Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Magadan Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Magadan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,689 in Moscow versus $1,084 in Magadan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,582 in Moscow versus $1,723 in Magadan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,475 in Moscow versus $2,362 in Magadan.

Living in Moscow is roughly 56% more expensive than Magadan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Moscow is 26% above, Magadan is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.95 ₽938

$9.28 ₽672

39.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.0 ₽4,130

$64.0 ₽4,639

-10.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.31 ₽457

$5.73 ₽415

10.12%

Cappuccino

$3.31 ₽240

$3.13 ₽227

5.75%

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

$1.40 ₽101

$1.53 ₽111

-8.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₽45.62

$1.07 ₽77.4

-41.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.35 ₽315

$1.41 ₽102

208.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 ₽328

$2.52 ₽183

79.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 ₽97.6

$1.59 ₽115

-15.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₽64.3

$1.05 ₽76.2

-15.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 ₽122

$1.49 ₽108

12.75%

Eggs

$1.85 ₽134

$2.96 ₽214

-37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 ₽937

$14.62 ₽1,059

-11.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 ₽437

$9.18 ₽665

-34.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 ₽883

$16.02 ₽1,161

-23.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 ₽140

$1.79 ₽130

8.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ₽150

$3.44 ₽249

-40.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ₽164

$3.12 ₽226

-27.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 ₽293

$2.76 ₽200

46.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 ₽71.3

$1.36 ₽98.8

-27.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 ₽57.6

$1.17 ₽85.0

-32.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ₽122

$0.90 ₽65.4

87.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₽57.5

$1.20 ₽86.9

-34.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ₽234

$3.20 ₽232

0.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 ₽789

$12.81 ₽929

-15.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₽80.7

$1.03 ₽74.5

7.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₽175

$2.56 ₽185

-5.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₽65.3

$1.00 ₽72.4

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.34 ₽2,778

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 ₽182

$1.56 ₽113

60.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 ₽32.46

$0.33 ₽23.78

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 ₽574

$6.30 ₽456

25.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 ₽59.3

$0.76 ₽55.4

7.89%

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

$37.4K ₽2.7M

$34.7K ₽2.5M

7.73%

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

$36.6K ₽2.7M

$36.1K ₽2.6M

1.48%

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

$150 ₽10.9K

$110 ₽7,970

36.15%

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

$8.15 ₽591

$5.94 ₽430

37.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.04 ₽582

$7.68 ₽556

4.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.24 ₽3,423

$35.72 ₽2,588

32.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.36 ₽2,490

Cinema Ticket

$6.45 ₽468

$5.18 ₽375

24.52%

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

$698 ₽50.5K

$322 ₽23.3K

116.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ₽1.1M

$6,965 ₽504.7K

111.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 ₽6,349

$71.2 ₽5,161

23.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 ₽3,823

$43.78 ₽3,172

20.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₽9,461

$113 ₽8,179

15.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 ₽11.6K

$108 ₽7,789

48.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 ₽94.9K

$444 ₽32.1K

195.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 ₽53.6K

$303 ₽22.0K

144.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,942 ₽213.2K

$771 ₽55.9K

281.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 ₽104.0K

$513 ₽37.2K

179.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₽859.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,856 ₽351.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,014 ₽145.9K

$1,098 ₽79.5K

83.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.39

103.25%

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

Last update for Moscow: June 6, 2026

Last update for Magadan: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,310 in Moscow and $444 in Magadan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Moscow pays 83% 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: $57.0 in Moscow vs $64.0 in Magadan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $298 per month, with Moscow cheaper across the board.

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 56% 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.

Moscow pays 83% more on average, 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: $1,310 in Moscow versus $444 in Magadan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Moscow versus $322 in Magadan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Magadan – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $57.0 in Moscow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,084 in Magadan versus $1,689 in Moscow, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Magadan but tight or insufficient in Moscow. The gap between the two cities makes Magadan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Magadan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,084 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Magadan hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Magadan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Moscow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.