Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Yoshkar-Ola

For one person, living is cheaper in Yoshkar-Ola: $989 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Yoshkar-Ola
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Yoshkar-Ola Living Index

Jump to prices

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Yoshkar-Ola

🇷🇺 Russia

$989

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Yoshkar-Ola

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 Yoshkar-Ola actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,922 per month in Moscow vs $989 in Yoshkar-Ola, rent included.

Moscow $1,922
Yoshkar-Ola $989

A couple spends around $2,941 per month in Moscow vs $1,609 in Yoshkar-Ola, rent included.

Moscow $2,941
Yoshkar-Ola $1,609

A family of three spends $3,960 per month in Moscow vs $2,229 in Yoshkar-Ola, rent included.

Moscow $3,960
Yoshkar-Ola $2,229

Moscow costs about 94% more than Yoshkar-Ola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Moscow sits 41% above the global median, while Yoshkar-Ola is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ₽1,011

$6.07 ₽491

105.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₽4,952

$55.1 ₽4,457

11.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ₽619

$4.83 ₽390

58.39%

Cappuccino

$3.84 ₽310

$1.72 ₽139

123.26%

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

$1.74 ₽141

$0.79 ₽63.7

120.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₽69.0

$0.27 ₽21.78

214.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 ₽391

$0.88 ₽70.8

448.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 ₽418

$1.67 ₽135

209.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ₽107

$0.75 ₽60.8

76.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₽84.2

$0.75 ₽60.6

38.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽143

$1.41 ₽114

25.53%

Eggs

$2.02 ₽163

$1.60 ₽129

26.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 ₽1,219

$12.01 ₽971

25.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 ₽555

$4.98 ₽402

37.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ₽1,236

$13.58 ₽1,098

12.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₽173

$1.77 ₽143

20.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₽148

$1.70 ₽137

7.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₽164

$1.77 ₽143

14.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ₽335

$3.61 ₽292

14.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ₽76.2

$0.73 ₽59.3

28.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ₽62.1

$0.59 ₽48.00

30.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ₽137

$1.35 ₽109

25.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽81.5

$0.74 ₽60.2

36.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ₽300

$3.28 ₽265

13.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 ₽989

$8.40 ₽679

45.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₽102

$1.13 ₽91.2

11.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₽221

$2.51 ₽203

8.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₽77.6

$0.48 ₽38.65

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.33 ₽3,503

$28.74 ₽2,324

50.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ₽297

$1.42 ₽115

159.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₽67.8

$0.41 ₽33.25

104.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 ₽997

$7.29 ₽589

69.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₽77.6

$0.87 ₽70.0

10.34%

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

$45.4K ₽3.7M

$54.7K ₽4.4M

-16.99%

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

$41.2K ₽3.3M

$39.8K ₽3.2M

3.55%

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

$199 ₽16.1K

$97.1 ₽7,851

104.79%

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

$9.04 ₽731

$7.00 ₽566

29.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 ₽812

$8.77 ₽709

14.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 ₽3,599

$33.19 ₽2,684

34.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.40 ₽3,833

$23.24 ₽1,880

103.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 ₽779

$7.34 ₽593

31.20%

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

$898 ₽72.6K

$316 ₽25.5K

184.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₽2.4M

$7,210 ₽583.0K

306.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 ₽9,435

$77.7 ₽6,284

50.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 ₽5,610

$56.5 ₽4,567

22.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 ₽12.4K

$136 ₽11.0K

12.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 ₽15.2K

$84.3 ₽6,812

122.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ₽124.0K

$482 ₽39.0K

217.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 ₽69.6K

$321 ₽26.0K

167.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,127 ₽252.8K

$921 ₽74.4K

239.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 ₽125.5K

$592 ₽47.8K

162.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K ₽847.7K

$2,472 ₽199.9K

324.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,981 ₽402.8K

$1,396 ₽112.8K

256.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ₽145.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.58

20.29

-3.50%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yoshkar-Ola: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$860 44.7%

Yoshkar-Ola

$321 32.5% 62.6% $539

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$274 14.3%

Yoshkar-Ola

$218 22% 20.5% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$237 12.3%

Yoshkar-Ola

$159 16.1% 32.8% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$218 11.3%

Yoshkar-Ola

$113 11.4% 48.2% $105

Eating Out

Moscow

$214 11.1%

Yoshkar-Ola

$96 9.7% 55.3% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$64 3.3%

Yoshkar-Ola

$48 4.8% 24.9% $16

Getting Around

Moscow

$55 2.9%

Yoshkar-Ola

$34 3.5% 38% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,533 in Moscow versus $482 in Yoshkar-Ola. 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 $61 in Moscow versus $55 in Yoshkar-Ola. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $218 – making Yoshkar-Ola the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇷🇺 Yoshkar-Ola

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

Same time as Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

276,155

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.1 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Moscow Yoshkar-Ola 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Yoshkar-Ola

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 Yoshkar-Ola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 94% more than Yoshkar-Ola, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,484 in Yoshkar-Ola. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yoshkar-Ola, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,533 in Moscow.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Yoshkar-Ola. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $898 per month in Moscow and $316 in Yoshkar-Ola. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

For expats, Yoshkar-Ola is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 49% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.