Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod

For one person, living is cheaper in Nizhny Novgorod: $1,232 a month against $1,833 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
Learn more

Moscow Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Nizhny Novgorod
Learn more

Nizhny Novgorod Living Index

Jump to prices

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,833

/mo nomad

Nizhny Novgorod

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Nizhny Novgorod

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

A single person spends $1,833 per month in Moscow vs $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod, rent included.

Moscow $1,833
Nizhny Novgorod $1,232

A couple spends around $2,835 per month in Moscow vs $1,855 in Nizhny Novgorod, rent included.

Moscow $2,835
Nizhny Novgorod $1,855

A family of three spends $3,837 per month in Moscow vs $2,479 in Nizhny Novgorod, rent included.

Moscow $3,837
Nizhny Novgorod $2,479

Moscow costs about 49% more than Nizhny Novgorod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Moscow sits 36% above the global median, while Nizhny Novgorod is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 ₽1,002

$13.93 ₽1,163

-13.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₽4,987

$53.0 ₽4,420

12.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.97 ₽582

$7.06 ₽589

-1.27%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₽326

$3.30 ₽275

18.18%

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

$1.67 ₽140

$1.74 ₽145

-4.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₽73.1

$0.70 ₽58.2

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 ₽408

$1.86 ₽156

162.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 ₽459

$3.70 ₽309

48.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ₽106

$1.19 ₽99.6

6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₽85.1

$0.82 ₽68.2

24.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 ₽139

$1.47 ₽123

13.61%

Eggs

$1.92 ₽161

$1.61 ₽134

19.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.46 ₽1,207

$11.65 ₽972

24.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 ₽558

$4.59 ₽383

45.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.11 ₽1,261

$13.56 ₽1,132

11.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ₽170

$1.70 ₽142

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ₽155

$1.70 ₽142

9.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ₽169

$1.76 ₽147

14.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 ₽338

$3.66 ₽306

10.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 ₽76.9

$0.68 ₽57.1

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 ₽62.5

$0.61 ₽50.7

22.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 ₽136

$1.28 ₽107

27.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₽76.0

$0.74 ₽61.6

22.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₽286

$2.96 ₽247

15.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.97 ₽999

$8.17 ₽682

46.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₽100

$1.09 ₽90.9

10.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₽221

$2.35 ₽196

12.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₽75.7

$0.46 ₽38.56

97.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.33 ₽3,449

$16.96 ₽1,416

143.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₽300

$2.13 ₽177

69.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₽71.1

$0.44 ₽36.57

93.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.10 ₽1,010

$7.19 ₽600

68.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 ₽72.8

$0.81 ₽67.6

7.41%

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

$39.3K ₽3.3M

$42.4K ₽3.5M

-7.31%

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

$38.5K ₽3.2M

$32.8K ₽2.7M

17.55%

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

$191 ₽16.0K

$144 ₽12.0K

32.98%

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

$8.65 ₽722

$7.12 ₽594

21.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.19 ₽850

$8.03 ₽670

26.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.73 ₽3,566

$32.72 ₽2,730

30.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.45 ₽3,710

$26.32 ₽2,197

68.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.50 ₽793

$7.22 ₽603

31.58%

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

$817 ₽68.2K

$309 ₽25.8K

164.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.7K ₽2.2M

$6,940 ₽579.2K

285.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 ₽9,172

$69.3 ₽5,781

58.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.9 ₽5,664

$54.3 ₽4,531

25.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 ₽12.2K

$141 ₽11.8K

3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 ₽15.4K

$83.4 ₽6,963

120.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 ₽125.1K

$610 ₽50.9K

145.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$804 ₽67.1K

$428 ₽35.7K

87.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,068 ₽256.0K

$863 ₽72.0K

255.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 ₽125.3K

$614 ₽51.3K

144.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.2K ₽855.4K

$3,279 ₽273.7K

212.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,709 ₽393.0K

$2,075 ₽173.2K

126.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ₽143.1K

$1,024 ₽85.4K

67.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.56

20.81

-6.01%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$804 43.9%

Nizhny Novgorod

$428 34.8% 46.7% $376

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$266 14.5%

Nizhny Novgorod

$219 17.8% 17.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$229 12.5%

Nizhny Novgorod

$157 12.7% 31.6% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$210 11.5%

Nizhny Novgorod

$159 12.9% 24.3% $51

Eating Out

Moscow

$209 11.4%

Nizhny Novgorod

$199 16.1% 5.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$62 3.4%

Nizhny Novgorod

$47 3.8% 23.6% $15

Getting Around

Moscow

$53 2.9%

Nizhny Novgorod

$23 1.9% 56.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,499 in Moscow versus $610 in Nizhny Novgorod. 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 68% 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 $60.0 in Moscow versus $53.0 in Nizhny Novgorod. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $219 – making Nizhny Novgorod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Nizhny Novgorod

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

Same time as Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

1,244,254

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Moscow Nizhny Novgorod 400 km

From you

Moscow
Nizhny Novgorod

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 Nizhny Novgorod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 49% more than Nizhny Novgorod, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,749 per month in Moscow and $1,847 in Nizhny Novgorod. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 144% less in Nizhny Novgorod. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $817 per month in Moscow and $309 in Nizhny Novgorod. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nizhny Novgorod, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Moscow at $1,833. In Nizhny Novgorod it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nizhny Novgorod costs $1,232 versus $1,833 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 Nizhny Novgorod. 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.