Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Yakutsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Yakutsk: $1,267 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Yakutsk
Learn more

Yakutsk Living Index

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Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Yakutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Yakutsk

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

A single person spends $1,887 per month in Moscow vs $1,267 in Yakutsk, rent included.

Moscow $1,887
Yakutsk $1,267

A couple spends around $2,893 per month in Moscow vs $1,829 in Yakutsk, rent included.

Moscow $2,893
Yakutsk $1,829

A family of three spends $3,899 per month in Moscow vs $2,391 in Yakutsk, rent included.

Moscow $3,899
Yakutsk $2,391

Moscow costs about 49% more than Yakutsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Moscow sits 39% above the global median, while Yakutsk is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 ₽1,018

$14.54 ₽1,214

-16.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 ₽4,952

$42.12 ₽3,515

40.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 ₽589

$9.14 ₽762

-22.76%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₽326

$4.32 ₽360

-9.72%

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

$1.70 ₽142

$1.72 ₽143

-1.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₽71.6

$0.93 ₽78.0

-7.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ₽411

$3.57 ₽298

37.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 ₽437

$2.44 ₽204

114.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.91 ₽159

-35.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₽85.2

$0.96 ₽80.0

6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽147

$1.67 ₽140

5.99%

Eggs

$1.97 ₽164

$2.20 ₽183

-10.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 ₽1,229

$13.78 ₽1,150

6.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 ₽582

$8.03 ₽670

-13.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 ₽1,279

$12.70 ₽1,060

20.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ₽179

$3.06 ₽256

-29.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₽150

$2.45 ₽205

-26.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ₽171

$3.19 ₽267

-35.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 ₽333

$5.09 ₽425

-21.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ₽77.6

$1.23 ₽102

-24.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₽59.8

$1.14 ₽94.8

-36.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 ₽138

$1.18 ₽98.6

39.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$1.06 ₽88.4

-5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 ₽301

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 ₽1,011

$9.72 ₽811

24.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.42 ₽118

-13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₽220

$3.03 ₽253

-12.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₽83.6

$0.71 ₽59.6

40.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.43 ₽3,541

$20.12 ₽1,679

110.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₽298

$1.98 ₽166

80.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₽67.7

$0.21 ₽17.48

285.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.22 ₽1,020

$4.94 ₽413

147.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₽78.5

$0.88 ₽73.7

6.82%

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

$43.9K ₽3.7M

$18.1K ₽1.5M

142.25%

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

$39.5K ₽3.3M

$19.6K ₽1.6M

101.48%

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

$195 ₽16.2K

$201 ₽16.8K

-3.13%

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

$8.83 ₽737

$4.80 ₽400

83.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 ₽845

$10.85 ₽905

-6.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.77 ₽3,570

$72.8 ₽6,072

-41.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.27 ₽3,779

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 ₽791

$7.29 ₽608

30.04%

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

$850 ₽70.9K

$471 ₽39.3K

80.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K ₽2.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ₽9,237

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 ₽5,709

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 ₽12.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 ₽15.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 ₽123.5K

$922 ₽76.9K

60.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 ₽70.6K

$420 ₽35.1K

101.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,083 ₽257.3K

$1,226 ₽102.3K

151.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 ₽128.7K

$595 ₽49.6K

159.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K ₽844.1K

$2,213 ₽184.7K

357.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₽399.1K

$1,938 ₽161.7K

146.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 ₽145.4K

$974 ₽81.3K

78.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.56

-6.86%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Yakutsk: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$846 44.8%

Yakutsk

$420 33.2% 50.3% $426

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$271 14.3%

Yakutsk

$288 22.7% 6.4% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$230 12.2%

Yakutsk

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$214 11.3%

Yakutsk

$217 17.1% 1.4% $3

Eating Out

Moscow

$211 11.2%

Yakutsk

$229 18.1% 8.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$62 3.3%

Yakutsk

$87 6.9% 41.5% $26

Getting Around

Moscow

$54 2.9%

Yakutsk

$26 2.1% 51.9% $28

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 $922 in Yakutsk. 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 79% 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 $42.00 in Yakutsk. Groceries tell a different story – $271 in Moscow vs $288 in Yakutsk – so Moscow wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Yakutsk

🕒 Local time

14:08 2:08 PM

20:08 8:08 PM

6 h ahead of Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

361,154

💱 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

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Between locations

Moscow Yakutsk 4,880 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Yakutsk

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 Yakutsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 49% more than Yakutsk, 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 $1,901 in Yakutsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 111% less in Yakutsk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $850 per month in Moscow and $471 in Yakutsk. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Yakutsk, where all-in costs run around $1,267, than in Moscow at $1,887. In Yakutsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Yakutsk costs $1,267 versus $1,887 in Moscow. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Yakutsk. 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.