Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novosibirsk and Chita

For one person, living is cheaper in Chita: $1,085 a month against $1,153 in Novosibirsk, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
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Novosibirsk Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Chita
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Chita Living Index

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Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,153

/mo nomad

Chita

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,085

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Novosibirsk and in Chita

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,153 in Novosibirsk versus $1,085 in Chita.

Novosibirsk $1,153
Chita $1,085

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,833 in Novosibirsk versus $1,719 in Chita.

Novosibirsk $1,833
Chita $1,719

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,512 in Novosibirsk versus $2,354 in Chita.

Novosibirsk $2,512
Chita $2,354

Living in Novosibirsk is roughly 6% more expensive than in Chita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Novosibirsk 15% lower, Chita 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 ₽938

$10.90 ₽881

6.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 ₽3,936

$38.76 ₽3,134

25.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 ₽507

$5.63 ₽455

11.37%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ₽227

$2.59 ₽210

8.49%

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

$1.18 ₽95.5

$1.24 ₽99.9

-4.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₽47.04

$0.60 ₽48.29

-3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₽99.3

$1.88 ₽152

-34.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ₽292

$3.27 ₽265

10.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ₽99.6

$1.16 ₽93.9

6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 ₽58.5

$0.79 ₽63.8

-8.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 ₽120

$1.27 ₽103

16.54%

Eggs

$1.73 ₽140

$1.62 ₽131

6.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 ₽970

$11.42 ₽923

4.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 ₽405

$5.63 ₽455

-11.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.33 ₽997

$11.55 ₽934

6.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ₽155

$1.85 ₽149

3.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ₽145

$1.88 ₽152

-4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 ₽167

$1.62 ₽131

27.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 ₽272

$2.93 ₽237

14.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₽66.7

$0.73 ₽58.9

12.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽49.50

$0.66 ₽53.5

-7.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 ₽125

$1.49 ₽120

4.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₽67.4

$0.85 ₽68.3

-2.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ₽256

$3.14 ₽254

0.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.66 ₽862

$8.10 ₽655

31.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽80.7

$1.26 ₽102

-20.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₽138

$2.34 ₽189

-27.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 ₽44.29

$0.50 ₽40.76

10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.41 ₽2,621

$25.70 ₽2,078

26.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 ₽205

$2.21 ₽179

14.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 ₽42.11

$0.33 ₽26.94

57.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 ₽502

$5.79 ₽468

7.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 ₽66.7

$0.93 ₽75.4

-11.83%

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

$43.9K ₽3.5M

$61.2K ₽5.0M

-28.34%

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

$39.4K ₽3.2M

$39.8K ₽3.2M

-1.11%

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

$111 ₽9,000

$124 ₽10.1K

-10.55%

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

$7.18 ₽581

$6.48 ₽524

10.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.33 ₽673

$8.59 ₽695

-3.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 ₽3,086

$32.00 ₽2,588

19.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.42 ₽2,460

$26.84 ₽2,170

13.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 ₽599

$7.05 ₽570

5.11%

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

$312 ₽25.2K

$326 ₽26.3K

-4.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,900 ₽557.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 ₽5,816

$80.5 ₽6,508

-10.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.55 ₽3,844

$61.7 ₽4,991

-22.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 ₽11.7K

$129 ₽10.5K

11.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ₽8,123

$113 ₽9,159

-11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$570 ₽46.1K

$481 ₽38.9K

18.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ₽30.6K

$319 ₽25.8K

18.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 ₽82.6K

$938 ₽75.8K

8.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 ₽56.0K

$620 ₽50.2K

11.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,446 ₽197.8K

$2,532 ₽204.7K

-3.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,869 ₽151.1K

$1,436 ₽116.1K

30.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$922 ₽74.6K

$454 ₽36.7K

103.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.83

21.45

6.43%

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

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chita: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novosibirsk

$379 32.8%

Chita

$319 29.4% 15.7% $60

Groceries & Markets

Novosibirsk

$225 19.5%

Chita

$217 20% 3.9% $8.8

Eating Out

Novosibirsk

$166 14.4%

Chita

$158 14.6% 4.3% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Novosibirsk

$164 14.2%

Chita

$173 16% 5.6% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novosibirsk

$127 11%

Chita

$140 12.9% 10% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Novosibirsk

$53 4.6%

Chita

$46 4.3% 13% $6.9

Getting Around

Novosibirsk

$40 3.5%

Chita

$32 2.9% 20.5% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $570 in Novosibirsk and $481 in Chita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novosibirsk pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Novosibirsk vs $39 in Chita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $217 per month, with Chita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Chita

🕒 Local time

03:16 3:16 AM

05:16 5:16 AM

2 h ahead of Novosibirsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,620,162

333,679

💱 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

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Novosibirsk Chita 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

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Novosibirsk
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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

Novosibirsk vs Chita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,153 in Novosibirsk and $1,085 in Chita, so Chita is about 6% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Novosibirsk is about 2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $570 in Novosibirsk versus $481 in Chita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Novosibirsk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chita – a meal for two runs $39 versus $49 in Novosibirsk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Chita gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Chita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Novosibirsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.