Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Vladikavkaz

For one person, living is cheaper in Vladikavkaz: $1,091 a month against $1,843 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Vladikavkaz
Learn more

Vladikavkaz Living Index

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Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,843

/mo nomad

Vladikavkaz

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,091

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Vladikavkaz

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

A single person spends $1,843 per month in Moscow vs $1,091 in Vladikavkaz, rent included.

Moscow $1,843
Vladikavkaz $1,091

A couple spends around $2,822 per month in Moscow vs $1,710 in Vladikavkaz, rent included.

Moscow $2,822
Vladikavkaz $1,710

A family of three spends $3,801 per month in Moscow vs $2,330 in Vladikavkaz, rent included.

Moscow $3,801
Vladikavkaz $2,330

Moscow costs about 69% more than Vladikavkaz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Moscow sits 36% above the global median, while Vladikavkaz is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 ₽988

$13.31 ₽1,083

-8.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.2 ₽5,057

$35.64 ₽2,899

74.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 ₽595

$6.13 ₽499

19.25%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ₽303

$2.93 ₽238

26.96%

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

$1.67 ₽136

$1.16 ₽94.1

43.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₽67.2

$0.55 ₽44.80

50.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 ₽409

$2.04 ₽166

146.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 ₽394

$3.04 ₽247

59.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₽101

$1.16 ₽94.6

6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ₽81.0

$0.74 ₽60.0

35.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 ₽139

$1.32 ₽107

29.55%

Eggs

$1.90 ₽155

$1.85 ₽150

2.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 ₽1,167

$12.31 ₽1,001

16.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 ₽541

$4.63 ₽377

43.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 ₽1,182

$10.55 ₽858

37.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 ₽169

$1.85 ₽150

11.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₽154

$1.61 ₽131

17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 ₽156

$1.91 ₽155

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₽322

$3.38 ₽275

17.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ₽75.5

$0.95 ₽77.5

-2.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ₽57.1

$0.71 ₽57.8

-1.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 ₽133

$1.20 ₽97.7

36.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₽74.6

$0.68 ₽55.7

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ₽285

$3.06 ₽249

14.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.25 ₽996

$9.64 ₽784

27.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ₽95.9

$1.19 ₽97.0

-0.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 ₽206

$2.31 ₽188

9.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₽77.0

$0.53 ₽42.87

79.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.83 ₽3,484

$27.36 ₽2,226

56.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₽293

$2.42 ₽197

48.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₽62.2

$0.32 ₽26.19

137.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.20 ₽911

$5.95 ₽484

88.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₽73.0

$0.86 ₽69.8

4.65%

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

$42.9K ₽3.5M

$52.5K ₽4.3M

-18.31%

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

$40.0K ₽3.3M

$43.6K ₽3.5M

-8.13%

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

$177 ₽14.4K

$141 ₽11.4K

26.04%

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

$8.76 ₽713

$6.32 ₽514

38.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.72 ₽791

$7.82 ₽636

24.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.21 ₽3,434

$39.84 ₽3,241

5.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.14 ₽3,753

$27.41 ₽2,230

68.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.50 ₽773

$6.44 ₽524

47.52%

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

$869 ₽70.7K

$349 ₽28.4K

148.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K ₽2.5M

$5,773 ₽469.6K

423.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ₽8,644

$93.7 ₽7,624

13.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.5 ₽5,494

$55.7 ₽4,533

21.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 ₽11.7K

$133 ₽10.9K

7.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 ₽14.5K

$106 ₽8,623

68.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 ₽120.5K

$445 ₽36.2K

232.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$837 ₽68.1K

$278 ₽22.6K

201.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,018 ₽245.5K

$903 ₽73.4K

234.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,487 ₽121.0K

$529 ₽43.0K

180.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,639 ₽784.2K

$2,084 ₽169.5K

362.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,728 ₽384.6K

$1,523 ₽123.9K

210.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,804 ₽146.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.36

21.33

-9.24%

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

Last update for Moscow: November 3, 2026

Last update for Vladikavkaz: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$837 45.4%

Vladikavkaz

$278 25.5% 66.8% $559

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$263 14.3%

Vladikavkaz

$214 19.6% 18.7% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$223 12.1%

Vladikavkaz

$175 16% 21.7% $48

Eating Out

Moscow

$208 11.3%

Vladikavkaz

$183 16.8% 12.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$196 10.6%

Vladikavkaz

$155 14.2% 20.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$61 3.3%

Vladikavkaz

$53 4.8% 13.9% $8.5

Getting Around

Moscow

$54 2.9%

Vladikavkaz

$34 3.1% 38% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,481 in Moscow versus $445 in Vladikavkaz. 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 $62 in Moscow versus $36 in Vladikavkaz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $214 – making Vladikavkaz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Vladikavkaz

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

Same time as Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

301,543

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.1 EUR

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Moscow Vladikavkaz 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Vladikavkaz

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 Vladikavkaz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 69% more than Vladikavkaz, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,764 per month in Moscow and $1,636 in Vladikavkaz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vladikavkaz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $445 there versus $1,481 in Moscow.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Vladikavkaz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $869 per month in Moscow and $349 in Vladikavkaz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Vladikavkaz, where all-in costs run around $1,091, than in Moscow at $1,843. In Vladikavkaz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Vladikavkaz is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 41% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.