Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Obninsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Obninsk: $1,196 a month against $1,843 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Obninsk
Learn more

Obninsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,843

/mo nomad

Obninsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,196

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Obninsk

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

A single person spends $1,843 per month in Moscow vs $1,196 in Obninsk, rent included.

Moscow $1,843
Obninsk $1,196

A couple spends around $2,822 per month in Moscow vs $1,805 in Obninsk, rent included.

Moscow $2,822
Obninsk $1,805

A family of three spends $3,801 per month in Moscow vs $2,413 in Obninsk, rent included.

Moscow $3,801
Obninsk $2,413

Moscow costs about 54% more than Obninsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Moscow sits 36% above the global median, while Obninsk is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 ₽990

$9.57 ₽780

26.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.2 ₽5,070

$36.78 ₽3,000

69.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 ₽596

$7.37 ₽601

-0.81%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ₽303

$3.01 ₽245

23.59%

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

$1.67 ₽136

$1.20 ₽97.9

39.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₽67.4

$0.48 ₽38.80

72.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 ₽410

$1.81 ₽148

177.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 ₽395

$2.39 ₽195

102.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₽101

$1.17 ₽95.5

5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ₽81.2

$0.60 ₽48.88

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 ₽139

$1.77 ₽144

-3.39%

Eggs

$1.90 ₽155

$1.30 ₽106

46.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 ₽1,170

$7.69 ₽627

86.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 ₽543

$4.79 ₽391

38.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 ₽1,185

$8.38 ₽683

73.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 ₽169

$1.60 ₽131

29.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₽154

$1.69 ₽138

11.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 ₽156

$1.90 ₽155

0.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₽323

$2.48 ₽202

59.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ₽75.7

$0.53 ₽43.28

75.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ₽57.2

$0.54 ₽43.91

29.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 ₽134

$0.99 ₽81.0

65.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₽74.8

$0.55 ₽44.99

67.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ₽286

$3.43 ₽280

2.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.25 ₽999

$8.76 ₽715

39.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ₽96.2

$1.24 ₽101

-4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 ₽207

$1.90 ₽155

33.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₽77.2

$0.53 ₽43.41

79.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.83 ₽3,493

$24.47 ₽1,995

75.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₽294

$3.59 ₽293

0.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₽62.3

$0.36 ₽28.95

111.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.20 ₽914

$6.16 ₽502

81.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₽73.2

$0.91 ₽74.2

-1.10%

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

$42.9K ₽3.5M

$43.6K ₽3.6M

-1.57%

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

$40.0K ₽3.3M

$39.6K ₽3.2M

1.11%

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

$177 ₽14.5K

$181 ₽14.8K

-2.08%

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

$8.76 ₽714

$8.59 ₽701

1.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.72 ₽793

$9.73 ₽793

-0.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.21 ₽3,442

$38.25 ₽3,119

10.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.14 ₽3,763

$26.87 ₽2,191

71.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.50 ₽775

$9.08 ₽741

4.63%

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

$869 ₽70.9K

$354 ₽28.9K

145.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K ₽2.5M

$6,281 ₽512.3K

380.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ₽8,666

$105 ₽8,558

1.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.5 ₽5,508

$66.2 ₽5,402

1.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 ₽11.7K

$143 ₽11.7K

0.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 ₽14.6K

$177 ₽14.4K

1.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 ₽120.8K

$500 ₽40.8K

196.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$837 ₽68.2K

$351 ₽28.6K

138.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,018 ₽246.1K

$932 ₽76.0K

223.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,487 ₽121.3K

$596 ₽48.6K

149.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,639 ₽786.2K

$2,255 ₽183.9K

327.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,728 ₽385.6K

$1,505 ₽122.7K

214.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,804 ₽147.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.36

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

Last update for Moscow: November 3, 2026

Last update for Obninsk: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$837 45.4%

Obninsk

$351 29.3% 58.1% $486

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$263 14.3%

Obninsk

$181 15.1% 31.2% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$223 12.1%

Obninsk

$221 18.5% 1% $2.3

Eating Out

Moscow

$208 11.3%

Obninsk

$155 13% 25.5% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$196 10.6%

Obninsk

$199 16.7% 1.8% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$61 3.3%

Obninsk

$56 4.7% 7.8% $4.8

Getting Around

Moscow

$54 2.9%

Obninsk

$32 2.7% 40.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,481 in Moscow versus $500 in Obninsk. 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 $62 in Moscow versus $37 in Obninsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $181 – making Obninsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Obninsk

🕒 Local time

11:30 11:30 AM

Same time as Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

116,179

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Moscow Obninsk 97 km

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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 Obninsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 54% more than Obninsk, 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 $2,764 per month in Moscow and $1,794 in Obninsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Obninsk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $500 there versus $1,481 in Moscow.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Obninsk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $869 per month in Moscow and $354 in Obninsk. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,843 in Moscow and $1,196 in Obninsk. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Obninsk is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 35% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.