Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan

For one person, living costs are similar in Nizhny Novgorod and in Kazan: $1,232 and $1,192 a month, rent and utilities included.

Nizhny Novgorod
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,232
/mo nomad
Kazan
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,192
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nizhny Novgorod and in Kazan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nizhny Novgorod and in Kazan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,192 in Kazan.

  • Nizhny Novgorod $1,232
  • Kazan $1,192

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,855 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,852 in Kazan.

  • Nizhny Novgorod $1,855
  • Kazan $1,852

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,479 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $2,513 in Kazan.

  • Nizhny Novgorod $2,479
  • Kazan $2,513

Living in Nizhny Novgorod is roughly 3% more expensive than in Kazan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nizhny Novgorod 9% lower, Kazan 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nizhny Novgorod
Kazan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.93 ₽1,163
$13.28 ₽1,108
4.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.0 ₽4,420
$39.10 ₽3,263
35.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.06 ₽589
$6.02 ₽503
17.28%
Cappuccino
$3.30 ₽275
$3.15 ₽263
4.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₽145
$1.35 ₽113
28.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ₽58.2
$0.56 ₽46.36
25.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.86 ₽156
$1.77 ₽148
5.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.70 ₽309
$2.44 ₽204
51.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nizhny Novgorod
Kazan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 ₽99.6
$1.14 ₽94.8
4.39%
White Bread (500g)
$0.82 ₽68.2
$0.69 ₽57.8
18.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 ₽123
$1.51 ₽126
-2.65%
Eggs
$1.61 ₽134
$1.51 ₽126
6.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.65 ₽972
$11.07 ₽924
5.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.59 ₽383
$4.45 ₽372
3.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.56 ₽1,132
$10.51 ₽877
29.02%
Apples (1kg)
$1.70 ₽142
$1.86 ₽155
-8.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ₽142
$1.73 ₽144
-1.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.76 ₽147
$1.84 ₽153
-4.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.66 ₽306
$3.10 ₽259
18.06%
Potato (1kg)
$0.68 ₽57.1
$0.83 ₽69.4
-18.07%
Onion (1kg)
$0.61 ₽50.7
$0.56 ₽46.85
8.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 ₽107
$1.39 ₽116
-7.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 ₽61.6
$0.72 ₽59.7
2.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.96 ₽247
$3.00 ₽250
-1.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.17 ₽682
$7.71 ₽644
5.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 ₽90.9
$1.06 ₽88.3
2.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 ₽196
$1.91 ₽160
23.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Nizhny Novgorod
Kazan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.46 ₽38.56
$0.53 ₽44.21
-13.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.96 ₽1,416
$18.74 ₽1,564
-9.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.13 ₽177
$2.32 ₽194
-8.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.44 ₽36.57
$0.56 ₽47.11
-21.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.19 ₽600
$7.30 ₽609
-1.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.81 ₽67.6
$0.86 ₽72.0
-5.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.4K ₽3.5M
$36.2K ₽3.0M
17.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K ₽2.7M
$42.3K ₽3.5M
-22.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nizhny Novgorod
Kazan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$144 ₽12.0K
$127 ₽10.6K
13.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.12 ₽594
$5.40 ₽451
31.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.03 ₽670
$7.21 ₽602
11.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nizhny Novgorod
Kazan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.72 ₽2,730
$36.58 ₽3,053
-10.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.32 ₽2,197
$30.32 ₽2,531
-13.19%
Cinema Ticket
$7.22 ₽603
$6.59 ₽550
9.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nizhny Novgorod
Kazan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$309 ₽25.8K
$283 ₽23.6K
9.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,940 ₽579.2K
$6,559 ₽547.4K
5.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nizhny Novgorod
Kazan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.3 ₽5,781
$93.1 ₽7,770
-25.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 ₽4,531
$90.6 ₽7,561
-40.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$141 ₽11.8K
$105 ₽8,726
34.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.4 ₽6,963
$76.5 ₽6,386
9.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nizhny Novgorod
Kazan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$610 ₽50.9K
$683 ₽57.0K
-10.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$428 ₽35.7K
$426 ₽35.6K
0.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$863 ₽72.0K
$1,107 ₽92.4K
-22.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$614 ₽51.3K
$777 ₽64.8K
-20.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,279 ₽273.7K
$4,273 ₽356.6K
-23.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,075 ₽173.2K
$2,332 ₽194.6K
-11.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nizhny Novgorod
Kazan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,024 ₽85.4K
$956 ₽79.8K
7.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20.81
20.8
0.05%

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

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kazan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nizhny Novgorod
$428
Kazan
$426 0.4% $1.8
Groceries & Markets
Nizhny Novgorod
$219
Kazan
$202 7.6% $17
Eating Out
Nizhny Novgorod
$199
Kazan
$184 7.6% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nizhny Novgorod
$159
Kazan
$140 12.2% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Nizhny Novgorod
$157
Kazan
$164 4.9% $7.6
Sport & Entertainment
Nizhny Novgorod
$47
Kazan
$50 5.5% $2.6
Getting Around
Nizhny Novgorod
$23
Kazan
$26 12.4% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $610 in Nizhny Novgorod and $683 in Kazan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nizhny Novgorod pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Nizhny Novgorod vs $39.00 in Kazan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $202 per month, with Kazan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Nizhny Novgorod
🇷🇺 Kazan
🕒 Local time
06:03 6:03 AM
06:03 6:03 AM
Same time as Nizhny Novgorod
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,244,254
1,257,341
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nizhny Novgorod Kazan 320 km
From you
  • Nizhny Novgorod
  • Kazan

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
Nizhny Novgorod vs Kazan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Nizhny Novgorod and in Kazan?
Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,192 including rent). Kazan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Nizhny Novgorod or Kazan?
Average pay runs 7% higher in Nizhny Novgorod, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Nizhny Novgorod and in Kazan?
Rent for a central apartment: $610 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $683 in Kazan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Kazan – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $53.0 in Nizhny Novgorod. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Nizhny Novgorod or Kazan?
All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,192 in Kazan – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,192 in Kazan versus $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kazan but tight or insufficient in Nizhny Novgorod. The gap between the two cities makes Kazan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Nizhny Novgorod or Kazan safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Nizhny Novgorod or Kazan?
Expats usually find Kazan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Nizhny Novgorod. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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