Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novosibirsk and Makhachkala

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,009 a month against $1,105 in Novosibirsk, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
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Novosibirsk Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Makhachkala
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Makhachkala Living Index

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Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,105

/mo nomad

Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Novosibirsk and in Makhachkala

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

A single person spends $1,105 per month in Novosibirsk vs $1,009 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Novosibirsk $1,105
Makhachkala $1,009

A couple spends around $1,760 per month in Novosibirsk vs $1,562 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Novosibirsk $1,760
Makhachkala $1,562

A family of three spends $2,416 per month in Novosibirsk vs $2,115 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Novosibirsk $2,416
Makhachkala $2,115

Novosibirsk costs about 10% more than Makhachkala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Novosibirsk and Makhachkala are more affordable than the global median – Novosibirsk 18% lower, Makhachkala 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.39 ₽951

$10.20 ₽851

11.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.13 ₽4,017

$31.73 ₽2,648

51.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 ₽490

$5.48 ₽457

7.12%

Cappuccino

$2.75 ₽229

$2.65 ₽221

3.77%

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

$1.10 ₽92.0

$1.17 ₽98.0

-5.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₽46.98

$0.61 ₽51.1

-8.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₽102

$1.94 ₽162

-37.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₽305

$2.94 ₽246

24.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₽100

$1.10 ₽91.6

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 ₽54.8

$0.71 ₽58.9

-7.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ₽113

$1.41 ₽118

-4.26%

Eggs

$1.65 ₽137

$1.53 ₽127

7.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 ₽976

$10.99 ₽917

6.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 ₽383

$5.39 ₽450

-14.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.87 ₽991

$11.03 ₽921

7.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ₽156

$1.70 ₽142

10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ₽145

$1.75 ₽146

-0.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ₽166

$1.75 ₽146

13.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 ₽271

$2.78 ₽232

16.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ₽66.1

$0.81 ₽67.4

-2.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₽52.7

$0.61 ₽51.1

3.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 ₽121

$1.23 ₽103

17.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₽67.1

$0.74 ₽61.8

8.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 ₽264

$3.33 ₽278

-5.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.04 ₽838

$7.92 ₽661

26.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₽78.3

$1.10 ₽91.4

-14.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₽141

$2.02 ₽168

-16.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 ₽46.02

$0.54 ₽44.80

1.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.65 ₽2,391

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 ₽203

$2.70 ₽225

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 ₽41.34

$0.40 ₽33.48

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 ₽491

$5.71 ₽477

2.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 ₽66.6

$0.84 ₽70.2

-4.76%

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

$24.3K ₽2.0M

$41.0K ₽3.4M

-40.70%

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

$33.0K ₽2.8M

$37.4K ₽3.1M

-11.62%

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

$108 ₽9,012

$110 ₽9,172

-1.75%

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

$7.19 ₽600

$5.49 ₽458

30.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.18 ₽683

$8.44 ₽705

-3.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.00 ₽3,004

$35.62 ₽2,973

1.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.88 ₽2,494

$23.57 ₽1,967

26.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.95 ₽580

$6.13 ₽512

13.38%

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

$299 ₽24.9K

$348 ₽29.1K

-14.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,288 ₽441.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 ₽5,732

$80.1 ₽6,688

-14.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.29 ₽3,863

$54.1 ₽4,518

-14.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 ₽11.5K

$102 ₽8,539

34.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 ₽8,073

$112 ₽9,353

-13.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 ₽44.2K

$460 ₽38.4K

15.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₽30.1K

$315 ₽26.3K

14.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 ₽83.8K

$891 ₽74.4K

12.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 ₽55.2K

$556 ₽46.4K

19.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,307 ₽192.5K

$2,226 ₽185.8K

3.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,766 ₽147.4K

$1,492 ₽124.5K

18.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₽72.1K

$622 ₽51.9K

38.88%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Makhachkala: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novosibirsk

$361 32.7%

Makhachkala

$315 31.2% 12.7% $46

Groceries & Markets

Novosibirsk

$215 19.5%

Makhachkala

$206 20.4% 4.6% $9.9

Eating Out

Novosibirsk

$162 14.7%

Makhachkala

$153 15.1% 5.7% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Novosibirsk

$157 14.2%

Makhachkala

$157 15.6% 0.3% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novosibirsk

$123 11.2%

Makhachkala

$124 12.3% 0.4% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Novosibirsk

$50 4.5%

Makhachkala

$48 4.8% 4% $2

Getting Around

Novosibirsk

$36 3.2%

Makhachkala

$6.9 * 0.7% 80.8% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $530 in Novosibirsk versus $460 in Makhachkala. 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 39% higher in Novosibirsk, 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 $48.00 in Novosibirsk versus $32.00 in Makhachkala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $206 – making Makhachkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Makhachkala

🕒 Local time

15:42 3:42 PM

11:42 11:42 AM

4 h behind Novosibirsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,620,162

604,266

💱 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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Between locations

Novosibirsk Makhachkala 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Novosibirsk
Makhachkala

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 Makhachkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Novosibirsk is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,657 per month in Novosibirsk and $1,513 in Makhachkala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,105 in Novosibirsk and $1,009 in Makhachkala. That's a gap of about 10%.

Kindergarten costs $299 per month in Novosibirsk and $348 in Makhachkala. 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 Makhachkala, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Novosibirsk at $1,105. In Makhachkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Novosibirsk it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Makhachkala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Makhachkala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Novosibirsk makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.