Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Kostroma

For one person, living is cheaper in Kostroma: $1,312 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Kostroma
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Kostroma Living Index

Jump to prices

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Kostroma

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Kostroma

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

A single person spends $1,887 per month in Moscow vs $1,312 in Kostroma, rent included.

Moscow $1,887
Kostroma $1,312

A couple spends around $2,893 per month in Moscow vs $2,085 in Kostroma, rent included.

Moscow $2,893
Kostroma $2,085

A family of three spends $3,899 per month in Moscow vs $2,859 in Kostroma, rent included.

Moscow $3,899
Kostroma $2,859

Moscow costs about 44% more than Kostroma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Moscow sits 39% above the global median, while Kostroma is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 ₽1,018

$12.01 ₽1,002

1.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 ₽4,952

$61.1 ₽5,102

-2.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 ₽589

$7.20 ₽601

-1.94%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₽326

$3.91 ₽326

-0.26%

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

$1.70 ₽142

$1.62 ₽136

4.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₽71.6

$0.85 ₽71.1

1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ₽411

$1.80 ₽150

173.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 ₽437

$5.29 ₽441

-1.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.24 ₽103

-0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₽85.2

$1.01 ₽84.3

0.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽147

$1.68 ₽140

5.36%

Eggs

$1.97 ₽164

$1.88 ₽157

4.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 ₽1,229

$14.95 ₽1,248

-1.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 ₽582

$6.93 ₽578

0.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 ₽1,279

$14.95 ₽1,248

2.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ₽179

$2.17 ₽181

-0.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₽150

$1.82 ₽152

-1.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ₽171

$1.98 ₽165

3.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 ₽333

$3.96 ₽330

0.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ₽77.6

$0.89 ₽74.0

4.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₽59.8

$0.70 ₽58.7

2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 ₽138

$1.65 ₽137

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.93 ₽78.0

7.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 ₽301

$3.49 ₽291

3.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 ₽1,011

$12.31 ₽1,027

-1.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.22 ₽102

0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₽220

$2.54 ₽212

3.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.54 ₽45.15

85.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.43 ₽3,541

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₽298

$3.62 ₽302

-1.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₽67.7

$0.34 ₽28.73

138.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.22 ₽1,020

$11.94 ₽996

2.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₽78.5

$0.88 ₽73.3

6.82%

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

$43.9K ₽3.7M

$42.4K ₽3.5M

3.60%

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

$39.5K ₽3.3M

$40.1K ₽3.3M

-1.43%

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

$195 ₽16.2K

$191 ₽16.0K

1.74%

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

$8.83 ₽737

$8.70 ₽726

1.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 ₽845

$9.88 ₽825

2.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.77 ₽3,570

$40.32 ₽3,365

6.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.27 ₽3,779

$25.01 ₽2,087

81.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 ₽791

$9.47 ₽791

0.11%

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

$850 ₽70.9K

$344 ₽28.7K

147.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K ₽2.4M

$6,317 ₽527.2K

359.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ₽9,237

$114 ₽9,511

-2.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 ₽5,709

$67.6 ₽5,645

1.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 ₽12.4K

$148 ₽12.3K

0.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 ₽15.4K

$189 ₽15.8K

-2.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 ₽123.5K

$500 ₽41.8K

195.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 ₽70.6K

$340 ₽28.3K

149.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,083 ₽257.3K

$837 ₽69.9K

268.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 ₽128.7K

$643 ₽53.6K

140.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K ₽844.1K

$2,226 ₽185.8K

354.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₽399.1K

$1,489 ₽124.3K

221.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 ₽145.4K

$762 ₽63.6K

128.57%

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 Kostroma: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$846 44.8%

Kostroma

$340 25.9% 59.9% $507

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$271 14.3%

Kostroma

$268 20.4% 0.9% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$230 12.2%

Kostroma

$233 17.8% 1.4% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$214 11.3%

Kostroma

$210 16% 1.7% $3.7

Eating Out

Moscow

$211 11.2%

Kostroma

$194 14.8% 8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$62 3.3%

Kostroma

$59 4.5% 4% $2.5

Getting Around

Moscow

$54 2.9%

Kostroma

$7.5 * 0.6% 86.1% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,480 in Moscow versus $500 in Kostroma. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 129% higher in Moscow, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Moscow versus $61.0 in Kostroma. Groceries tell a different story – $271 in Moscow vs $268 in Kostroma – so Kostroma wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Kostroma

🕒 Local time

22:13 10:13 PM

Same time as Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

277,393

💱 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

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From you

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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 Kostroma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 44% more than Kostroma, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,831 per month in Moscow and $1,968 in Kostroma. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kostroma, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Moscow and $61.0 in Kostroma. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Moscow, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kostroma, where all-in costs run around $1,312, than in Moscow at $1,887. In Kostroma it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kostroma costs $1,312 versus $1,887 in Moscow. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Kostroma. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moscow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.