Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Kholmsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Kholmsk: $1,073 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
Learn more

Moscow Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Kholmsk
Learn more

Kholmsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Kholmsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,073

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Kholmsk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,922 in Moscow versus $1,073 in Kholmsk.

Moscow $1,922
Kholmsk $1,073

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,941 in Moscow versus $1,672 in Kholmsk.

Moscow $2,941
Kholmsk $1,672

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,960 in Moscow versus $2,271 in Kholmsk.

Moscow $3,960
Kholmsk $2,271

Living in Moscow is roughly 79% more expensive than in Kholmsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Moscow is 41% above, Kholmsk is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ₽1,008

$11.32 ₽913

10.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₽4,939

$37.66 ₽3,037

62.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ₽617

$6.24 ₽503

22.60%

Cappuccino

$3.84 ₽309

$2.85 ₽230

34.74%

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

$1.74 ₽140

$1.10 ₽89.0

58.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₽68.8

$0.59 ₽47.53

44.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 ₽390

$1.77 ₽143

172.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 ₽417

$2.95 ₽238

75.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ₽107

$1.12 ₽90.7

17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₽84.0

$0.74 ₽60.0

40.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽143

$1.37 ₽111

29.20%

Eggs

$2.02 ₽163

$1.63 ₽132

23.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 ₽1,216

$11.48 ₽926

31.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 ₽553

$5.25 ₽423

30.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ₽1,233

$11.56 ₽933

32.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₽173

$1.72 ₽138

24.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₽148

$1.77 ₽143

3.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₽164

$1.77 ₽143

14.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ₽334

$2.78 ₽224

48.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ₽76.0

$0.84 ₽68.1

11.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ₽62.0

$0.58 ₽46.67

32.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ₽137

$1.30 ₽105

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽81.3

$0.77 ₽61.7

31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ₽299

$3.05 ₽246

21.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 ₽986

$7.82 ₽631

56.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₽102

$1.07 ₽86.5

17.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₽220

$2.06 ₽166

32.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₽77.4

$0.56 ₽45.31

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.33 ₽3,494

$25.46 ₽2,053

70.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ₽296

$2.44 ₽197

50.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₽67.6

$0.35 ₽28.14

140.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 ₽994

$5.74 ₽463

114.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₽77.4

$0.80 ₽64.6

20.00%

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

$45.4K ₽3.7M

$52.1K ₽4.2M

-12.84%

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

$41.2K ₽3.3M

$40.2K ₽3.2M

2.58%

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

$199 ₽16.0K

$121 ₽9,737

64.69%

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

$9.04 ₽729

$6.40 ₽516

41.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 ₽810

$8.31 ₽670

20.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 ₽3,589

$35.44 ₽2,858

25.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.40 ₽3,823

$24.21 ₽1,953

95.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 ₽777

$6.25 ₽504

54.08%

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

$898 ₽72.4K

$349 ₽28.1K

157.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₽2.4M

$6,381 ₽514.6K

359.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 ₽9,411

$81.3 ₽6,553

43.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 ₽5,595

$52.3 ₽4,216

32.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 ₽12.3K

$120 ₽9,681

27.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 ₽15.1K

$104 ₽8,347

81.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ₽123.6K

$475 ₽38.3K

222.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 ₽69.4K

$323 ₽26.0K

166.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,127 ₽252.2K

$906 ₽73.0K

245.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 ₽125.1K

$574 ₽46.3K

170.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K ₽845.5K

$2,280 ₽183.9K

359.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,981 ₽401.7K

$1,469 ₽118.5K

239.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ₽145.0K

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 Kholmsk: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$860 44.7%

Kholmsk

$323 30.1% 62.5% $538

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$274 14.3%

Kholmsk

$209 19.5% 23.6% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$237 12.3%

Kholmsk

$161 15% 32.2% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$218 11.3%

Kholmsk

$135 12.6% 37.8% $82

Eating Out

Moscow

$214 11.1%

Kholmsk

$165 15.4% 22.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$64 3.3%

Kholmsk

$48 4.5% 24.8% $16

Getting Around

Moscow

$55 2.9%

Kholmsk

$32 3% 42% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,533 in Moscow and $475 in Kholmsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Moscow vs $38 in Kholmsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $209 per month, with Kholmsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Kholmsk

🕒 Local time

21:40 9:40 PM

05:40 5:40 AM

8 h ahead of Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

27,954

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Moscow Kholmsk 6,600 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Kholmsk

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 Kholmsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kholmsk wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Moscow. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kholmsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,883 in Moscow and $1,610 in Kholmsk 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 $475 in Kholmsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kholmsk runs roughly 41% less than in Moscow. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $898 in Moscow versus $349 in Kholmsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Kholmsk is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Kholmsk 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.