Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Kursk

For one person, living is cheaper in Kursk: $909 a month against $1,833 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Moscow
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,833
/mo nomad
Kursk
🇷🇺 Russia
$909
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Kursk

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

A single person spends $1,833 per month in Moscow vs $909 in Kursk, rent included.

  • Moscow $1,833
  • Kursk $909

A couple spends around $2,835 per month in Moscow vs $1,259 in Kursk, rent included.

  • Moscow $2,835
  • Kursk $1,259

A family of three spends $3,837 per month in Moscow vs $1,610 in Kursk, rent included.

  • Moscow $3,837
  • Kursk $1,610

Moscow costs about 102% more than Kursk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Moscow sits 36% above the global median, while Kursk is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Moscow
Kursk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.01 ₽1,002
$9.66 ₽806
24.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.8 ₽4,987
$44.65 ₽3,727
33.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.97 ₽582
$4.99 ₽417
39.68%
Cappuccino
$3.90 ₽326
$2.15 ₽179
81.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 ₽140
$1.16 ₽96.6
43.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 ₽73.1
$0.49 ₽41.10
79.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.88 ₽408
$1.82 ₽152
168.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 ₽459
$2.86 ₽238
92.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Moscow
Kursk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 ₽106
$0.72 ₽60.0
76.39%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 ₽85.1
$0.29 ₽24.11
251.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.67 ₽139
$1.03 ₽85.7
62.14%
Eggs
$1.92 ₽161
$1.17 ₽97.9
64.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.46 ₽1,207
$4.98 ₽416
190.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.69 ₽558
$5.12 ₽427
30.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.11 ₽1,261
$7.15 ₽597
111.33%
Apples (1kg)
$2.04 ₽170
$1.60 ₽133
27.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.86 ₽155
$0.98 ₽82.1
89.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.02 ₽169
$0.98 ₽81.9
106.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.06 ₽338
$2.03 ₽169
100.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.92 ₽76.9
$0.90 ₽75.4
2.22%
Onion (1kg)
$0.75 ₽62.5
$0.29 ₽23.97
158.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.63 ₽136
$1.01 ₽84.5
61.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 ₽76.0
$0.84 ₽70.2
8.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.42 ₽286
$2.67 ₽223
28.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.97 ₽999
$7.94 ₽662
50.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 ₽100
$1.39 ₽116
-13.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 ₽221
$3.28 ₽273
-19.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Moscow
Kursk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.91 ₽75.7
$0.39 ₽32.59
133.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.33 ₽3,449
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.60 ₽300
$1.17 ₽97.8
207.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₽71.1
$0.46 ₽38.23
84.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.10 ₽1,010
$4.96 ₽414
143.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.87 ₽72.8
$0.81 ₽67.3
7.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.3K ₽3.3M
$27.8K ₽2.3M
41.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K ₽3.2M
$36.3K ₽3.0M
6.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moscow
Kursk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$191 ₽16.0K
$110 ₽9,155
74.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.65 ₽722
$5.80 ₽484
49.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.19 ₽850
$5.80 ₽484
75.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Moscow
Kursk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.73 ₽3,566
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$44.45 ₽3,710
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.50 ₽793
$6.46 ₽539
47.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Moscow
Kursk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$817 ₽68.2K
$481 ₽40.2K
69.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.7K ₽2.2M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Moscow
Kursk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110 ₽9,172
$160 ₽13.4K
-31.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$67.9 ₽5,664
$130 ₽10.9K
-47.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$146 ₽12.2K
$225 ₽18.8K
-34.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$184 ₽15.4K
$72.1 ₽6,018
155.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Moscow
Kursk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,499 ₽125.1K
$359 ₽30.0K
317.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$804 ₽67.1K
$210 ₽17.6K
281.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,068 ₽256.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,501 ₽125.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.2K ₽855.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,709 ₽393.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Moscow
Kursk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,715 ₽143.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.56
15
30.40%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kursk: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Moscow
$804
Kursk
$210 73.8% $594
Groceries & Markets
Moscow
$266
Kursk
$156 41.5% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Moscow
$229
Kursk
$264 15.6% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moscow
$210
Kursk
$121 42.3% $89
Eating Out
Moscow
$209
Kursk
$139 33.4% $70
Sport & Entertainment
Moscow
$62
Kursk
$13 * 79.1% $49
Getting Around
Moscow
$53
Kursk
$5 * 90.5% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,499 in Moscow versus $359 in Kursk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Moscow versus $45.00 in Kursk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $156 – making Kursk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Moscow
🇷🇺 Kursk
🕒 Local time
08:28 8:28 AM
08:28 8:28 AM
Same time as Moscow
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
12,700,000 Capital
450,977
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Moscow Kursk 460 km
From you
  • Moscow
  • Kursk

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 Kursk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Moscow and in Kursk compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,833 in Moscow, $909 in Kursk – roughly 102% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Moscow compared to Kursk?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,749 per month in Moscow and $1,364 in Kursk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Moscow and Kursk?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kursk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Moscow or Kursk?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,833 in Moscow and $909 in Kursk. That's a gap of about 102%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Moscow and Kursk?
Kindergarten costs $817 per month in Moscow and $481 in Kursk. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kursk, where all-in costs run around $909, than in Moscow at $1,833. In Kursk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Moscow and Kursk?
It depends on your priorities. Moscow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $909 in Kursk to $1,833 in Moscow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Moscow and Kursk?
If budget matters most, go with Kursk. 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.

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