Cost of Living Comparison Between Novosibirsk and Rostov-on-Don Cost of Living Comparison Between Novosibirsk and Rostov-on-Don

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Novosibirsk versus $996 in Rostov-on-Don.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,647 in Novosibirsk versus $1,555 in Rostov-on-Don.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,276 in Novosibirsk versus $2,113 in Rostov-on-Don.

Living in Novosibirsk is roughly 2% more expensive than Rostov-on-Don, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Novosibirsk 24% lower, Rostov-on-Don 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.46 ₽550

$11.24 ₽829

-33.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.34 ₽2,755

$38.44 ₽2,836

-2.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 ₽365

$4.99 ₽369

-0.80%

Cappuccino

$2.87 ₽212

$2.51 ₽186

14.34%

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

$1.35 ₽99.9

$1.20 ₽88.8

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₽62.0

$0.70 ₽51.5

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 ₽185

$1.24 ₽91.3

101.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 ₽285

$2.28 ₽168

69.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₽81.2

$1.02 ₽75.4

7.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 ₽41.82

$0.55 ₽40.41

3.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 ₽124

$1.15 ₽84.9

46.96%

Eggs

$1.79 ₽132

$1.57 ₽116

14.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.93 ₽807

$8.12 ₽599

34.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 ₽377

$4.77 ₽352

6.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.06 ₽742

$7.38 ₽545

36.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 ₽155

$1.26 ₽93.2

65.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ₽142

$1.65 ₽121

16.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ₽143

$1.46 ₽108

32.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 ₽247

$2.41 ₽178

39.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ₽55.9

$0.72 ₽53.0

5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₽49.48

$0.56 ₽41.22

19.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₽80.2

$1.19 ₽87.7

-8.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₽54.1

$0.68 ₽50.0

7.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 ₽236

$3.32 ₽245

-3.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 ₽707

$7.93 ₽586

20.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₽67.2

$0.91 ₽67.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₽151

$2.11 ₽156

-3.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ₽39.18

$0.51 ₽37.82

3.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.65 ₽2,336

$18.86 ₽1,392

67.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₽136

$1.94 ₽143

-4.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₽18.41

$0.35 ₽26.16

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ₽288

$6.36 ₽469

-38.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 ₽54.8

$0.78 ₽57.8

-5.13%

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

$55.1K ₽4.1M

$25.3K ₽1.9M

117.95%

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

$26.4K ₽2.0M

$39.9K ₽2.9M

-33.71%

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

$107 ₽7,867

$96.2 ₽7,100

10.81%

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

$5.48 ₽405

$7.01 ₽517

-21.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.77 ₽647

$8.06 ₽595

8.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ₽4,480

$40.50 ₽2,989

49.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 ₽1,798

$25.14 ₽1,855

-3.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 ₽442

$4.94 ₽365

21.26%

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

$354 ₽26.1K

$288 ₽21.2K

23.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,701 ₽346.9K

$8,215 ₽606.2K

-42.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 ₽5,158

$48.54 ₽3,582

44.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.91 ₽2,945

$62.3 ₽4,599

-35.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.6 ₽7,129

$113 ₽8,322

-14.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₽5,745

$102 ₽7,504

-23.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₽34.7K

$490 ₽36.1K

-4.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 ₽22.3K

$351 ₽25.9K

-13.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$840 ₽62.0K

$937 ₽69.1K

-10.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₽47.7K

$576 ₽42.5K

12.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,092 ₽228.2K

$2,807 ₽207.1K

10.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,999 ₽147.5K

$1,738 ₽128.3K

14.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$897 ₽66.2K

$966 ₽71.3K

-7.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.38

16.33

6.43%

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

Last update for Novosibirsk: May 31, 2026

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $470 in Novosibirsk and $490 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rostov-on-Don pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Novosibirsk vs $38.00 in Rostov-on-Don. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $172, with Rostov-on-Don 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

Novosibirsk vs Rostov-on-Don: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rostov-on-Don is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Rostov-on-Don earns 8% less. 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: $470 in Novosibirsk versus $490 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $354 in Novosibirsk versus $288 in Rostov-on-Don. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Novosibirsk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,017 in Novosibirsk, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rostov-on-Don but tight or insufficient in Novosibirsk. The gap between the two cities makes Rostov-on-Don the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rostov-on-Don is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Novosibirsk, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Rostov-on-Don gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Novosibirsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.