Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Surgut

For one person, living is cheaper in Surgut: $1,150 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Moscow, Russia
Surgut, Russia
Moscow
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,922
/mo nomad
Surgut
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,150
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Surgut

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

A single person spends $1,922 per month in Moscow vs $1,150 in Surgut, rent included.

  • Moscow $1,922
  • Surgut $1,150

A couple spends around $2,941 per month in Moscow vs $1,725 in Surgut, rent included.

  • Moscow $2,941
  • Surgut $1,725

A family of three spends $3,960 per month in Moscow vs $2,300 in Surgut, rent included.

  • Moscow $3,960
  • Surgut $2,300

Moscow costs about 67% more than Surgut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Moscow sits 41% above the global median, while Surgut is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Moscow
Surgut
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.50 ₽1,000
$13.27 ₽1,061
-5.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₽4,898
$35.95 ₽2,875
70.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.65 ₽612
$7.02 ₽562
8.97%
Cappuccino
$3.84 ₽307
$2.88 ₽230
33.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₽139
$1.29 ₽103
34.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85 ₽68.2
$0.56 ₽44.44
51.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.83 ₽387
$1.88 ₽150
156.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.17 ₽414
$2.95 ₽236
75.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Moscow
Surgut
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 ₽106
$1.07 ₽85.3
23.36%
White Bread (500g)
$1.04 ₽83.3
$0.70 ₽56.1
48.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 ₽142
$1.64 ₽131
7.93%
Eggs
$2.02 ₽161
$1.82 ₽146
10.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.08 ₽1,206
$11.90 ₽952
26.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.86 ₽549
$4.68 ₽374
46.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.29 ₽1,223
$11.65 ₽932
31.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.14 ₽171
$1.87 ₽150
14.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.83 ₽147
$1.66 ₽133
10.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 ₽162
$1.86 ₽148
9.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.14 ₽331
$2.90 ₽232
42.76%
Potato (1kg)
$0.94 ₽75.4
$0.81 ₽65.0
16.05%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 ₽61.5
$0.63 ₽50.1
22.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.69 ₽135
$1.16 ₽93.0
45.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 ₽80.6
$0.68 ₽54.7
48.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.71 ₽296
$3.00 ₽240
23.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.23 ₽978
$7.99 ₽639
53.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 ₽101
$1.06 ₽84.7
18.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 ₽218
$2.02 ₽162
35.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Moscow
Surgut
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.96 ₽76.8
$0.61 ₽48.99
57.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.33 ₽3,465
$31.55 ₽2,524
37.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.68 ₽294
$2.57 ₽206
43.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.84 ₽67.0
$0.32 ₽25.39
162.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.33 ₽986
$6.62 ₽530
86.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.96 ₽76.8
$0.89 ₽71.0
7.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$45.4K ₽3.6M
$58.9K ₽4.7M
-22.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.2K ₽3.3M
$44.2K ₽3.5M
-6.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moscow
Surgut
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$199 ₽15.9K
$128 ₽10.3K
55.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.04 ₽723
$5.99 ₽479
50.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.05 ₽804
$9.34 ₽747
7.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Moscow
Surgut
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.51 ₽3,560
$31.90 ₽2,551
39.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$47.40 ₽3,791
$28.41 ₽2,272
66.84%
Cinema Ticket
$9.63 ₽770
$7.09 ₽567
35.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Moscow
Surgut
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$898 ₽71.8K
$376 ₽30.0K
139.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.3K ₽2.3M
$7,161 ₽572.8K
308.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Moscow
Surgut
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$117 ₽9,333
$85.1 ₽6,803
37.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$69.4 ₽5,549
$53.7 ₽4,297
29.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$153 ₽12.2K
$123 ₽9,844
24.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$188 ₽15.0K
$106 ₽8,486
77.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Moscow
Surgut
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,533 ₽122.6K
$461 ₽36.9K
232.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$860 ₽68.8K
$364 ₽29.1K
136.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,127 ₽250.1K
$985 ₽78.8K
217.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,552 ₽124.1K
$540 ₽43.2K
187.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.5K ₽838.6K
$2,257 ₽180.6K
364.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,981 ₽398.4K
$1,713 ₽137.0K
190.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Moscow
Surgut
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,798 ₽143.8K
-
-
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 Surgut: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Moscow
$860
Surgut
$364 57.7% $496
Groceries & Markets
Moscow
$274
Surgut
$209 23.9% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Moscow
$237
Surgut
$166 30.2% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moscow
$218
Surgut
$144 34.1% $74
Eating Out
Moscow
$214
Surgut
$184 13.7% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Moscow
$64
Surgut
$46 27.7% $18
Getting Around
Moscow
$55
Surgut
$38 30.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,533 in Moscow versus $461 in Surgut. 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 $36 in Surgut. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $209 – making Surgut the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Moscow
🇷🇺 Surgut
🕒 Local time
04:55 4:55 AM
06:55 6:55 AM
2 h ahead of Moscow
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
12,700,000 Capital
406,938
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 79.99 RUB (100 RUB = 1.25 USD). 1 EUR = 89.04 RUB (100 RUB = 1.12 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Moscow Surgut 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Moscow
  • Surgut

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 Surgut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Moscow or Surgut?
Moscow costs about 67% more than Surgut, 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 Surgut?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,883 per month in Moscow and $1,725 in Surgut. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Moscow or Surgut?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Surgut, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $461 there versus $1,533 in Moscow.
How expensive is transport in Moscow compared to Surgut?
Public transport costs about 27% less in Surgut. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Moscow and in Surgut?
Kindergarten costs $898 per month in Moscow and $376 in Surgut. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Moscow or in Surgut?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,922 in Moscow and $1,150 in Surgut. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Surgut – 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, Surgut is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 40% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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