Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Kazan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kazan: $1,254 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Kazan
Learn more

Kazan Living Index

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Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Kazan

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,254

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Kazan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,922 in Moscow versus $1,254 in Kazan.

Moscow $1,922
Kazan $1,254

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,941 in Moscow versus $1,944 in Kazan.

Moscow $2,941
Kazan $1,944

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,960 in Moscow versus $2,635 in Kazan.

Moscow $3,960
Kazan $2,635

Living in Moscow is roughly 53% more expensive than in Kazan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Moscow is 41% above, Kazan is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ₽1,008

$13.87 ₽1,119

-9.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₽4,939

$40.79 ₽3,290

50.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ₽617

$6.49 ₽523

17.87%

Cappuccino

$3.84 ₽309

$3.27 ₽264

17.43%

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

$1.74 ₽140

$1.42 ₽115

22.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₽68.8

$0.63 ₽50.7

34.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 ₽390

$1.83 ₽148

163.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 ₽417

$2.47 ₽199

109.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ₽107

$1.14 ₽91.9

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₽84.0

$0.77 ₽62.4

35.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽143

$1.59 ₽128

11.32%

Eggs

$2.02 ₽163

$1.49 ₽120

35.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 ₽1,216

$11.67 ₽941

29.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 ₽553

$4.84 ₽391

41.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ₽1,233

$11.03 ₽889

38.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₽173

$2.00 ₽161

7.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₽148

$1.73 ₽140

5.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₽164

$2.00 ₽161

1.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ₽334

$3.16 ₽255

31.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ₽76.0

$0.85 ₽68.6

10.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ₽62.0

$0.55 ₽44.27

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ₽137

$1.50 ₽121

12.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽81.3

$0.78 ₽63.1

29.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ₽299

$3.02 ₽244

22.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 ₽986

$8.01 ₽646

52.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₽102

$1.10 ₽88.9

14.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₽220

$1.99 ₽160

37.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₽77.4

$0.58 ₽47.00

65.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.33 ₽3,494

$31.56 ₽2,545

37.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ₽296

$2.50 ₽202

47.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₽67.6

$0.53 ₽43.01

58.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 ₽994

$7.58 ₽611

62.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₽77.4

$0.85 ₽68.5

12.94%

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

$45.4K ₽3.7M

$53.0K ₽4.3M

-14.39%

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

$41.2K ₽3.3M

$42.4K ₽3.4M

-2.81%

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

$199 ₽16.0K

$128 ₽10.3K

55.35%

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

$9.04 ₽729

$5.61 ₽452

61.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 ₽810

$7.33 ₽591

37.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 ₽3,589

$37.72 ₽3,042

18.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.40 ₽3,823

$31.24 ₽2,520

51.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 ₽777

$6.72 ₽542

43.30%

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

$898 ₽72.4K

$301 ₽24.3K

197.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₽2.4M

$6,657 ₽536.9K

339.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 ₽9,411

$95.3 ₽7,682

22.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 ₽5,595

$96.1 ₽7,753

-27.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 ₽12.3K

$108 ₽8,670

42.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 ₽15.1K

$79.0 ₽6,367

137.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ₽123.6K

$699 ₽56.3K

119.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 ₽69.4K

$448 ₽36.1K

92.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,127 ₽252.2K

$1,158 ₽93.4K

170.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 ₽125.1K

$806 ₽65.0K

92.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K ₽845.5K

$4,519 ₽364.4K

132.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,981 ₽401.7K

$2,489 ₽200.8K

100.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ₽145.0K

$1,000 ₽80.6K

79.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.58

20.8

-5.87%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kazan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$860 44.7%

Kazan

$448 35.7% 47.9% $412

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$274 14.3%

Kazan

$213 17% 22.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$237 12.3%

Kazan

$170 13.6% 28.3% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$218 11.3%

Kazan

$141 11.2% 35.3% $77

Eating Out

Moscow

$214 11.1%

Kazan

$192 15.3% 10.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$64 3.3%

Kazan

$51 4.1% 19.8% $13

Getting Around

Moscow

$55 2.9%

Kazan

$39 3.1% 29% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,533 in Moscow and $699 in Kazan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Moscow pays 80% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Moscow vs $41 in Kazan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $213 per month, with Kazan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Kazan

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

Same time as Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

1,257,341

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Moscow Kazan 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Kazan

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 Kazan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,922 in Moscow and $1,254 in Kazan, so Kazan is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 80% 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: $1,533 in Moscow versus $699 in Kazan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kazan – a meal for two runs $41 versus $61 in Moscow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,922 per month in Moscow versus $1,254 in Kazan – Kazan is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Kazan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Moscow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.