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: $1,140 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,236 in Port Elizabeth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,787 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,900 in Port Elizabeth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,434 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $2,563 in Port Elizabeth.

Living in Nizhny Novgorod costs roughly 8% less than in Port Elizabeth, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nizhny Novgorod 17% lower, Port Elizabeth 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.17 ₽1,490

$11.37 R 184

51.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 ₽4,421

$44.17 R 714

15.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 ₽611

$6.12 R 98.9

14.87%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ₽243

$2.13 R 34.38

31.46%

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

$1.41 ₽123

$1.10 R 17.80

28.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₽54.7

$0.80 R 13.00

-21.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 ₽148

$2.84 R 45.99

-40.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₽217

$3.23 R 52.2

-22.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 ₽99.9

$1.22 R 19.69

-5.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 ₽60.5

$1.09 R 17.59

-35.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ₽112

$1.49 R 24.16

-13.42%

Eggs

$1.40 ₽121

$2.81 R 45.39

-50.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.22 ₽974

$9.08 R 147

23.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 ₽416

$5.56 R 90.0

-13.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 ₽946

$8.62 R 139

26.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₽145

$2.14 R 34.66

-21.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ₽146

$1.59 R 25.79

5.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ₽149

$1.68 R 27.13

1.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₽280

$1.77 R 28.63

82.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ₽64.6

$1.77 R 28.69

-58.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₽51.1

$1.42 R 22.95

-58.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ₽119

$1.33 R 21.46

3.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₽59.7

$1.04 R 16.88

-33.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ₽268

$3.37 R 54.5

-8.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 ₽687

$4.83 R 78.0

63.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₽92.7

$1.31 R 21.17

-18.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₽169

$1.81 R 29.24

7.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ₽41.27

$1.18 R 19.11

-59.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.31 ₽1,416

$36.87 R 596

-55.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ₽204

$2.17 R 35.16

8.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ₽34.12

$0.49 R 7.86

-20.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.17 ₽709

$8.56 R 138

-4.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 ₽71.1

$1.41 R 22.83

-41.84%

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

$34.5K ₽3.0M

$36.5K R 589.9K

-5.53%

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

$34.1K ₽3.0M

$34.5K R 557.4K

-0.97%

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

$130 ₽11.2K

$125 R 2,026

3.38%

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

$6.29 ₽546

$35.65 R 576

-82.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.89 ₽685

$46.87 R 758

-83.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.78 ₽2,411

$32.16 R 520

-13.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.11 ₽2,180

$24.02 R 388

4.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 ₽600

$10.92 R 177

-36.72%

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

$304 ₽26.4K

$185 R 2,993

64.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,637 ₽576.2K

$6,340 R 102.5K

4.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 ₽5,715

$72.1 R 1,165

-8.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₽4,704

$38.23 R 618

41.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ₽9,255

$115 R 1,853

-6.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 ₽8,669

$99.9 R 1,615

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$563 ₽48.9K

$633 R 10.2K

-11.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 ₽34.0K

$429 R 6,941

-8.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ₽77.3K

$846 R 13.7K

5.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$636 ₽55.2K

$704 R 11.4K

-9.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,405 ₽295.6K

$799 R 12.9K

326.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,121 ₽184.1K

$545 R 8,813

289.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$794 ₽68.9K

$1,641 R 26.5K

-51.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.38

11.94

70.69%

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

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: August 31, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $563 in Nizhny Novgorod and $633 in Port Elizabeth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Elizabeth pays 107% 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: $51.0 in Nizhny Novgorod vs $44.00 in Port Elizabeth. Groceries flip the comparison at $203 vs $203, with Nizhny Novgorod 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 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 107% lower in Port Elizabeth. 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: $563 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $633 in Port Elizabeth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $185 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 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,140 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,236 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 8% less than in Port Elizabeth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.