Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Irkutsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Irkutsk: $1,150 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Irkutsk
Learn more

Irkutsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Irkutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,150

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Irkutsk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,887 in Moscow versus $1,150 in Irkutsk.

Moscow $1,887
Irkutsk $1,150

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,893 in Moscow versus $1,685 in Irkutsk.

Moscow $2,893
Irkutsk $1,685

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,899 in Moscow versus $2,221 in Irkutsk.

Moscow $3,899
Irkutsk $2,221

Living in Moscow is roughly 64% more expensive than in Irkutsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Moscow is 39% above, Irkutsk is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 ₽1,018

$8.97 ₽749

36.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 ₽4,952

$35.72 ₽2,982

66.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 ₽589

$6.20 ₽517

13.87%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₽326

$3.08 ₽257

26.62%

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

$1.70 ₽142

$1.59 ₽133

6.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₽71.6

$0.63 ₽52.7

36.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ₽411

$2.46 ₽205

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 ₽437

$3.64 ₽304

43.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.28 ₽107

-3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₽85.2

$0.66 ₽55.0

54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽147

$1.52 ₽127

16.45%

Eggs

$1.97 ₽164

$1.64 ₽137

20.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 ₽1,229

$11.47 ₽957

28.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 ₽582

$7.20 ₽601

-3.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 ₽1,279

$12.64 ₽1,055

21.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ₽179

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₽150

$2.00 ₽167

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ₽171

$1.74 ₽145

17.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 ₽333

$3.42 ₽286

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ₽77.6

$0.68 ₽56.6

36.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₽59.8

$0.72 ₽60.1

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 ₽138

$1.47 ₽123

12.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.71 ₽58.9

40.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 ₽301

$3.31 ₽276

9.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 ₽1,011

$7.84 ₽654

54.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.02 ₽85.3

20.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₽220

$1.96 ₽164

34.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.61 ₽50.9

63.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.43 ₽3,541

$16.18 ₽1,350

162.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₽298

$1.18 ₽98.7

202.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₽67.7

$0.18 ₽14.62

350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.22 ₽1,020

$8.92 ₽745

37.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₽78.5

$0.83 ₽69.3

13.25%

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

$43.9K ₽3.7M

$52.3K ₽4.4M

-16.04%

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

$39.5K ₽3.3M

$40.6K ₽3.4M

-2.63%

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

$195 ₽16.2K

$120 ₽9,997

62.51%

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

$8.83 ₽737

$5.94 ₽496

48.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 ₽845

$11.49 ₽959

-11.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.77 ₽3,570

$68.8 ₽5,741

-37.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.27 ₽3,779

$21.62 ₽1,804

109.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 ₽791

$6.71 ₽560

41.28%

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

$850 ₽70.9K

$398 ₽33.2K

113.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K ₽2.4M

$3,206 ₽267.6K

806.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ₽9,237

$76.5 ₽6,385

44.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 ₽5,709

$24.45 ₽2,041

179.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 ₽12.4K

$99.3 ₽8,287

49.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 ₽15.4K

$120 ₽10.0K

53.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 ₽123.5K

$521 ₽43.5K

184.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 ₽70.6K

$380 ₽31.7K

122.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,083 ₽257.3K

$801 ₽66.8K

285.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 ₽128.7K

$501 ₽41.8K

208.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K ₽844.1K

$2,708 ₽226.0K

273.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₽399.1K

$1,842 ₽153.7K

159.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 ₽145.4K

$651 ₽54.3K

167.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.56

24.57

-20.39%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$846 44.8%

Irkutsk

$380 33.1% 55.1% $466

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$271 14.3%

Irkutsk

$230 20% 15.1% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$230 12.2%

Irkutsk

$144 12.5% 37.4% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$214 11.3%

Irkutsk

$137 11.9% 35.8% $76

Eating Out

Moscow

$211 11.2%

Irkutsk

$156 13.6% 26.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$62 3.3%

Irkutsk

$82 7.2% 33.2% $20

Getting Around

Moscow

$54 2.9%

Irkutsk

$21 1.8% 61.7% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,480 in Moscow and $521 in Irkutsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Moscow pays 168% 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: $59.0 in Moscow vs $36.00 in Irkutsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $230 per month, with Irkutsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Irkutsk

🕒 Local time

19:57 7:57 PM

00:57 12:57 AM

5 h ahead of Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

617,515

💱 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 Irkutsk 4,200 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Irkutsk

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 Irkutsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irkutsk wins on cost – living expenses run 64% 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 168% 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: $1,480 in Moscow versus $521 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $850 in Moscow versus $398 in Irkutsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Moscow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,150 in Irkutsk versus $1,887 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 $1,150 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 64% less than in Moscow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.