Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Rostov-on-Don

For one person, living is cheaper in Rostov-on-Don: $1,146 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Rostov-on-Don
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Rostov-on-Don Living Index

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Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,146

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,887 per month in Moscow vs $1,146 in Rostov-on-Don, rent included.

Moscow $1,887
Rostov-on-Don $1,146

A couple spends around $2,893 per month in Moscow vs $1,600 in Rostov-on-Don, rent included.

Moscow $2,893
Rostov-on-Don $1,600

A family of three spends $3,899 per month in Moscow vs $2,055 in Rostov-on-Don, rent included.

Moscow $3,899
Rostov-on-Don $2,055

Moscow costs about 65% more than Rostov-on-Don, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Moscow sits 39% above the global median, while Rostov-on-Don is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 ₽1,018

$10.73 ₽895

13.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 ₽4,952

$24.52 ₽2,046

141.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 ₽589

$5.97 ₽498

18.26%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₽326

$2.96 ₽247

31.76%

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

$1.70 ₽142

$1.12 ₽93.5

51.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₽71.6

$0.51 ₽42.78

68.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ₽411

$1.23 ₽102

300.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 ₽437

$3.11 ₽259

68.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.14 ₽94.9

7.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₽85.2

$0.74 ₽62.1

37.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽147

$1.22 ₽102

45.08%

Eggs

$1.97 ₽164

$1.44 ₽120

36.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 ₽1,229

$9.29 ₽775

58.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 ₽582

$5.36 ₽448

30.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 ₽1,279

$7.96 ₽664

92.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ₽179

$1.44 ₽120

49.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₽150

$1.86 ₽155

-3.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ₽171

$1.43 ₽120

43.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 ₽333

$2.31 ₽192

72.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ₽77.6

$0.68 ₽56.6

36.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₽59.8

$0.63 ₽52.6

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 ₽138

$1.00 ₽83.5

65.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.65 ₽54.4

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 ₽301

$2.75 ₽230

31.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 ₽1,011

$6.09 ₽508

98.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₽103

$0.97 ₽80.6

26.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₽220

$2.10 ₽175

25.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.51 ₽42.79

96.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.43 ₽3,541

$14.40 ₽1,202

194.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₽298

$3.58 ₽299

-0.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₽67.7

$0.14 ₽12.09

478.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.22 ₽1,020

$4.05 ₽338

201.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₽78.5

$0.81 ₽67.4

16.05%

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

$43.9K ₽3.7M

$52.1K ₽4.3M

-15.79%

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

$39.5K ₽3.3M

$40.8K ₽3.4M

-3.20%

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

$195 ₽16.2K

$124 ₽10.3K

57.63%

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

$8.83 ₽737

$7.47 ₽623

18.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 ₽845

$8.95 ₽747

13.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.77 ₽3,570

$34.64 ₽2,891

23.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.27 ₽3,779

$21.30 ₽1,778

112.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 ₽791

$5.50 ₽459

72.36%

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

$850 ₽70.9K

$365 ₽30.4K

132.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K ₽2.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ₽9,237

$55.9 ₽4,661

98.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 ₽5,709

$45.05 ₽3,760

51.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 ₽12.4K

$108 ₽9,013

37.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 ₽15.4K

$106 ₽8,832

74.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 ₽123.5K

$642 ₽53.6K

130.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 ₽70.6K

$460 ₽38.4K

84.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,083 ₽257.3K

$896 ₽74.8K

244.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 ₽128.7K

$572 ₽47.7K

169.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K ₽844.1K

$2,355 ₽196.5K

329.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₽399.1K

$1,508 ₽125.8K

217.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 ₽145.4K

$825 ₽68.8K

111.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.56

19.83

-1.36%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$846 44.8%

Rostov-on-Don

$460 40.1% 45.7% $386

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$271 14.3%

Rostov-on-Don

$180 15.7% 33.5% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$230 12.2%

Rostov-on-Don

$142 12.4% 38.5% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$214 11.3%

Rostov-on-Don

$140 12.2% 34.5% $74

Eating Out

Moscow

$211 11.2%

Rostov-on-Don

$158 13.8% 25% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$62 3.3%

Rostov-on-Don

$46 4% 26.1% $16

Getting Around

Moscow

$54 2.9%

Rostov-on-Don

$21 1.8% 61.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,480 in Moscow versus $642 in Rostov-on-Don. 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 111% 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 $59.0 in Moscow versus $25.00 in Rostov-on-Don. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $180 – making Rostov-on-Don the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Rostov-on-Don

🕒 Local time

14:12 2:12 PM

Same time as Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

1,114,806

💱 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

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Between locations

Moscow Rostov-on-Don 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 65% more than Rostov-on-Don, 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 $2,831 per month in Moscow and $1,719 in Rostov-on-Don. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 195% less in Rostov-on-Don. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $850 per month in Moscow and $365 in Rostov-on-Don. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rostov-on-Don, where all-in costs run around $1,146, than in Moscow at $1,887. In Rostov-on-Don it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rostov-on-Don costs $1,146 versus $1,887 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 Rostov-on-Don. 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.