Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Nizhny Novgorod: $1,232 a month against $1,833 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Nizhny Novgorod
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Nizhny Novgorod Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index

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Nizhny Novgorod

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,232

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Nizhny Novgorod vs $1,833 in Moscow, rent included.

Nizhny Novgorod $1,232
Moscow $1,833

A couple spends around $1,855 per month in Nizhny Novgorod vs $2,835 in Moscow, rent included.

Nizhny Novgorod $1,855
Moscow $2,835

A family of three spends $2,479 per month in Nizhny Novgorod vs $3,837 in Moscow, rent included.

Nizhny Novgorod $2,479
Moscow $3,837

Nizhny Novgorod is about 33% cheaper than Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Nizhny Novgorod sits 9% below the global median, while Moscow is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.93 ₽1,163

$12.01 ₽1,002

15.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 ₽4,420

$59.8 ₽4,987

-11.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 ₽589

$6.97 ₽582

1.29%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₽275

$3.90 ₽326

-15.38%

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

$1.74 ₽145

$1.67 ₽140

4.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₽58.2

$0.88 ₽73.1

-20.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 ₽156

$4.88 ₽408

-61.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ₽309

$5.50 ₽459

-32.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 ₽99.6

$1.27 ₽106

-6.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 ₽68.2

$1.02 ₽85.1

-19.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 ₽123

$1.67 ₽139

-11.98%

Eggs

$1.61 ₽134

$1.92 ₽161

-16.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 ₽972

$14.46 ₽1,207

-19.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 ₽383

$6.69 ₽558

-31.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ₽1,132

$15.11 ₽1,261

-10.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₽142

$2.04 ₽170

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ₽142

$1.86 ₽155

-8.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 ₽147

$2.02 ₽169

-12.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 ₽306

$4.06 ₽338

-9.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₽57.1

$0.92 ₽76.9

-26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽50.7

$0.75 ₽62.5

-18.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ₽107

$1.63 ₽136

-21.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₽61.6

$0.91 ₽76.0

-18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ₽247

$3.42 ₽286

-13.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 ₽682

$11.97 ₽999

-31.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₽90.9

$1.20 ₽100

-9.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₽196

$2.64 ₽221

-10.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₽38.56

$0.91 ₽75.7

-49.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.96 ₽1,416

$41.33 ₽3,449

-58.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 ₽177

$3.60 ₽300

-40.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 ₽36.57

$0.85 ₽71.1

-48.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.19 ₽600

$12.10 ₽1,010

-40.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 ₽67.6

$0.87 ₽72.8

-6.90%

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

$42.4K ₽3.5M

$39.3K ₽3.3M

7.89%

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

$32.8K ₽2.7M

$38.5K ₽3.2M

-14.93%

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

$144 ₽12.0K

$191 ₽16.0K

-24.80%

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

$7.12 ₽594

$8.65 ₽722

-17.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.03 ₽670

$10.19 ₽850

-21.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.72 ₽2,730

$42.73 ₽3,566

-23.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.32 ₽2,197

$44.45 ₽3,710

-40.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₽603

$9.50 ₽793

-24.00%

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

$309 ₽25.8K

$817 ₽68.2K

-62.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,940 ₽579.2K

$26.7K ₽2.2M

-74.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 ₽5,781

$110 ₽9,172

-36.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 ₽4,531

$67.9 ₽5,664

-20.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 ₽11.8K

$146 ₽12.2K

-3.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.4 ₽6,963

$184 ₽15.4K

-54.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ₽50.9K

$1,499 ₽125.1K

-59.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 ₽35.7K

$804 ₽67.1K

-46.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$863 ₽72.0K

$3,068 ₽256.0K

-71.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 ₽51.3K

$1,501 ₽125.3K

-59.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,279 ₽273.7K

$10.2K ₽855.4K

-68.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,075 ₽173.2K

$4,709 ₽393.0K

-55.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,024 ₽85.4K

$1,715 ₽143.1K

-40.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.81

19.56

6.39%

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

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: October 11, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nizhny Novgorod

$428 34.8%

Moscow

$804 43.9% 87.8% $376

Groceries & Markets

Nizhny Novgorod

$219 17.8%

Moscow

$266 14.5% 21.6% $47

Eating Out

Nizhny Novgorod

$199 16.1%

Moscow

$209 11.4% 5.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nizhny Novgorod

$159 12.9%

Moscow

$210 11.5% 32.2% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Nizhny Novgorod

$157 12.7%

Moscow

$229 12.5% 46.1% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Nizhny Novgorod

$47 3.8%

Moscow

$62 3.4% 30.9% $15

Getting Around

Nizhny Novgorod

$23 1.9%

Moscow

$53 2.9% 128% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $610 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,499 in Moscow. 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 68% 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 $53.0 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $60.0 in Moscow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $266 – making Nizhny Novgorod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Nizhny Novgorod

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

06:04 6:04 AM

Same time as Nizhny Novgorod

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,244,254

12,700,000 Capital

💱 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

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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 Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 49% more than Nizhny Novgorod, 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 $1,847 per month in Nizhny Novgorod and $2,749 in Moscow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 144% less in Nizhny Novgorod. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Nizhny Novgorod and $817 in Moscow. 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 Nizhny Novgorod, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Moscow at $1,833. In Nizhny Novgorod it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nizhny Novgorod costs $1,232 versus $1,833 in Moscow. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Nizhny Novgorod. 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.