Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Magadan

For one person, living is cheaper in Magadan: $1,085 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Magadan
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Magadan Living Index

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Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Magadan

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,085

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Magadan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,922 in Moscow versus $1,085 in Magadan.

Moscow $1,922
Magadan $1,085

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,941 in Moscow versus $1,711 in Magadan.

Moscow $2,941
Magadan $1,711

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,960 in Moscow versus $2,336 in Magadan.

Moscow $3,960
Magadan $2,336

Living in Moscow is roughly 77% more expensive than in Magadan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Moscow is 41% above, Magadan is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ₽1,008

$11.62 ₽937

7.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₽4,939

$37.90 ₽3,057

61.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ₽617

$7.32 ₽590

4.51%

Cappuccino

$3.84 ₽309

$2.90 ₽234

32.41%

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

$1.74 ₽140

$1.35 ₽109

28.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₽68.8

$0.58 ₽46.90

46.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 ₽390

$1.66 ₽134

190.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 ₽417

$2.83 ₽228

82.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ₽107

$1.15 ₽92.7

14.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₽84.0

$0.75 ₽60.7

38.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽143

$1.60 ₽129

10.62%

Eggs

$2.02 ₽163

$1.57 ₽127

28.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 ₽1,216

$11.51 ₽928

31.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 ₽553

$5.43 ₽438

26.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ₽1,233

$10.66 ₽859

43.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₽173

$1.81 ₽146

18.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₽148

$1.89 ₽152

-3.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₽164

$1.88 ₽152

7.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ₽334

$2.48 ₽200

66.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ₽76.0

$0.80 ₽64.6

17.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ₽62.0

$0.61 ₽48.88

26.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ₽137

$1.24 ₽99.8

36.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽81.3

$0.63 ₽51.2

60.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ₽299

$2.78 ₽224

33.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 ₽986

$8.17 ₽659

49.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₽102

$0.99 ₽80.2

27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₽220

$2.32 ₽187

17.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₽77.4

$0.56 ₽45.14

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.33 ₽3,494

$30.25 ₽2,440

43.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ₽296

$2.42 ₽195

52.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₽67.6

$0.32 ₽26.17

162.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 ₽994

$6.65 ₽536

85.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₽77.4

$0.84 ₽67.8

14.29%

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

$45.4K ₽3.7M

$53.6K ₽4.3M

-15.38%

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

$41.2K ₽3.3M

$39.9K ₽3.2M

3.14%

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

$199 ₽16.0K

$136 ₽11.0K

46.03%

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

$9.04 ₽729

$7.23 ₽583

25.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 ₽810

$9.00 ₽726

11.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 ₽3,589

$36.17 ₽2,917

23.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.40 ₽3,823

$24.48 ₽1,974

93.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 ₽777

$6.40 ₽516

50.47%

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

$898 ₽72.4K

$400 ₽32.3K

124.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₽2.4M

$6,539 ₽527.3K

347.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 ₽9,411

$84.9 ₽6,850

37.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 ₽5,595

$46.25 ₽3,730

50.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 ₽12.3K

$111 ₽8,980

37.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 ₽15.1K

$114 ₽9,214

64.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ₽123.6K

$542 ₽43.8K

182.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 ₽69.4K

$307 ₽24.8K

179.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,127 ₽252.2K

$826 ₽66.6K

278.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 ₽125.1K

$601 ₽48.5K

157.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K ₽845.5K

$2,373 ₽191.4K

341.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,981 ₽401.7K

$1,316 ₽106.1K

278.61%

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 Magadan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$860 44.7%

Magadan

$307 28.3% 64.3% $553

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$274 14.3%

Magadan

$208 19.2% 24.2% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$237 12.3%

Magadan

$161 14.8% 32.3% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$218 11.3%

Magadan

$152 14% 30.1% $66

Eating Out

Moscow

$214 11.1%

Magadan

$171 15.8% 19.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$64 3.3%

Magadan

$49 4.5% 23.2% $15

Getting Around

Moscow

$55 2.9%

Magadan

$37 3.4% 33.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,533 in Moscow and $542 in Magadan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Moscow vs $38 in Magadan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $208 per month, with Magadan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Magadan

🕒 Local time

01:15 1:15 AM

09:15 9:15 AM

8 h ahead of Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

89,193

💱 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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Between locations

Moscow Magadan 5,900 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Magadan

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 Magadan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You’d need roughly $2,883 in Moscow and $1,628 in Magadan 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 $542 in Magadan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,922 per month in Moscow versus $1,085 in Magadan – Magadan is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Magadan runs roughly 30% less than in Moscow. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Magadan 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 Magadan 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.