Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novosibirsk and Irkutsk

For one person, living costs are similar in Novosibirsk and in Irkutsk: $1,160 and $1,157 a month, rent and utilities included.

56

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
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Novosibirsk Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Irkutsk
Learn more

Irkutsk Living Index

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Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,160

/mo nomad

Irkutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,157

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Novosibirsk and in Irkutsk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,160 in Novosibirsk versus $1,157 in Irkutsk.

Novosibirsk $1,160
Irkutsk $1,157

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,809 in Novosibirsk versus $1,700 in Irkutsk.

Novosibirsk $1,809
Irkutsk $1,700

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,458 in Novosibirsk versus $2,242 in Irkutsk.

Novosibirsk $2,458
Irkutsk $2,242

Monthly costs are close between Novosibirsk and Irkutsk; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Novosibirsk 14% lower, Irkutsk 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₽996

$7.89 ₽644

54.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.47 ₽3,546

$37.22 ₽3,036

16.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 ₽585

$6.23 ₽508

15.09%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ₽248

$3.24 ₽264

-6.17%

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

$1.08 ₽87.9

$1.57 ₽128

-31.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₽45.22

$0.65 ₽52.9

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 ₽102

$2.42 ₽197

-48.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₽206

$3.78 ₽309

-33.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 ₽105

$1.29 ₽106

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 ₽58.8

$0.67 ₽55.0

7.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₽119

$1.53 ₽125

-4.58%

Eggs

$1.70 ₽139

$1.67 ₽136

1.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 ₽983

$12.10 ₽987

-0.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₽396

$7.26 ₽592

-33.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.51 ₽939

$12.95 ₽1,056

-11.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₽147

$2.19 ₽179

-17.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₽150

$1.97 ₽161

-6.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₽162

$1.75 ₽143

13.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 ₽290

$3.51 ₽286

1.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ₽69.0

$0.73 ₽59.7

16.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₽54.8

$0.72 ₽58.9

-6.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 ₽123

$1.47 ₽120

2.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₽66.0

$0.72 ₽59.0

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.54 ₽289

$3.36 ₽274

5.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.68 ₽789

$8.10 ₽661

19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽82.6

$1.01 ₽82.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₽140

$2.07 ₽169

-17.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₽43.71

$0.54 ₽43.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.56 ₽2,655

$19.69 ₽1,606

65.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ₽198

$1.25 ₽102

93.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 ₽41.67

$0.20 ₽15.96

155.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 ₽516

$9.23 ₽753

-31.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽68.5

$0.89 ₽72.3

-5.62%

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

$42.6K ₽3.5M

$52.7K ₽4.3M

-19.07%

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

$39.9K ₽3.3M

$42.5K ₽3.5M

-6.07%

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

$109 ₽8,884

$122 ₽9,931

-10.55%

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

$7.14 ₽582

$5.82 ₽475

22.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.30 ₽677

$11.79 ₽961

-29.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.33 ₽3,126

$68.9 ₽5,617

-44.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.61 ₽2,496

$22.56 ₽1,840

35.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 ₽566

$6.74 ₽550

2.97%

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

$302 ₽24.6K

$400 ₽32.6K

-24.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,296 ₽268.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 ₽5,830

$76.7 ₽6,258

-6.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.80 ₽3,817

$24.14 ₽1,969

93.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 ₽11.8K

$101 ₽8,211

43.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 ₽8,069

$118 ₽9,621

-16.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 ₽47.1K

$532 ₽43.4K

8.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 ₽31.5K

$384 ₽31.3K

0.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 ₽81.7K

$814 ₽66.4K

23.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 ₽54.2K

$508 ₽41.4K

30.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,423 ₽197.6K

$2,786 ₽227.2K

-13.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,794 ₽146.3K

$1,845 ₽150.5K

-2.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$863 ₽70.4K

$664 ₽54.1K

29.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.83

24.57

-7.08%

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

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 31, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novosibirsk

$386 33.3%

Irkutsk

$384 33.2% 0.7% $2.5

Groceries & Markets

Novosibirsk

$221 19.1%

Irkutsk

$235 20.3% 6.3% $14

Eating Out

Novosibirsk

$174 15%

Irkutsk

$149 12.9% 14% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Novosibirsk

$163 14%

Irkutsk

$144 12.4% 11.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novosibirsk

$124 10.7%

Irkutsk

$139 12% 12.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Novosibirsk

$52 4.5%

Irkutsk

$82 7.1% 57.7% $30

Getting Around

Novosibirsk

$40 3.4%

Irkutsk

$24 2.1% 39.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $578 in Novosibirsk and $532 in Irkutsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novosibirsk pays 30% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Novosibirsk vs $37 in Irkutsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $221 vs $235, with Novosibirsk cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Irkutsk

🕒 Local time

20:22 8:22 PM

21:22 9:22 PM

1 h ahead of Novosibirsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,620,162

617,515

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Novosibirsk Irkutsk 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Novosibirsk
Irkutsk

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 Irkutsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 30% higher in Novosibirsk, 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: $578 in Novosibirsk versus $532 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Irkutsk runs roughly 40% less than in Novosibirsk. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Novosibirsk pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Irkutsk is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Irkutsk wins on affordability, Novosibirsk on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.