Cost of Living Comparison Between Nizhny Novgorod and Port Elizabeth Cost of Living Comparison Between Nizhny Novgorod and Port Elizabeth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,131 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,158 in Port Elizabeth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,776 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,839 in Port Elizabeth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,420 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $2,519 in Port Elizabeth.

Living in Nizhny Novgorod costs roughly 2% less than in Port Elizabeth, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nizhny Novgorod 16% lower, Port Elizabeth 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.28 ₽823

$9.00 R 146

25.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.77 ₽2,830

$44.72 R 727

-13.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ₽409

$5.30 R 86.2

5.66%

Cappuccino

$2.66 ₽194

$2.23 R 36.16

19.28%

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

$1.30 ₽94.7

$1.17 R 19.08

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₽30.99

$1.04 R 16.83

-59.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₽75.5

$2.50 R 40.57

-58.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ₽230

$2.95 R 47.99

6.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 ₽76.7

$1.12 R 18.12

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 ₽41.81

$0.93 R 15.13

-38.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ₽96.0

$1.43 R 23.17

-8.39%

Eggs

$1.53 ₽112

$2.49 R 40.42

-38.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 ₽773

$7.86 R 128

34.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 ₽346

$4.86 R 79.0

-2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.94 ₽652

$8.05 R 131

11.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 ₽128

$1.68 R 27.26

4.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ₽122

$1.41 R 22.98

19.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 ₽143

$1.59 R 25.81

23.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₽183

$1.62 R 26.34

54.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₽51.5

$1.50 R 24.31

-52.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 ₽52.1

$1.11 R 18.10

-36.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₽87.9

$1.19 R 19.37

0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽57.1

$0.93 R 15.05

-16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₽213

$2.96 R 48.15

-1.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 ₽813

$5.00 R 81.2

122.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₽85.4

$1.16 R 18.88

0.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₽158

$1.71 R 27.87

26.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ₽39.01

$1.09 R 17.79

-51.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.96 ₽1,238

$34.50 R 561

-50.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₽136

$2.68 R 43.49

-30.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₽40.38

$0.44 R 7.22

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 ₽551

$8.04 R 131

-6.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 ₽57.4

$1.29 R 20.92

-38.76%

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

$41.4K ₽3.0M

$23.5K R 382.4K

75.96%

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

$31.7K ₽2.3M

$25.5K R 413.8K

24.46%

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

$111 ₽8,115

$118 R 1,913

-5.57%

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

$5.52 ₽403

$32.46 R 527

-82.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.45 ₽544

$44.22 R 719

-83.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.67 ₽2,312

$28.98 R 471

9.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.12 ₽1,177

$20.80 R 338

-22.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 ₽454

$9.52 R 155

-34.66%

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

$332 ₽24.2K

$164 R 2,661

102.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,874 ₽282.8K

$4,714 R 76.6K

-17.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.6 ₽5,955

$66.6 R 1,083

22.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.5 ₽5,657

$37.40 R 608

107.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 ₽10.7K

$93.8 R 1,524

56.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₽8,235

$90.5 R 1,471

24.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 ₽42.2K

$587 R 9,532

-1.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 ₽26.9K

$448 R 7,276

-17.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$984 ₽71.8K

$1,115 R 18.1K

-11.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 ₽53.7K

$871 R 14.2K

-15.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,267 ₽311.5K

$776 R 12.6K

449.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,623 ₽191.5K

$545 R 8,864

380.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$948 ₽69.2K

$1,620 R 26.3K

-41.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.46

12.04

36.71%

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

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: May 31, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $578 in Nizhny Novgorod and $587 in Port Elizabeth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Elizabeth pays 71% 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: $39.00 in Nizhny Novgorod vs $45.00 in Port Elizabeth. Groceries flip the comparison at $199 vs $181, with Port Elizabeth cheaper for home cooking.

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 Port Elizabeth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nizhny Novgorod is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Port Elizabeth earns 71% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $578 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $587 in Port Elizabeth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $332 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $164 in Port Elizabeth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Port Elizabeth pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,131 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,158 in Port Elizabeth, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nizhny Novgorod but tight or insufficient in Port Elizabeth. The gap between the two cities makes Nizhny Novgorod the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nizhny Novgorod is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Port Elizabeth, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Nizhny Novgorod gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Port Elizabeth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.