Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novosibirsk and Shchelkovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Shchelkovo: $1,054 a month against $1,160 in Novosibirsk, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
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Novosibirsk Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Shchelkovo
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Shchelkovo Living Index

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Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,160

/mo nomad

Shchelkovo

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Novosibirsk and in Shchelkovo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,160 in Novosibirsk versus $1,054 in Shchelkovo.

Novosibirsk $1,160
Shchelkovo $1,054

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,809 in Novosibirsk versus $1,657 in Shchelkovo.

Novosibirsk $1,809
Shchelkovo $1,657

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,458 in Novosibirsk versus $2,260 in Shchelkovo.

Novosibirsk $2,458
Shchelkovo $2,260

Living in Novosibirsk is roughly 10% more expensive than in Shchelkovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Novosibirsk 14% lower, Shchelkovo 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₽1,000

$6.07 ₽496

101.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.47 ₽3,558

$37.25 ₽3,048

16.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 ₽587

$7.55 ₽618

-5.03%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ₽249

$3.12 ₽255

-2.56%

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

$1.08 ₽88.2

$1.05 ₽86.0

2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₽45.37

$0.65 ₽53.0

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 ₽102

$0.88 ₽72.3

42.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₽207

$1.87 ₽153

35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 ₽105

$1.14 ₽93.1

13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 ₽59.0

$1.04 ₽84.7

-30.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₽120

$2.31 ₽189

-36.80%

Eggs

$1.70 ₽139

$1.67 ₽136

1.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 ₽986

$9.65 ₽790

24.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₽398

$6.73 ₽551

-27.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.51 ₽942

$11.69 ₽957

-1.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₽147

$1.32 ₽108

36.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₽150

$1.30 ₽107

41.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₽162

$1.28 ₽104

54.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 ₽291

$2.52 ₽206

41.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ₽69.2

$1.01 ₽82.8

-15.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₽55.0

$0.38 ₽30.86

76.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 ₽124

$0.64 ₽52.5

135.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₽66.2

$0.58 ₽47.13

39.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.54 ₽290

$2.73 ₽223

29.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.68 ₽792

$6.33 ₽518

52.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽82.9

$0.93 ₽76.3

8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₽140

$1.89 ₽155

-9.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₽43.86

$0.57 ₽46.45

-5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.56 ₽2,664

$26.43 ₽2,163

23.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ₽198

$4.32 ₽354

-43.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 ₽41.81

$0.30 ₽24.15

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 ₽518

$4.83 ₽396

31.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽68.7

$0.88 ₽72.0

-4.55%

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

$42.6K ₽3.5M

$54.3K ₽4.4M

-21.50%

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

$39.9K ₽3.3M

$42.7K ₽3.5M

-6.43%

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

$109 ₽8,914

$109 ₽8,916

-0.03%

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

$7.14 ₽584

$4.84 ₽396

47.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.30 ₽679

$5.69 ₽466

45.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.33 ₽3,137

$33.46 ₽2,739

14.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.61 ₽2,505

$23.59 ₽1,930

29.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 ₽568

$6.81 ₽557

1.91%

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

$302 ₽24.7K

$215 ₽17.6K

40.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,621 ₽296.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 ₽5,850

$52.6 ₽4,307

35.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.80 ₽3,830

$30.62 ₽2,506

52.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 ₽11.8K

$141 ₽11.6K

2.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 ₽8,096

$152 ₽12.4K

-34.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 ₽47.3K

$460 ₽37.7K

25.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 ₽31.6K

$359 ₽29.4K

7.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 ₽82.0K

$1,023 ₽83.7K

-2.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 ₽54.3K

$670 ₽54.8K

-0.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,423 ₽198.3K

$2,527 ₽206.8K

-4.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,794 ₽146.8K

$1,354 ₽110.8K

32.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$863 ₽70.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.83

20.16%

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

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 31, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novosibirsk

$386 33.3%

Shchelkovo

$359 34.1% 7.1% $27

Groceries & Markets

Novosibirsk

$221 19.1%

Shchelkovo

$202 19.1% 8.7% $19

Eating Out

Novosibirsk

$174 15%

Shchelkovo

$124 11.7% 28.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Novosibirsk

$163 14%

Shchelkovo

$169 16.1% 4.1% $6.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novosibirsk

$124 10.7%

Shchelkovo

$119 11.3% 3.9% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Novosibirsk

$52 4.5%

Shchelkovo

$47 4.5% 9.8% $5.1

Getting Around

Novosibirsk

$40 3.4%

Shchelkovo

$35 3.3% 13.1% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $578 in Novosibirsk and $460 in Shchelkovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Novosibirsk vs $37 in Shchelkovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $202 per month, with Shchelkovo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Shchelkovo

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

09:48 9:48 AM

4 h behind Novosibirsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,620,162

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Novosibirsk Shchelkovo 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Novosibirsk
Shchelkovo

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 Shchelkovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shchelkovo is about 9% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,739 in Novosibirsk and $1,582 in Shchelkovo 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $578 in Novosibirsk versus $460 in Shchelkovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Novosibirsk versus $215 in Shchelkovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Novosibirsk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Shchelkovo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Shchelkovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Novosibirsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.