Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Korolyov

For one person, living is cheaper in Korolyov: $1,310 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Korolyov
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Korolyov Living Index

Jump to prices

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Korolyov

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Korolyov

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,887 in Moscow versus $1,310 in Korolyov.

Moscow $1,887
Korolyov $1,310

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,893 in Moscow versus $1,911 in Korolyov.

Moscow $2,893
Korolyov $1,911

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,899 in Moscow versus $2,512 in Korolyov.

Moscow $3,899
Korolyov $2,512

Living in Moscow is roughly 44% more expensive than in Korolyov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Moscow is 39% above, Korolyov is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 ₽1,018

$12.06 ₽1,006

1.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 ₽4,952

$61.0 ₽5,093

-2.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 ₽589

$7.42 ₽619

-4.85%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₽326

$2.79 ₽233

39.78%

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

$1.70 ₽142

$0.99 ₽82.6

71.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₽71.6

$0.55 ₽45.79

56.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ₽411

$1.02 ₽84.9

382.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 ₽437

$1.46 ₽122

258.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.28 ₽107

-3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₽85.2

$0.87 ₽72.9

17.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽147

$1.22 ₽102

45.08%

Eggs

$1.97 ₽164

$1.58 ₽132

24.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 ₽1,229

$8.83 ₽737

66.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 ₽582

$6.11 ₽510

14.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 ₽1,279

$12.00 ₽1,002

27.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ₽179

$1.61 ₽134

33.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₽150

$1.42 ₽119

26.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ₽171

$1.52 ₽127

34.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 ₽333

$3.62 ₽302

10.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ₽77.6

$0.73 ₽60.9

27.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₽59.8

$0.41 ₽33.95

75.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 ₽138

$1.47 ₽123

12.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.95 ₽79.0

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 ₽301

$2.24 ₽187

61.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 ₽1,011

$10.95 ₽914

10.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₽103

$0.79 ₽65.6

55.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₽220

$1.54 ₽129

71.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.95 ₽79.2

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.43 ₽3,541

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₽298

$3.67 ₽306

-2.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₽67.7

$0.17 ₽14.61

376.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.22 ₽1,020

$3.67 ₽306

232.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₽78.5

$0.90 ₽75.2

4.44%

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

$43.9K ₽3.7M

$42.6K ₽3.6M

2.93%

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

$39.5K ₽3.3M

$39.1K ₽3.3M

1.11%

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

$195 ₽16.2K

$129 ₽10.8K

50.37%

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

$8.83 ₽737

$4.69 ₽392

88.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 ₽845

$8.49 ₽709

19.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.77 ₽3,570

$145 ₽12.1K

-70.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.27 ₽3,779

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 ₽791

$5.43 ₽453

74.59%

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

$850 ₽70.9K

$179 ₽14.9K

375.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K ₽2.4M

$3,611 ₽301.4K

704.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ₽9,237

$61.3 ₽5,117

80.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 ₽5,709

$30.32 ₽2,530

125.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 ₽12.4K

$143 ₽12.0K

3.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 ₽15.4K

$120 ₽10.0K

53.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 ₽123.5K

$551 ₽46.0K

168.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 ₽70.6K

$462 ₽38.6K

83.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,083 ₽257.3K

$816 ₽68.1K

277.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 ₽128.7K

$536 ₽44.7K

187.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K ₽844.1K

$2,427 ₽202.6K

316.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₽399.1K

$2,166 ₽180.7K

120.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 ₽145.4K

$1,197 ₽99.9K

45.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.56

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

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Korolyov: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$846 44.8%

Korolyov

$462 35.3% 45.4% $384

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$271 14.3%

Korolyov

$216 16.5% 20.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$230 12.2%

Korolyov

$160 12.2% 30.6% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$214 11.3%

Korolyov

$143 10.9% 33.2% $71

Eating Out

Moscow

$211 11.2%

Korolyov

$166 12.7% 21.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$62 3.3%

Korolyov

$155 11.9% 152% $94

Getting Around

Moscow

$54 2.9%

Korolyov

$8.3 * 0.6% 84.6% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,480 in Moscow and $551 in Korolyov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Moscow pays 46% 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 $61.0 in Korolyov. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $216, with Korolyov cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Korolyov

🕒 Local time

15:31 3:31 PM

Same time as Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

225,299

💱 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 Korolyov 22 km

From you

Moscow
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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 Korolyov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 46% 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 $551 in Korolyov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Moscow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,887 per month in Moscow versus $1,310 in Korolyov – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,310 in Korolyov versus $1,887 in Moscow, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Korolyov but tight or insufficient in Moscow. The gap between the two cities makes Korolyov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Korolyov delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,310 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Korolyov hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Moscow and Korolyov are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Korolyov 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.