Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Serov

For one person, living is cheaper in Serov: $1,074 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Moscow
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,887
/mo nomad
Serov
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,074
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Serov

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

A single person spends $1,887 per month in Moscow vs $1,074 in Serov, rent included.

  • Moscow $1,887
  • Serov $1,074

A couple spends around $2,893 per month in Moscow vs $1,647 in Serov, rent included.

  • Moscow $2,893
  • Serov $1,647

A family of three spends $3,899 per month in Moscow vs $2,219 in Serov, rent included.

  • Moscow $3,899
  • Serov $2,219

Moscow costs about 76% more than Serov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Moscow sits 39% above the global median, while Serov is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Moscow
Serov
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.20 ₽1,018
$9.76 ₽814
25.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.3 ₽4,952
$34.37 ₽2,869
72.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.06 ₽589
$5.89 ₽492
19.86%
Cappuccino
$3.90 ₽326
$2.53 ₽211
54.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₽142
$1.02 ₽85.0
66.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 ₽71.6
$0.61 ₽50.8
40.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.92 ₽411
$1.93 ₽161
154.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.23 ₽437
$3.07 ₽256
70.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Moscow
Serov
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.23 ₽103
$1.30 ₽109
-5.38%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 ₽85.2
$0.78 ₽65.2
30.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 ₽147
$1.23 ₽103
43.90%
Eggs
$1.97 ₽164
$1.63 ₽136
20.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.72 ₽1,229
$12.63 ₽1,054
16.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.97 ₽582
$5.03 ₽420
38.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.33 ₽1,279
$10.31 ₽860
48.69%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 ₽179
$1.87 ₽156
14.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 ₽150
$1.79 ₽149
0.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.05 ₽171
$1.81 ₽151
13.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.99 ₽333
$3.12 ₽260
27.88%
Potato (1kg)
$0.93 ₽77.6
$0.73 ₽60.5
27.40%
Onion (1kg)
$0.72 ₽59.8
$0.56 ₽46.63
28.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.65 ₽138
$1.35 ₽113
22.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 ₽83.6
$0.71 ₽58.9
40.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.61 ₽301
$3.26 ₽272
10.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.11 ₽1,011
$7.56 ₽631
60.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₽103
$1.03 ₽85.9
19.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 ₽220
$1.74 ₽145
51.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Moscow
Serov
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.00 ₽83.6
$0.62 ₽51.6
61.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.43 ₽3,541
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.57 ₽298
$2.74 ₽229
30.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.81 ₽67.7
$0.40 ₽33.28
102.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.22 ₽1,020
$5.15 ₽430
137.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 ₽78.5
$0.72 ₽60.1
30.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.9K ₽3.7M
$55.9K ₽4.7M
-21.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.5K ₽3.3M
$44.7K ₽3.7M
-11.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moscow
Serov
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$195 ₽16.2K
$124 ₽10.4K
56.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.83 ₽737
$5.67 ₽473
55.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.13 ₽845
$7.30 ₽609
38.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Moscow
Serov
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.77 ₽3,570
$36.44 ₽3,041
17.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$45.27 ₽3,779
$24.15 ₽2,016
87.45%
Cinema Ticket
$9.48 ₽791
$6.97 ₽582
36.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Moscow
Serov
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$850 ₽70.9K
$371 ₽30.9K
129.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.1K ₽2.4M
$6,911 ₽576.8K
320.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Moscow
Serov
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 ₽9,237
$74.7 ₽6,238
48.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$68.4 ₽5,709
$47.40 ₽3,956
44.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$148 ₽12.4K
$132 ₽11.0K
12.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$184 ₽15.4K
$96.4 ₽8,045
91.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Moscow
Serov
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,480 ₽123.5K
$405 ₽33.8K
265.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$846 ₽70.6K
$364 ₽30.3K
132.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,083 ₽257.3K
$893 ₽74.6K
245.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,542 ₽128.7K
$623 ₽52.0K
147.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.1K ₽844.1K
$2,348 ₽196.0K
330.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,782 ₽399.1K
$1,629 ₽135.9K
193.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Moscow
Serov
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,743 ₽145.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.56
21.45
-8.81%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Serov: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Moscow
$846
Serov
$364 57% $483
Groceries & Markets
Moscow
$271
Serov
$210 22.4% $61
Clothing & Footwear
Moscow
$230
Serov
$158 31.5% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moscow
$214
Serov
$137 35.9% $77
Eating Out
Moscow
$211
Serov
$148 29.6% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Moscow
$62
Serov
$50 18.4% $11
Getting Around
Moscow
$54
Serov
$7.2 * 86.7% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,480 in Moscow versus $405 in Serov. 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 $59.0 in Moscow versus $34.00 in Serov. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $210 – making Serov the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Moscow
🇷🇺 Serov
🕒 Local time
01:14 1:14 AM
03:14 3:14 AM
2 h ahead of Moscow
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
12,700,000 Capital
97,366
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Moscow Serov 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Moscow
  • Serov

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 Serov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Moscow or Serov?
Moscow costs about 76% more than Serov, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Moscow and in Serov?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,831 per month in Moscow and $1,611 in Serov. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Moscow or Serov?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Serov, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Moscow and in Serov?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Moscow and $34.00 in Serov. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Moscow or in Serov?
Groceries cost about 29% more in Moscow, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Moscow or in Serov?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Serov, where all-in costs run around $1,074, than in Moscow at $1,887. In Serov it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Moscow or Serov?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Serov costs $1,074 versus $1,887 in Moscow. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Moscow or to Serov?
If budget matters most, go with Serov. 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.

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