Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Chita

For one person, living is cheaper in Chita: $1,085 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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 Chita
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Chita Living Index

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Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Chita

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,085

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Chita

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,922 in Moscow versus $1,085 in Chita.

Moscow $1,922
Chita $1,085

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,941 in Moscow versus $1,719 in Chita.

Moscow $2,941
Chita $1,719

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,960 in Moscow versus $2,354 in Chita.

Moscow $3,960
Chita $2,354

Living in Moscow is roughly 77% more expensive than in Chita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Moscow is 41% above, Chita is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ₽1,011

$10.90 ₽881

14.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₽4,952

$38.76 ₽3,134

58.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ₽619

$5.63 ₽455

35.88%

Cappuccino

$3.84 ₽310

$2.59 ₽210

48.26%

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

$1.74 ₽141

$1.24 ₽99.9

40.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₽69.0

$0.60 ₽48.29

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 ₽391

$1.88 ₽152

156.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 ₽418

$3.27 ₽265

58.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ₽107

$1.16 ₽93.9

13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₽84.2

$0.79 ₽63.8

31.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽143

$1.27 ₽103

39.37%

Eggs

$2.02 ₽163

$1.62 ₽131

24.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 ₽1,219

$11.42 ₽923

32.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 ₽555

$5.63 ₽455

21.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ₽1,236

$11.55 ₽934

32.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₽173

$1.85 ₽149

15.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₽148

$1.88 ₽152

-2.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₽164

$1.62 ₽131

25.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ₽335

$2.93 ₽237

41.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ₽76.2

$0.73 ₽58.9

28.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ₽62.1

$0.66 ₽53.5

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ₽137

$1.49 ₽120

13.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽81.5

$0.85 ₽68.3

18.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ₽300

$3.14 ₽254

18.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 ₽989

$8.10 ₽655

50.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₽102

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₽221

$2.34 ₽189

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₽77.6

$0.50 ₽40.76

92.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.33 ₽3,503

$25.70 ₽2,078

68.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ₽297

$2.21 ₽179

66.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₽67.8

$0.33 ₽26.94

154.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 ₽997

$5.79 ₽468

112.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₽77.6

$0.93 ₽75.4

3.23%

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

$45.4K ₽3.7M

$61.2K ₽5.0M

-25.88%

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

$41.2K ₽3.3M

$39.8K ₽3.2M

3.42%

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

$199 ₽16.1K

$124 ₽10.1K

59.78%

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

$9.04 ₽731

$6.48 ₽524

39.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 ₽812

$8.59 ₽695

17.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 ₽3,599

$32.00 ₽2,588

39.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.40 ₽3,833

$26.84 ₽2,170

76.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 ₽779

$7.05 ₽570

36.60%

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

$898 ₽72.6K

$326 ₽26.3K

175.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₽2.4M

$6,900 ₽557.9K

324.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 ₽9,435

$80.5 ₽6,508

44.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 ₽5,610

$61.7 ₽4,991

12.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 ₽12.4K

$129 ₽10.5K

18.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 ₽15.2K

$113 ₽9,159

65.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ₽124.0K

$481 ₽38.9K

218.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 ₽69.6K

$319 ₽25.8K

169.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,127 ₽252.8K

$938 ₽75.8K

233.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 ₽125.5K

$620 ₽50.2K

150.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K ₽847.7K

$2,532 ₽204.7K

314.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,981 ₽402.8K

$1,436 ₽116.1K

246.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ₽145.4K

$454 ₽36.7K

296.38%

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 Chita: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$860 44.7%

Chita

$319 29.4% 62.9% $541

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$274 14.3%

Chita

$217 20% 21% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$237 12.3%

Chita

$173 16% 27% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$218 11.3%

Chita

$140 12.9% 36% $78

Eating Out

Moscow

$214 11.1%

Chita

$158 14.6% 25.9% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$64 3.3%

Chita

$46 4.3% 27.7% $18

Getting Around

Moscow

$55 2.9%

Chita

$32 2.9% 42.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,533 in Moscow and $481 in Chita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Moscow pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Moscow vs $39 in Chita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $217 per month, with Chita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Chita

🕒 Local time

01:00 1:00 AM

07:00 7:00 AM

6 h ahead of Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

333,679

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.1 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Moscow Chita 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Chita

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 Chita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,922 in Moscow and $1,085 in Chita, so Chita is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Moscow is about 4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,533 in Moscow versus $481 in Chita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Moscow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chita – a meal for two runs $39 versus $61 in Moscow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Chita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Moscow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.