Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Irkutsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Irkutsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,707 in Moscow versus $919 in Irkutsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,604 in Moscow versus $1,444 in Irkutsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,501 in Moscow versus $1,968 in Irkutsk.

Living in Moscow is roughly 86% more expensive than in Irkutsk, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Moscow is 24% above, Irkutsk is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.43 ₽989

$5.74 ₽497

99.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₽4,953

$29.13 ₽2,521

96.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 ₽603

$5.90 ₽511

17.97%

Cappuccino

$3.47 ₽300

$2.82 ₽244

23.05%

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

$1.53 ₽133

$1.50 ₽130

2.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽67.4

$0.60 ₽51.5

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 ₽405

$1.77 ₽153

164.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 ₽412

$3.50 ₽303

36.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 ₽101

$1.28 ₽111

-8.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ₽83.5

$0.55 ₽47.69

76.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ₽139

$1.56 ₽135

3.21%

Eggs

$1.85 ₽160

$1.82 ₽158

1.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.72 ₽1,101

$13.95 ₽1,207

-8.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ₽539

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ₽1,166

$11.01 ₽953

22.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₽164

$2.67 ₽231

-28.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 ₽148

$2.07 ₽180

-17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ₽168

$2.67 ₽231

-27.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 ₽341

$3.98 ₽344

-1.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₽71.2

$0.89 ₽77.0

-7.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₽55.1

$0.70 ₽61.0

-8.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 ₽136

$2.25 ₽195

-30.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₽75.2

$0.71 ₽61.9

22.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 ₽273

$3.07 ₽266

2.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 ₽1,007

$7.67 ₽663

51.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₽100

$0.93 ₽80.9

24.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₽208

$2.45 ₽212

-2.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 ₽80.0

$0.50 ₽43.31

84.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.35 ₽3,405

$13.78 ₽1,192

185.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₽304

$1.70 ₽147

107.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₽59.5

$0.61 ₽52.5

13.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.93 ₽773

$7.37 ₽638

21.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₽73.8

$0.80 ₽69.6

6.25%

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

$36.9K ₽3.2M

$20.4K ₽1.8M

80.64%

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

$38.1K ₽3.3M

$30.8K ₽2.7M

24.01%

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

$180 ₽15.6K

$74.6 ₽6,455

141.83%

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

$8.22 ₽711

$6.36 ₽550

29.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.47 ₽819

$12.15 ₽1,052

-22.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.64 ₽3,171

$41.17 ₽3,563

-11.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.52 ₽3,766

$17.21 ₽1,489

152.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₽683

$5.66 ₽490

39.40%

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

$738 ₽63.9K

$173 ₽15.0K

326.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₽1.9M

$3,150 ₽272.6K

613.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.0 ₽8,310

$53.6 ₽4,634

79.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 ₽5,127

$37.24 ₽3,223

59.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 ₽11.7K

$97.3 ₽8,423

39.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 ₽14.6K

$80.0 ₽6,919

110.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 ₽120.5K

$391 ₽33.8K

256.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 ₽64.3K

$286 ₽24.7K

160.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,793 ₽241.7K

$872 ₽75.4K

220.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ₽120.9K

$523 ₽45.2K

167.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K ₽868.7K

$2,663 ₽230.5K

276.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,413 ₽381.9K

$1,627 ₽140.8K

171.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,665 ₽144.1K

$684 ₽59.2K

143.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.86

25.33

-21.59%

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

Last update for Moscow: August 31, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Moscow and $391 in Irkutsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Moscow pays 143% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $57.0 in Moscow vs $29.00 in Irkutsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $241 per month, with Irkutsk cheaper across the board.

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 Irkutsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irkutsk wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Moscow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irkutsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 143% higher in Moscow, 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: $1,393 in Moscow versus $391 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $738 in Moscow versus $173 in Irkutsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Moscow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $919 in Irkutsk versus $1,707 in Moscow, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irkutsk but tight or insufficient in Moscow. The gap between the two cities makes Irkutsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Irkutsk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $919 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Irkutsk hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Irkutsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Moscow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.