Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Ulan Ude

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulan Ude: $1,104 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
Learn more

Moscow Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Ulan Ude
Learn more

Ulan Ude Living Index

Jump to prices

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Ulan Ude

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Ulan Ude

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

A single person spends $1,887 per month in Moscow vs $1,104 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Moscow $1,887
Ulan Ude $1,104

A couple spends around $2,893 per month in Moscow vs $1,731 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Moscow $2,893
Ulan Ude $1,731

A family of three spends $3,899 per month in Moscow vs $2,358 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Moscow $3,899
Ulan Ude $2,358

Moscow costs about 71% more than Ulan Ude, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Moscow sits 39% above the global median, while Ulan Ude is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 ₽1,018

$7.10 ₽593

71.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 ₽4,952

$49.25 ₽4,111

20.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 ₽589

$7.34 ₽612

-3.81%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₽326

$3.61 ₽302

8.03%

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

$1.70 ₽142

$1.79 ₽149

-5.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₽71.6

$1.82 ₽152

-52.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ₽411

$3.58 ₽299

37.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 ₽437

$5.95 ₽497

-12.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.48 ₽124

-16.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₽85.2

$0.85 ₽70.6

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽147

$1.37 ₽114

29.20%

Eggs

$1.97 ₽164

$2.13 ₽178

-7.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 ₽1,229

$12.42 ₽1,037

18.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 ₽582

$6.62 ₽553

5.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 ₽1,279

$13.42 ₽1,120

14.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ₽179

$2.13 ₽177

0.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₽150

$1.89 ₽157

-4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ₽171

$1.78 ₽148

15.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 ₽333

$2.75 ₽230

45.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ₽77.6

$0.69 ₽57.3

34.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₽59.8

$0.81 ₽67.3

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 ₽138

$2.20 ₽184

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.69 ₽57.6

44.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 ₽301

$2.89 ₽241

24.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 ₽1,011

$6.74 ₽563

79.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.49 ₽125

-17.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₽220

$1.18 ₽98.7

123.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.47 ₽39.09

112.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.43 ₽3,541

$23.86 ₽1,991

77.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₽298

$1.30 ₽108

174.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₽67.7

$0.18 ₽15.24

350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.22 ₽1,020

$7.12 ₽594

71.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₽78.5

$0.86 ₽71.4

9.30%

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

$43.9K ₽3.7M

$47.8K ₽4.0M

-8.29%

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

$39.5K ₽3.3M

$36.8K ₽3.1M

7.38%

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

$195 ₽16.2K

$93.6 ₽7,812

107.98%

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

$8.83 ₽737

$4.79 ₽400

84.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 ₽845

$7.75 ₽647

30.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.77 ₽3,570

$24.29 ₽2,028

76.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.27 ₽3,779

$47.90 ₽3,997

-5.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 ₽791

$7.18 ₽599

32.03%

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

$850 ₽70.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K ₽2.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ₽9,237

$71.8 ₽5,993

54.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 ₽5,709

$30.52 ₽2,547

124.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 ₽12.4K

$122 ₽10.2K

21.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 ₽15.4K

$122 ₽10.1K

51.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 ₽123.5K

$506 ₽42.2K

192.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 ₽70.6K

$375 ₽31.3K

125.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,083 ₽257.3K

$775 ₽64.7K

297.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 ₽128.7K

$599 ₽50.0K

157.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K ₽844.1K

$2,103 ₽175.5K

380.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₽399.1K

$1,558 ₽130.0K

206.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 ₽145.4K

$890 ₽74.3K

95.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.56

21.67

-9.74%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ulan Ude: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$846 44.8%

Ulan Ude

$375 33.9% 55.7% $472

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$271 14.3%

Ulan Ude

$235 21.3% 13.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$230 12.2%

Ulan Ude

$156 14.1% 32.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$214 11.3%

Ulan Ude

$106 9.6% 50.3% $107

Eating Out

Moscow

$211 11.2%

Ulan Ude

$166 15.1% 21.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$62 3.3%

Ulan Ude

$39 3.5% 37.4% $23

Getting Around

Moscow

$54 2.9%

Ulan Ude

$28 2.5% 48.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,480 in Moscow versus $506 in Ulan Ude. 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 96% 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 $49.00 in Ulan Ude. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $235 – making Ulan Ude the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Ulan Ude

🕒 Local time

15:32 3:32 PM

20:32 8:32 PM

5 h ahead of Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

436,138

💱 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 Ulan Ude 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Ulan Ude

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 Ulan Ude: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 71% more than Ulan Ude, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,831 per month in Moscow and $1,657 in Ulan Ude. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 78% less in Ulan Ude. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Moscow, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ulan Ude, where all-in costs run around $1,104, than in Moscow at $1,887. In Ulan Ude it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ulan Ude costs $1,104 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 Ulan Ude. 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.