Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Ulyanovsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulyanovsk: $898 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
Learn more

Moscow Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Ulyanovsk
Learn more

Ulyanovsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Ulyanovsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$898

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Ulyanovsk

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

A single person spends $1,887 per month in Moscow vs $898 in Ulyanovsk, rent included.

Moscow $1,887
Ulyanovsk $898

A couple spends around $2,893 per month in Moscow vs $1,386 in Ulyanovsk, rent included.

Moscow $2,893
Ulyanovsk $1,386

A family of three spends $3,899 per month in Moscow vs $1,874 in Ulyanovsk, rent included.

Moscow $3,899
Ulyanovsk $1,874

Moscow costs about 110% more than Ulyanovsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Moscow sits 39% above the global median, while Ulyanovsk is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 ₽1,018

$8.40 ₽701

45.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 ₽4,952

$30.41 ₽2,538

95.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 ₽589

$6.44 ₽538

9.63%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₽326

$2.29 ₽191

70.31%

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

$1.70 ₽142

$0.93 ₽77.8

82.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₽71.6

$0.36 ₽29.97

138.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ₽411

$1.76 ₽147

179.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 ₽437

$1.96 ₽164

166.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.04 ₽86.9

18.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₽85.2

$0.62 ₽51.3

64.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽147

$1.04 ₽87.2

70.19%

Eggs

$1.97 ₽164

$1.49 ₽124

32.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 ₽1,229

$14.58 ₽1,217

0.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 ₽582

$7.43 ₽620

-6.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 ₽1,279

$7.35 ₽613

108.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ₽179

$1.59 ₽133

35.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₽150

$1.55 ₽129

16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ₽171

$4.05 ₽338

-49.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 ₽333

$4.90 ₽409

-18.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ₽77.6

$1.49 ₽124

-37.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₽59.8

$0.84 ₽70.0

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 ₽138

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.53 ₽44.15

88.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 ₽301

$3.09 ₽258

16.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 ₽1,011

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.07 ₽89.2

14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₽220

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.44 ₽36.70

127.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.43 ₽3,541

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₽298

$3.52 ₽294

1.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₽67.7

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.22 ₽1,020

$3.61 ₽301

238.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₽78.5

$0.87 ₽72.5

8.05%

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

$43.9K ₽3.7M

$53.4K ₽4.5M

-17.79%

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

$39.5K ₽3.3M

$41.0K ₽3.4M

-3.45%

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

$195 ₽16.2K

$141 ₽11.8K

37.84%

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

$8.83 ₽737

$4.81 ₽401

83.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 ₽845

$13.69 ₽1,143

-26.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.77 ₽3,570

$36.46 ₽3,043

17.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.27 ₽3,779

$24.86 ₽2,075

82.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 ₽791

$8.51 ₽711

11.40%

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

$30.17 ₽2,518

266.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 ₽5,709

$35.74 ₽2,983

91.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 ₽12.4K

$95.2 ₽7,942

55.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 ₽15.4K

$59.7 ₽4,979

208.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 ₽123.5K

$362 ₽30.2K

309.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 ₽70.6K

$243 ₽20.3K

248.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,083 ₽257.3K

$493 ₽41.1K

525.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 ₽128.7K

$431 ₽36.0K

257.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K ₽844.1K

$2,620 ₽218.7K

286.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₽399.1K

$1,519 ₽126.7K

214.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 ₽145.4K

$509 ₽42.5K

242.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.56

-14.96%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$846 44.8%

Ulyanovsk

$243 27.1% 71.3% $603

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$271 14.3%

Ulyanovsk

$205 * 22.9% 24.1% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$230 12.2%

Ulyanovsk

$99 11.1% 56.8% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$214 11.3%

Ulyanovsk

$160 17.8% 25.2% $54

Eating Out

Moscow

$211 11.2%

Ulyanovsk

$132 14.7% 37.5% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$62 3.3%

Ulyanovsk

$53 6% 13.3% $8.2

Getting Around

Moscow

$54 2.9%

Ulyanovsk

$5.3 * 0.6% 90.2% $49

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 $362 in Ulyanovsk. 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 242% 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 $30.00 in Ulyanovsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $205 – making Ulyanovsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Ulyanovsk

🕒 Local time

19:12 7:12 PM

20:12 8:12 PM

1 h ahead of Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

627,705

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Moscow Ulyanovsk 700 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Ulyanovsk

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 Ulyanovsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 110% more than Ulyanovsk, 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 $1,347 in Ulyanovsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,887 in Moscow and $898 in Ulyanovsk. That's a gap of about 110%.

Groceries cost about 32% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ulyanovsk, where all-in costs run around $898, than in Moscow at $1,887. In Ulyanovsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ulyanovsk costs $898 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 Ulyanovsk. 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.