Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novosibirsk and Murmansk

For one person, living is cheaper in Murmansk: $1,062 a month against $1,160 in Novosibirsk, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
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Novosibirsk Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Murmansk
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Murmansk Living Index

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Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,160

/mo nomad

Murmansk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,062

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Novosibirsk and in Murmansk

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

A single person spends $1,160 per month in Novosibirsk vs $1,062 in Murmansk, rent included.

Novosibirsk $1,160
Murmansk $1,062

A couple spends around $1,809 per month in Novosibirsk vs $1,748 in Murmansk, rent included.

Novosibirsk $1,809
Murmansk $1,748

A family of three spends $2,458 per month in Novosibirsk vs $2,434 in Murmansk, rent included.

Novosibirsk $2,458
Murmansk $2,434

Novosibirsk costs about 9% more than Murmansk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Novosibirsk and Murmansk are more affordable than the global median – Novosibirsk 14% lower, Murmansk 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₽994

$10.57 ₽860

15.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.47 ₽3,537

$40.83 ₽3,322

6.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 ₽583

$6.51 ₽530

10.14%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ₽247

$2.92 ₽238

4.11%

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

$1.08 ₽87.6

$1.16 ₽94.0

-6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₽45.10

$0.58 ₽46.86

-5.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 ₽101

$1.61 ₽131

-22.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₽206

$3.54 ₽288

-28.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 ₽105

$1.16 ₽94.0

11.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 ₽58.7

$0.79 ₽64.3

-8.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₽119

$1.40 ₽114

4.29%

Eggs

$1.70 ₽138

$1.57 ₽128

8.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 ₽980

$11.75 ₽956

2.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₽395

$5.39 ₽439

-9.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.51 ₽937

$12.15 ₽988

-5.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₽147

$1.93 ₽157

-6.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₽149

$1.74 ₽141

5.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₽161

$1.70 ₽138

16.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 ₽290

$3.22 ₽262

10.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ₽68.8

$0.71 ₽58.1

19.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₽54.6

$0.68 ₽55.6

-1.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 ₽123

$1.21 ₽98.6

24.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₽65.8

$0.67 ₽54.8

20.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.54 ₽288

$3.44 ₽280

2.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.68 ₽787

$7.95 ₽647

21.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽82.4

$1.12 ₽90.9

-9.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₽139

$1.89 ₽154

-9.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₽43.60

$0.63 ₽51.1

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.56 ₽2,649

$31.73 ₽2,582

2.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ₽197

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 ₽41.56

$0.31 ₽25.26

64.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 ₽515

$6.27 ₽510

0.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽68.3

$0.89 ₽72.4

-5.62%

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

$42.6K ₽3.5M

$53.0K ₽4.3M

-19.52%

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

$39.9K ₽3.2M

$40.8K ₽3.3M

-2.12%

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

$109 ₽8,861

$128 ₽10.4K

-14.97%

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

$7.14 ₽581

$6.88 ₽560

3.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.30 ₽675

$8.11 ₽660

2.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.33 ₽3,118

$35.66 ₽2,901

7.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.61 ₽2,490

$28.25 ₽2,298

8.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 ₽565

$7.34 ₽597

-5.45%

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

$302 ₽24.5K

$310 ₽25.2K

-2.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,618 ₽538.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 ₽5,815

$89.1 ₽7,246

-19.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.80 ₽3,807

$54.0 ₽4,391

-13.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 ₽11.7K

$138 ₽11.2K

4.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 ₽8,048

$117 ₽9,502

-15.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 ₽47.0K

$449 ₽36.5K

28.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 ₽31.4K

$275 ₽22.4K

40.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 ₽81.5K

$934 ₽76.0K

7.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 ₽54.0K

$646 ₽52.6K

2.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,423 ₽197.1K

$1,971 ₽160.3K

22.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,794 ₽145.9K

$1,466 ₽119.2K

22.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$863 ₽70.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.83

21.33

7.03%

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

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 31, 2026

Last update for Murmansk: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novosibirsk

$386 33.3%

Murmansk

$275 25.9% 28.8% $111

Groceries & Markets

Novosibirsk

$221 19.1%

Murmansk

$215 20.2% 2.8% $6.3

Eating Out

Novosibirsk

$174 15%

Murmansk

$161 15.2% 7.1% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Novosibirsk

$163 14%

Murmansk

$179 16.9% 10% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novosibirsk

$124 10.7%

Murmansk

$143 13.5% 15.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Novosibirsk

$52 4.5%

Murmansk

$50 4.7% 3.6% $1.9

Getting Around

Novosibirsk

$40 3.4%

Murmansk

$38 3.6% 3.7% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $578 in Novosibirsk versus $449 in Murmansk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Novosibirsk versus $41 in Murmansk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $215 – making Murmansk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Murmansk

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

12:36 12:36 PM

4 h behind Novosibirsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,620,162

282,851

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.1 EUR

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Novosibirsk Murmansk 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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Murmansk

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 Murmansk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,160 in Novosibirsk, $1,062 in Murmansk – Murmansk comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,739 per month in Novosibirsk and $1,592 in Murmansk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Murmansk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $449 there versus $578 in Novosibirsk.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,160 in Novosibirsk and $1,062 in Murmansk. That makes Murmansk about 8% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Murmansk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,160 in Novosibirsk and $1,062 in Murmansk, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Novosibirsk has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,062 in Murmansk to $1,160 in Novosibirsk. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Murmansk is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 8% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.