Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Novokuznetsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Novokuznetsk: $1,435 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Moscow outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

92

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Novokuznetsk
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Novokuznetsk Living Index

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Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Novokuznetsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Novokuznetsk

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

A single person spends $1,922 per month in Moscow vs $1,435 in Novokuznetsk, rent included.

Moscow $1,922
Novokuznetsk $1,435

A couple spends around $2,941 per month in Moscow vs $2,321 in Novokuznetsk, rent included.

Moscow $2,941
Novokuznetsk $2,321

A family of three spends $3,960 per month in Moscow vs $3,206 in Novokuznetsk, rent included.

Moscow $3,960
Novokuznetsk $3,206

Moscow costs about 34% more than Novokuznetsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Moscow and Novokuznetsk sit above the global median – Moscow by 41%, Novokuznetsk by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ₽1,007

$12.48 ₽1,005

0.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₽4,932

$61.5 ₽4,954

-0.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ₽616

$6.85 ₽551

11.68%

Cappuccino

$3.84 ₽309

$2.63 ₽212

46.01%

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

$1.74 ₽140

$2.12 ₽171

-17.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₽68.7

$1.14 ₽92.2

-25.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 ₽389

$4.22 ₽340

14.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 ₽417

$6.15 ₽495

-15.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ₽107

$1.46 ₽118

-9.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₽83.9

$0.87 ₽69.8

19.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽143

$1.41 ₽114

25.53%

Eggs

$2.02 ₽163

$1.67 ₽135

20.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 ₽1,215

$8.85 ₽712

70.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 ₽552

$7.45 ₽600

-7.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ₽1,231

$9.51 ₽766

60.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₽172

$2.05 ₽165

4.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₽148

$2.27 ₽183

-19.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₽163

$2.49 ₽200

-18.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ₽333

$4.16 ₽335

-0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ₽75.9

$0.89 ₽71.6

5.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ₽61.9

$0.57 ₽45.75

35.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ₽136

$1.52 ₽122

11.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽81.2

$0.72 ₽58.1

40.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ₽299

$3.64 ₽293

1.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 ₽985

$6.25 ₽504

95.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₽101

$1.81 ₽146

-30.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₽220

$2.75 ₽221

-0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₽77.3

$0.63 ₽50.8

52.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.33 ₽3,489

$31.35 ₽2,525

38.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ₽296

$1.85 ₽149

98.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₽67.5

$0.60 ₽48.17

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 ₽993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₽77.3

$0.90 ₽72.3

6.67%

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

$45.4K ₽3.7M

$34.2K ₽2.8M

32.79%

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

$41.2K ₽3.3M

$34.9K ₽2.8M

17.92%

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

$199 ₽16.0K

$227 ₽18.3K

-12.59%

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

$9.04 ₽728

$5.31 ₽428

70.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 ₽809

$6.59 ₽531

52.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 ₽3,584

$52.8 ₽4,250

-15.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.40 ₽3,817

$29.05 ₽2,339

63.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 ₽776

$7.55 ₽608

27.55%

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

$898 ₽72.3K

$705 ₽56.8K

27.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₽2.4M

$17.9K ₽1.4M

64.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 ₽9,397

$147 ₽11.8K

-20.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 ₽5,587

$85.9 ₽6,915

-19.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 ₽12.3K

$184 ₽14.8K

-16.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 ₽15.1K

$371 ₽29.8K

-49.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ₽123.5K

$470 ₽37.8K

226.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 ₽69.3K

$308 ₽24.8K

178.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,127 ₽251.8K

$984 ₽79.3K

217.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 ₽125.0K

$696 ₽56.0K

123.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K ₽844.3K

$2,232 ₽179.8K

369.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,981 ₽401.2K

$1,546 ₽124.5K

222.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ₽144.8K

$590 ₽47.6K

204.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.58

22.75

-13.93%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 25, 2026

Last update for Novokuznetsk: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$860 44.7%

Novokuznetsk

$308 21.5% 64.2% $552

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$274 14.3%

Novokuznetsk

$228 15.9% 16.8% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$237 12.3%

Novokuznetsk

$354 24.7% 49.4% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$218 11.3%

Novokuznetsk

$239 16.7% 9.8% $21

Eating Out

Moscow

$214 11.1%

Novokuznetsk

$198 13.8% 7.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$64 3.3%

Novokuznetsk

$68 4.7% 6.4% $4.1

Getting Around

Moscow

$55 2.9%

Novokuznetsk

$39 2.7% 29.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,533 in Moscow versus $470 in Novokuznetsk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Moscow are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Moscow versus $62 in Novokuznetsk. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Moscow vs $228 in Novokuznetsk – so Novokuznetsk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Novokuznetsk

🕒 Local time

06:23 6:23 AM

10:23 10:23 AM

4 h ahead of Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

544,583

💱 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

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Between locations

Moscow Novokuznetsk 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Novokuznetsk

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 Novokuznetsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 34% more than Novokuznetsk, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,883 per month in Moscow and $2,153 in Novokuznetsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Novokuznetsk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $470 there versus $1,533 in Moscow.

Public transport costs about 28% less in Novokuznetsk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Moscow, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Novokuznetsk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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