Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Tomsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Tomsk: $1,147 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.

92

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Tomsk
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Tomsk Living Index

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Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Tomsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,147

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Tomsk

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

A single person spends $1,922 per month in Moscow vs $1,147 in Tomsk, rent included.

Moscow $1,922
Tomsk $1,147

A couple spends around $2,941 per month in Moscow vs $1,768 in Tomsk, rent included.

Moscow $2,941
Tomsk $1,768

A family of three spends $3,960 per month in Moscow vs $2,389 in Tomsk, rent included.

Moscow $3,960
Tomsk $2,389

Moscow costs about 68% more than Tomsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Moscow sits 41% above the global median, while Tomsk is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ₽1,007

$8.05 ₽649

55.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₽4,932

$30.48 ₽2,455

100.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ₽616

$6.68 ₽538

14.52%

Cappuccino

$3.84 ₽309

$2.21 ₽178

73.76%

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

$1.74 ₽140

$0.91 ₽73.0

91.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₽68.7

$0.42 ₽33.62

102.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 ₽389

$1.17 ₽94.3

312.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 ₽417

$3.34 ₽269

54.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ₽107

$1.23 ₽99.0

7.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₽83.9

$0.70 ₽56.5

48.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽143

$0.99 ₽79.7

78.79%

Eggs

$2.02 ₽163

$1.36 ₽109

48.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 ₽1,215

$12.20 ₽983

23.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 ₽552

$4.71 ₽379

45.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ₽1,231

$9.92 ₽799

54.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₽172

$1.73 ₽139

23.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₽148

$1.95 ₽157

-6.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₽163

$2.23 ₽179

-8.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ₽333

$2.94 ₽237

40.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ₽75.9

$0.47 ₽37.55

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ₽61.9

$0.36 ₽28.81

113.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ₽136

$1.74 ₽140

-2.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽81.2

$0.51 ₽40.72

98.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ₽299

$2.79 ₽225

32.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 ₽985

$6.17 ₽497

98.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₽101

$0.92 ₽73.9

36.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₽220

$1.65 ₽133

65.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₽77.3

$0.45 ₽36.62

113.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.33 ₽3,489

$18.51 ₽1,490

134.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ₽296

$2.42 ₽195

52.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₽67.5

$0.32 ₽26.00

162.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 ₽993

$7.27 ₽586

69.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₽77.3

$0.83 ₽66.8

15.66%

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

$45.4K ₽3.7M

$54.1K ₽4.4M

-16.12%

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

$41.2K ₽3.3M

$41.8K ₽3.4M

-1.38%

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

$199 ₽16.0K

$169 ₽13.6K

17.64%

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

$9.04 ₽728

$8.39 ₽676

7.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 ₽809

$13.60 ₽1,095

-26.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 ₽3,584

$39.40 ₽3,173

12.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.40 ₽3,817

$16.58 ₽1,335

185.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 ₽776

$4.87 ₽393

97.74%

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

$898 ₽72.3K

$252 ₽20.3K

256.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₽2.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 ₽9,397

$122 ₽9,814

-4.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 ₽5,587

$74.6 ₽6,010

-7.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 ₽12.3K

$176 ₽14.2K

-13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 ₽15.1K

$126 ₽10.1K

49.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ₽123.5K

$511 ₽41.2K

199.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 ₽69.3K

$332 ₽26.7K

159.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,127 ₽251.8K

$828 ₽66.7K

277.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 ₽125.0K

$651 ₽52.4K

138.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K ₽844.3K

$2,096 ₽168.8K

400.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,981 ₽401.2K

$1,534 ₽123.5K

224.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ₽144.8K

$930 ₽74.9K

93.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.58

-11.00%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tomsk: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$860 44.7%

Tomsk

$332 28.9% 61.5% $529

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$274 14.3%

Tomsk

$198 17.3% 27.8% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$237 12.3%

Tomsk

$224 19.6% 5.4% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$218 11.3%

Tomsk

$191 16.7% 12.3% $27

Eating Out

Moscow

$214 11.1%

Tomsk

$129 11.2% 39.7% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$64 3.3%

Tomsk

$49 4.3% 22.9% $15

Getting Around

Moscow

$55 2.9%

Tomsk

$24 2.1% 55.7% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,533 in Moscow versus $511 in Tomsk. 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 93% higher in Moscow. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Moscow versus $30 in Tomsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $198 – making Tomsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Tomsk

🕒 Local time

10:02 10:02 AM

14:02 2:02 PM

4 h ahead of Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

551,505

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Moscow Tomsk 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Tomsk

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 Tomsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 68% more than Tomsk, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,883 per month in Moscow and $1,721 in Tomsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tomsk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $511 there versus $1,533 in Moscow.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Tomsk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $898 per month in Moscow and $252 in Tomsk. 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 $1,922 in Moscow and $1,147 in Tomsk. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

If budget matters most, go with Tomsk. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moscow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.