

03:57 3:57 AM

Same time as Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

103,396

💱 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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Moscow Arzamas 390 km

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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 Arzamas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,922 in Moscow and $1,117 in Arzamas, so Arzamas is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,883 in Moscow and $1,676 in Arzamas 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 $303 in Arzamas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,922 per month in Moscow versus $1,117 in Arzamas – Arzamas is about 42% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Arzamas runs roughly 39% less than in Moscow. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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 Arzamas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Moscow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.