Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Stary Oskol

For one person, living is cheaper in Stary Oskol: $1,064 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Moscow, Russia
Stary Oskol, Russia
Moscow
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,922
/mo nomad
Stary Oskol
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,064
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Stary Oskol

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

A single person spends $1,922 per month in Moscow vs $1,064 in Stary Oskol, rent included.

  • Moscow $1,922
  • Stary Oskol $1,064

A couple spends around $2,941 per month in Moscow vs $1,662 in Stary Oskol, rent included.

  • Moscow $2,941
  • Stary Oskol $1,662

A family of three spends $3,960 per month in Moscow vs $2,261 in Stary Oskol, rent included.

  • Moscow $3,960
  • Stary Oskol $2,261

Moscow costs about 81% more than Stary Oskol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Moscow sits 41% above the global median, while Stary Oskol is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Moscow
Stary Oskol
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.50 ₽1,011
$11.56 ₽935
8.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₽4,952
$37.38 ₽3,023
63.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.65 ₽619
$6.38 ₽516
19.91%
Cappuccino
$3.84 ₽310
$2.77 ₽224
38.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₽141
$1.16 ₽93.5
50.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85 ₽69.0
$0.58 ₽47.17
46.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.83 ₽391
$1.77 ₽143
172.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.17 ₽418
$3.10 ₽250
66.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Moscow
Stary Oskol
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 ₽107
$1.18 ₽95.5
11.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.04 ₽84.2
$0.79 ₽63.6
31.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 ₽143
$1.42 ₽115
24.65%
Eggs
$2.02 ₽163
$1.62 ₽131
24.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.08 ₽1,219
$11.36 ₽918
32.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.86 ₽555
$5.22 ₽422
31.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.29 ₽1,236
$11.28 ₽912
35.55%
Apples (1kg)
$2.14 ₽173
$1.77 ₽143
20.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.83 ₽148
$1.83 ₽148
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 ₽164
$1.75 ₽142
16.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.14 ₽335
$2.76 ₽223
50.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.94 ₽76.2
$0.84 ₽68.1
11.90%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 ₽62.1
$0.58 ₽46.54
32.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.69 ₽137
$1.31 ₽106
29.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 ₽81.5
$0.70 ₽57.0
44.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.71 ₽300
$3.04 ₽246
22.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.23 ₽989
$7.84 ₽634
55.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 ₽102
$1.12 ₽90.5
12.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 ₽221
$2.05 ₽165
33.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Moscow
Stary Oskol
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.96 ₽77.6
$0.56 ₽45.41
71.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.33 ₽3,503
$24.70 ₽1,997
75.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.68 ₽297
$2.47 ₽200
48.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.84 ₽67.8
$0.37 ₽30.24
127.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.33 ₽997
$5.66 ₽458
117.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.96 ₽77.6
$0.86 ₽69.4
11.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$45.4K ₽3.7M
$52.9K ₽4.3M
-14.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.2K ₽3.3M
$39.8K ₽3.2M
3.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moscow
Stary Oskol
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$199 ₽16.1K
$121 ₽9,787
64.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.04 ₽731
$6.18 ₽500
46.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.05 ₽812
$8.22 ₽665
22.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Moscow
Stary Oskol
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.51 ₽3,599
$35.64 ₽2,882
24.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$47.40 ₽3,833
$24.42 ₽1,974
94.10%
Cinema Ticket
$9.63 ₽779
$6.29 ₽509
53.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Moscow
Stary Oskol
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$898 ₽72.6K
$350 ₽28.3K
156.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.3K ₽2.4M
$6,282 ₽508.0K
366.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Moscow
Stary Oskol
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$117 ₽9,435
$80.5 ₽6,512
44.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$69.4 ₽5,610
$53.1 ₽4,289
30.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$153 ₽12.4K
$120 ₽9,719
27.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$188 ₽15.2K
$104 ₽8,377
81.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Moscow
Stary Oskol
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,533 ₽124.0K
$469 ₽37.9K
226.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$860 ₽69.6K
$312 ₽25.2K
176.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,127 ₽252.8K
$910 ₽73.6K
243.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,552 ₽125.5K
$563 ₽45.5K
175.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.5K ₽847.7K
$2,257 ₽182.5K
364.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,981 ₽402.8K
$1,507 ₽121.9K
230.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Moscow
Stary Oskol
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,798 ₽145.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.58
21.45
-8.72%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 25, 2026

Last update for Stary Oskol: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Moscow
$860
Stary Oskol
$312 63.8% $549
Groceries & Markets
Moscow
$274
Stary Oskol
$209 23.7% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Moscow
$237
Stary Oskol
$161 32.2% $76
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moscow
$218
Stary Oskol
$135 37.8% $82
Eating Out
Moscow
$214
Stary Oskol
$167 22% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Moscow
$64
Stary Oskol
$48 24.4% $16
Getting Around
Moscow
$55
Stary Oskol
$31 43.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,533 in Moscow versus $469 in Stary Oskol. 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 $61 in Moscow versus $37 in Stary Oskol. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $209 – making Stary Oskol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Moscow
🇷🇺 Stary Oskol
🕒 Local time
22:39 10:39 PM
22:39 10:39 PM
Same time as Moscow
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
12,700,000 Capital
223,921
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 80.86 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.63 RUB (100 RUB = 1.1 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Moscow Stary Oskol 500 km
From you
  • Moscow
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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 Stary Oskol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Moscow or Stary Oskol?
Moscow costs about 81% more than Stary Oskol, 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 Stary Oskol?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,883 per month in Moscow and $1,595 in Stary Oskol. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Moscow or Stary Oskol?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Stary Oskol, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $469 there versus $1,533 in Moscow.
How expensive is transport in Moscow compared to Stary Oskol?
Public transport costs about 43% less in Stary Oskol. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Moscow and in Stary Oskol?
Kindergarten costs $898 per month in Moscow and $350 in Stary Oskol. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Moscow or in Stary Oskol?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Stary Oskol, where all-in costs run around $1,064, than in Moscow at $1,922. In Stary Oskol it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Stary Oskol – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Stary Oskol is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 45% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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