Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novosibirsk and Samara

For one person, living is cheaper in Samara: $765 a month against $1,121 in Novosibirsk, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
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Novosibirsk Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Samara
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Samara Living Index

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Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,121

/mo nomad

Samara

🇷🇺 Russia

$765

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Novosibirsk and in Samara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,121 in Novosibirsk versus $765 in Samara.

Novosibirsk $1,121
Samara $765

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,786 in Novosibirsk versus $1,253 in Samara.

Novosibirsk $1,786
Samara $1,253

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,451 in Novosibirsk versus $1,741 in Samara.

Novosibirsk $2,451
Samara $1,741

Living in Novosibirsk is roughly 47% more expensive than in Samara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Novosibirsk 17% lower, Samara 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.52 ₽962

$8.57 ₽716

34.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.38 ₽4,038

$43.02 ₽3,591

12.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 ₽506

$5.21 ₽435

16.31%

Cappuccino

$2.66 ₽222

$2.30 ₽192

15.65%

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

$1.11 ₽92.7

$1.14 ₽94.9

-2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₽47.92

$0.52 ₽43.42

9.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 ₽98.5

$1.77 ₽148

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 ₽300

$2.97 ₽248

21.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₽100

$1.24 ₽104

-3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 ₽58.5

$1.05 ₽87.7

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 ₽114

$1.62 ₽135

-15.43%

Eggs

$1.61 ₽135

$1.53 ₽128

5.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 ₽1,007

$12.14 ₽1,013

-0.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 ₽401

$7.07 ₽590

-32.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.01 ₽1,002

$7.47 ₽624

60.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 ₽164

$3.04 ₽254

-35.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 ₽149

$1.76 ₽147

1.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ₽163

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 ₽275

$4.04 ₽337

-18.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₽73.0

$0.83 ₽68.9

4.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ₽50.0

$0.38 ₽31.46

57.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 ₽122

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₽66.6

$0.56 ₽46.44

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 ₽266

$2.51 ₽210

27.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 ₽846

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₽79.4

$1.07 ₽89.5

-11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₽138

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 ₽46.81

$0.46 ₽38.41

21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ₽2,453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 ₽201

$3.70 ₽309

-34.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 ₽41.11

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 ₽514

$3.69 ₽308

66.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 ₽73.1

$0.87 ₽72.9

1.15%

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

$42.8K ₽3.6M

$51.7K ₽4.3M

-17.21%

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

$38.8K ₽3.2M

$41.2K ₽3.4M

-5.80%

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

$109 ₽9,089

$140 ₽11.7K

-22.36%

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

$7.32 ₽611

$4.73 ₽395

54.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.35 ₽697

$13.93 ₽1,163

-40.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.80 ₽3,155

$42.07 ₽3,511

-10.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.99 ₽2,503

$21.95 ₽1,832

36.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 ₽609

$11.95 ₽997

-39.00%

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

$303 ₽25.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 ₽5,865

$146 ₽12.1K

-51.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.16 ₽3,852

$78.9 ₽6,587

-41.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 ₽11.7K

$158 ₽13.2K

-11.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.3 ₽8,201

$86.0 ₽7,176

14.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 ₽45.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 ₽30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 ₽84.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ₽56.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,352 ₽196.3K

$2,443 ₽203.9K

-3.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,778 ₽148.4K

$1,601 ₽133.6K

11.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₽74.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.83

25.03

-8.79%

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

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 20, 2026

Last update for Samara: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novosibirsk

$367 32.7%

Samara

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Novosibirsk

$220 19.6%

Samara

$191 * 25% 13% $29

Eating Out

Novosibirsk

$162 14.5%

Samara

$133 17.4% 17.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Novosibirsk

$160 14.2%

Samara

$211 27.5% 31.9% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novosibirsk

$125 11.1%

Samara

$159 20.8% 27.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Novosibirsk

$52 4.7%

Samara

$66 8.6% 25.9% $14

Getting Around

Novosibirsk

$37 3.3%

Samara

$5.5 * 0.7% 84.8% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Novosibirsk vs $43.00 in Samara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $191 per month, with Samara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Samara

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

20:12 8:12 PM

3 h behind Novosibirsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,620,162

1,163,645

💱 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 Samara 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Novosibirsk
Samara

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 Samara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,682 in Novosibirsk and $1,148 in Samara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Novosibirsk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Samara – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $48.00 in Novosibirsk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $765 in Samara versus $1,121 in Novosibirsk, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samara but tight or insufficient in Novosibirsk. The gap between the two cities makes Samara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samara 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 Samara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Novosibirsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.