Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novosibirsk and Tomsk

For one person, living costs are similar in Novosibirsk and in Tomsk: $1,153 and $1,147 a month, rent and utilities included.

55

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
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Novosibirsk Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Tomsk
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Tomsk Living Index

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Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,153

/mo nomad

Tomsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,147

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Novosibirsk and in Tomsk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,153 in Novosibirsk versus $1,147 in Tomsk.

Novosibirsk $1,153
Tomsk $1,147

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,833 in Novosibirsk versus $1,768 in Tomsk.

Novosibirsk $1,833
Tomsk $1,768

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,512 in Novosibirsk versus $2,389 in Tomsk.

Novosibirsk $2,512
Tomsk $2,389

Monthly costs are close between Novosibirsk and Tomsk; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Novosibirsk 15% lower, Tomsk 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 ₽928

$8.05 ₽644

44.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 ₽3,894

$30.48 ₽2,438

59.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 ₽501

$6.68 ₽535

-6.14%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ₽225

$2.21 ₽177

27.15%

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

$1.18 ₽94.5

$0.91 ₽72.5

29.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₽46.53

$0.42 ₽33.39

38.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₽98.3

$1.17 ₽93.6

5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ₽288

$3.34 ₽267

8.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ₽98.5

$1.23 ₽98.3

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 ₽57.9

$0.70 ₽56.2

2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 ₽119

$0.99 ₽79.1

49.49%

Eggs

$1.73 ₽139

$1.36 ₽109

27.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 ₽959

$12.20 ₽976

-1.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 ₽400

$4.71 ₽376

6.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.33 ₽986

$9.92 ₽793

24.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ₽153

$1.73 ₽138

10.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ₽143

$1.95 ₽156

-8.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 ₽165

$2.23 ₽178

-7.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 ₽269

$2.94 ₽235

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₽66.0

$0.47 ₽37.29

74.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽48.96

$0.36 ₽28.62

69.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 ₽124

$1.74 ₽139

-10.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₽66.7

$0.51 ₽40.44

62.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ₽253

$2.79 ₽223

13.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.66 ₽853

$6.17 ₽493

72.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽79.8

$0.92 ₽73.4

8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₽136

$1.65 ₽132

3.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 ₽43.81

$0.45 ₽36.37

22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.41 ₽2,592

$18.51 ₽1,480

75.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 ₽203

$2.42 ₽193

4.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 ₽41.65

$0.32 ₽25.82

62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 ₽497

$7.27 ₽582

-14.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 ₽66.0

$0.83 ₽66.4

-1.20%

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

$43.9K ₽3.5M

$54.1K ₽4.3M

-18.90%

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

$39.4K ₽3.2M

$41.8K ₽3.3M

-5.70%

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

$111 ₽8,903

$169 ₽13.5K

-34.14%

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

$7.18 ₽574

$8.39 ₽671

-14.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.33 ₽666

$13.60 ₽1,088

-38.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 ₽3,052

$39.40 ₽3,151

-3.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.42 ₽2,433

$16.58 ₽1,326

83.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 ₽592

$4.87 ₽390

52.16%

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

$312 ₽24.9K

$252 ₽20.1K

23.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 ₽5,753

$122 ₽9,747

-40.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.55 ₽3,803

$74.6 ₽5,969

-36.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 ₽11.6K

$176 ₽14.1K

-17.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ₽8,035

$126 ₽10.1K

-20.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$570 ₽45.6K

$511 ₽40.9K

11.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ₽30.3K

$332 ₽26.5K

14.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 ₽81.7K

$828 ₽66.3K

23.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 ₽55.4K

$651 ₽52.1K

6.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,446 ₽195.6K

$2,096 ₽167.7K

16.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,869 ₽149.5K

$1,534 ₽122.7K

21.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$922 ₽73.8K

$930 ₽74.4K

-0.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.83

3.77%

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

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 24, 2026

Last update for Tomsk: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novosibirsk

$379 32.8%

Tomsk

$332 28.9% 12.5% $47

Groceries & Markets

Novosibirsk

$225 19.5%

Tomsk

$198 17.3% 12.2% $28

Eating Out

Novosibirsk

$166 14.4%

Tomsk

$129 11.2% 22.2% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Novosibirsk

$164 14.2%

Tomsk

$224 19.6% 36.8% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novosibirsk

$127 11%

Tomsk

$191 16.7% 50.6% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Novosibirsk

$53 4.6%

Tomsk

$49 4.3% 7.2% $3.8

Getting Around

Novosibirsk

$40 3.5%

Tomsk

$24 2.1% 38.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $570 in Novosibirsk and $511 in Tomsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49 in Novosibirsk vs $30 in Tomsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $198 per month, with Tomsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Tomsk

🕒 Local time

11:42 11:42 AM

Same time as Novosibirsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,620,162

551,505

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.25 USD

100 RUB = 1.12 EUR

100 RUB = 1.25 USD

100 RUB = 1.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Novosibirsk Tomsk 210 km

From you

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 Tomsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $1,730 in Novosibirsk and $1,721 in Tomsk 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 $511 in Tomsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tomsk runs roughly 43% less than in Novosibirsk. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Novosibirsk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Tomsk is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.