Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Volgograd

For one person, living is cheaper in Volgograd: $892 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Volgograd
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Volgograd Living Index

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Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Volgograd

🇷🇺 Russia

$892

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Volgograd

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

A single person spends $1,922 per month in Moscow vs $892 in Volgograd, rent included.

Moscow $1,922
Volgograd $892

A couple spends around $2,941 per month in Moscow vs $1,474 in Volgograd, rent included.

Moscow $2,941
Volgograd $1,474

A family of three spends $3,960 per month in Moscow vs $2,057 in Volgograd, rent included.

Moscow $3,960
Volgograd $2,057

Moscow costs about 115% more than Volgograd, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Moscow sits 41% above the global median, while Volgograd is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ₽1,008

$6.64 ₽535

88.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₽4,939

$49.28 ₽3,974

24.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ₽617

$6.40 ₽516

19.53%

Cappuccino

$3.84 ₽309

$2.84 ₽229

35.21%

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

$1.74 ₽140

$0.96 ₽77.8

81.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₽68.8

$0.60 ₽48.56

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 ₽390

$1.21 ₽97.9

299.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 ₽417

$1.84 ₽148

180.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ₽107

$1.07 ₽86.4

23.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₽84.0

$0.61 ₽49.33

70.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽143

$1.17 ₽94.3

51.28%

Eggs

$2.02 ₽163

$1.44 ₽117

40.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 ₽1,216

$7.41 ₽597

103.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 ₽553

$4.77 ₽385

43.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ₽1,233

$11.62 ₽937

31.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₽173

$1.24 ₽100

72.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₽148

$1.51 ₽122

21.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₽164

$1.53 ₽124

32.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ₽334

$2.53 ₽204

63.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ₽76.0

$0.75 ₽60.1

25.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ₽62.0

$0.48 ₽38.64

60.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ₽137

$0.36 ₽28.89

369.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽81.3

$0.63 ₽51.1

60.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ₽299

$2.93 ₽236

26.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 ₽986

$9.36 ₽755

30.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₽102

$1.12 ₽90.4

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₽220

$1.95 ₽157

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₽77.4

$0.52 ₽41.54

84.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.33 ₽3,494

$16.64 ₽1,342

160.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ₽296

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₽67.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 ₽994

$3.10 ₽250

297.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₽77.4

$0.89 ₽71.4

7.87%

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

$45.4K ₽3.7M

$53.9K ₽4.3M

-15.85%

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

$41.2K ₽3.3M

$41.4K ₽3.3M

-0.46%

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

$199 ₽16.0K

$88.3 ₽7,121

125.18%

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

$9.04 ₽729

$10.47 ₽844

-13.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 ₽810

$8.00 ₽645

25.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 ₽3,589

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.40 ₽3,823

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 ₽777

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

$898 ₽72.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₽2.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 ₽9,411

$113 ₽9,131

3.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 ₽5,595

$74.2 ₽5,985

-6.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 ₽12.3K

$54.7 ₽4,413

179.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 ₽15.1K

$187 ₽15.1K

0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ₽123.6K

$609 ₽49.1K

151.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 ₽69.4K

$268 ₽21.6K

220.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,127 ₽252.2K

$1,233 ₽99.4K

153.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 ₽125.1K

$557 ₽45.0K

178.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K ₽845.5K

$1,459 ₽117.7K

618.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,981 ₽401.7K

$1,372 ₽110.7K

263.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ₽145.0K

$615 ₽49.6K

192.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.58

21.33

-8.20%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 25, 2026

Last update for Volgograd: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$860 44.7%

Volgograd

$268 30.1% 68.8% $592

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$274 14.3%

Volgograd

$183 20.5% 33.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$237 12.3%

Volgograd

$193 21.7% 18.5% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$218 11.3%

Volgograd

$107 12% 51% $111

Eating Out

Moscow

$214 11.1%

Volgograd

$122 13.7% 42.7% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$64 3.3%

Volgograd

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Moscow

$55 2.9%

Volgograd

$19 * 2.1% 66% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,533 in Moscow versus $609 in Volgograd. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Moscow are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Moscow versus $49 in Volgograd. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $183 – making Volgograd the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Volgograd

🕒 Local time

20:45 8:45 PM

Same time as Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

1,004,763

💱 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 Volgograd 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Volgograd

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 Volgograd: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 115% more than Volgograd, 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 $2,883 per month in Moscow and $1,338 in Volgograd. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Volgograd, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $609 there versus $1,533 in Moscow.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Volgograd. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 50% 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 Volgograd, where all-in costs run around $892, than in Moscow at $1,922. In Volgograd it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Moscow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $892 in Volgograd to $1,922 in Moscow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Volgograd. 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.