Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novosibirsk and Stary Oskol

For one person, living is cheaper in Stary Oskol: $1,064 a month against $1,153 in Novosibirsk, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
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Novosibirsk Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Stary Oskol
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Stary Oskol Living Index

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Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,153

/mo nomad

Stary Oskol

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Novosibirsk and in Stary Oskol

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,153 in Novosibirsk versus $1,064 in Stary Oskol.

Novosibirsk $1,153
Stary Oskol $1,064

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,833 in Novosibirsk versus $1,662 in Stary Oskol.

Novosibirsk $1,833
Stary Oskol $1,662

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,512 in Novosibirsk versus $2,261 in Stary Oskol.

Novosibirsk $2,512
Stary Oskol $2,261

Living in Novosibirsk is roughly 8% more expensive than in Stary Oskol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Novosibirsk 15% lower, Stary Oskol 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 ₽935

$11.56 ₽933

0.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 ₽3,926

$37.38 ₽3,015

30.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 ₽505

$6.38 ₽514

-1.72%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ₽227

$2.77 ₽223

1.44%

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

$1.18 ₽95.2

$1.16 ₽93.2

1.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₽46.91

$0.58 ₽47.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₽99.1

$1.77 ₽143

-30.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ₽291

$3.10 ₽250

16.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ₽99.3

$1.18 ₽95.3

4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 ₽58.3

$0.79 ₽63.4

-8.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 ₽120

$1.42 ₽115

4.23%

Eggs

$1.73 ₽140

$1.62 ₽131

6.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 ₽967

$11.36 ₽916

5.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 ₽404

$5.22 ₽421

-4.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.33 ₽994

$11.28 ₽910

9.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ₽154

$1.77 ₽143

7.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ₽144

$1.83 ₽148

-2.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 ₽166

$1.75 ₽141

17.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 ₽271

$2.76 ₽223

21.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₽66.5

$0.84 ₽67.9

-2.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽49.37

$0.58 ₽46.42

5.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 ₽125

$1.31 ₽106

18.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₽67.2

$0.70 ₽56.9

18.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ₽256

$3.04 ₽245

4.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.66 ₽860

$7.84 ₽632

35.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽80.5

$1.12 ₽90.2

-10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₽137

$2.05 ₽165

-17.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 ₽44.18

$0.56 ₽45.30

-1.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.41 ₽2,614

$24.70 ₽1,992

31.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 ₽205

$2.47 ₽199

2.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 ₽42.00

$0.37 ₽30.16

40.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 ₽501

$5.66 ₽456

9.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 ₽66.5

$0.86 ₽69.3

-4.65%

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

$43.9K ₽3.5M

$52.9K ₽4.3M

-17.00%

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

$39.4K ₽3.2M

$39.8K ₽3.2M

-1.03%

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

$111 ₽8,977

$121 ₽9,762

-8.04%

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

$7.18 ₽579

$6.18 ₽498

16.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.33 ₽671

$8.22 ₽663

1.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 ₽3,078

$35.64 ₽2,874

7.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.42 ₽2,454

$24.42 ₽1,969

24.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 ₽597

$6.29 ₽507

17.81%

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

$312 ₽25.1K

$350 ₽28.2K

-10.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,282 ₽506.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 ₽5,801

$80.5 ₽6,495

-10.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.55 ₽3,835

$53.1 ₽4,278

-10.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 ₽11.7K

$120 ₽9,694

20.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ₽8,102

$104 ₽8,356

-3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$570 ₽46.0K

$469 ₽37.8K

21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ₽30.6K

$312 ₽25.1K

21.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 ₽82.4K

$910 ₽73.4K

12.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 ₽55.8K

$563 ₽45.4K

23.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,446 ₽197.3K

$2,257 ₽182.1K

8.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,869 ₽150.7K

$1,507 ₽121.5K

24.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$922 ₽74.4K

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 24, 2026

Last update for Stary Oskol: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novosibirsk

$379 32.8%

Stary Oskol

$312 29.3% 17.7% $67

Groceries & Markets

Novosibirsk

$225 19.5%

Stary Oskol

$209 19.7% 7.1% $16

Eating Out

Novosibirsk

$166 14.4%

Stary Oskol

$167 15.7% 0.7% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Novosibirsk

$164 14.2%

Stary Oskol

$161 15.1% 1.9% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novosibirsk

$127 11%

Stary Oskol

$135 12.7% 6.8% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Novosibirsk

$53 4.6%

Stary Oskol

$48 4.5% 9% $4.8

Getting Around

Novosibirsk

$40 3.5%

Stary Oskol

$31 2.9% 21.3% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $570 in Novosibirsk and $469 in Stary Oskol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49 in Novosibirsk vs $37 in Stary Oskol for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $209 per month, with Stary Oskol cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Stary Oskol

🕒 Local time

19:01 7:01 PM

15:01 3:01 PM

4 h behind Novosibirsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,620,162

223,921

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Novosibirsk Stary Oskol 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Novosibirsk
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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 Stary Oskol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stary Oskol is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,730 in Novosibirsk and $1,595 in Stary Oskol 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: $570 in Novosibirsk versus $469 in Stary Oskol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Novosibirsk versus $350 in Stary Oskol. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% 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 Stary Oskol 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 Stary Oskol gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Novosibirsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.