Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novosibirsk and Ulyanovsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulyanovsk: $898 a month against $1,121 in Novosibirsk, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
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Novosibirsk Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Ulyanovsk
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Ulyanovsk Living Index

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Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,121

/mo nomad

Ulyanovsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$898

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Novosibirsk and in Ulyanovsk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,121 in Novosibirsk versus $898 in Ulyanovsk.

Novosibirsk $1,121
Ulyanovsk $898

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,786 in Novosibirsk versus $1,386 in Ulyanovsk.

Novosibirsk $1,786
Ulyanovsk $1,386

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,451 in Novosibirsk versus $1,874 in Ulyanovsk.

Novosibirsk $2,451
Ulyanovsk $1,874

Living in Novosibirsk is roughly 25% more expensive than in Ulyanovsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Novosibirsk 17% lower, Ulyanovsk 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.52 ₽962

$8.40 ₽701

37.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.38 ₽4,038

$30.41 ₽2,538

59.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 ₽506

$6.44 ₽538

-5.90%

Cappuccino

$2.66 ₽222

$2.29 ₽191

16.16%

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

$1.11 ₽92.7

$0.93 ₽77.8

19.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₽47.92

$0.36 ₽29.97

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 ₽98.5

$1.76 ₽147

-32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 ₽300

$1.96 ₽164

83.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₽100

$1.04 ₽86.9

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 ₽58.5

$0.62 ₽51.3

12.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 ₽114

$1.04 ₽87.2

31.73%

Eggs

$1.61 ₽135

$1.49 ₽124

8.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 ₽1,007

$14.58 ₽1,217

-17.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 ₽401

$7.43 ₽620

-35.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.01 ₽1,002

$7.35 ₽613

63.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 ₽164

$1.59 ₽133

23.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 ₽149

$1.55 ₽129

14.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ₽163

$4.05 ₽338

-51.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 ₽275

$4.90 ₽409

-32.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₽73.0

$1.49 ₽124

-41.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ₽50.0

$0.84 ₽70.0

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 ₽122

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₽66.6

$0.53 ₽44.15

50.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 ₽266

$3.09 ₽258

3.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 ₽846

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₽79.4

$1.07 ₽89.2

-11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₽138

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 ₽46.81

$0.44 ₽36.70

27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ₽2,453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 ₽201

$3.52 ₽294

-31.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 ₽41.11

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 ₽514

$3.61 ₽301

70.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 ₽73.1

$0.87 ₽72.5

1.15%

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

$42.8K ₽3.6M

$53.4K ₽4.5M

-19.76%

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

$38.8K ₽3.2M

$41.0K ₽3.4M

-5.29%

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

$109 ₽9,089

$141 ₽11.8K

-22.88%

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

$7.32 ₽611

$4.81 ₽401

52.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.35 ₽697

$13.69 ₽1,143

-39.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.80 ₽3,155

$36.46 ₽3,043

3.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.99 ₽2,503

$24.86 ₽2,075

20.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 ₽609

$8.51 ₽711

-14.34%

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

$303 ₽25.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 ₽5,865

$30.17 ₽2,518

132.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.16 ₽3,852

$35.74 ₽2,983

29.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 ₽11.7K

$95.2 ₽7,942

47.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.3 ₽8,201

$59.7 ₽4,979

64.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 ₽45.6K

$362 ₽30.2K

51.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 ₽30.6K

$243 ₽20.3K

50.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 ₽84.8K

$493 ₽41.1K

106.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ₽56.1K

$431 ₽36.0K

55.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,352 ₽196.3K

$2,620 ₽218.7K

-10.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,778 ₽148.4K

$1,519 ₽126.7K

17.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₽74.0K

$509 ₽42.5K

74.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.83

-0.74%

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

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novosibirsk

$367 32.7%

Ulyanovsk

$243 27.1% 33.7% $123

Groceries & Markets

Novosibirsk

$220 19.6%

Ulyanovsk

$205 * 22.9% 6.4% $14

Eating Out

Novosibirsk

$162 14.5%

Ulyanovsk

$132 14.7% 18.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Novosibirsk

$160 14.2%

Ulyanovsk

$99 11.1% 37.8% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novosibirsk

$125 11.1%

Ulyanovsk

$160 17.8% 28.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Novosibirsk

$52 4.7%

Ulyanovsk

$53 6% 2.1% $1.1

Getting Around

Novosibirsk

$37 3.3%

Ulyanovsk

$5.3 * 0.6% 85.5% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $546 in Novosibirsk and $362 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novosibirsk pays 74% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Novosibirsk vs $30.00 in Ulyanovsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $205 per month, with Ulyanovsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Ulyanovsk

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

16:36 4:36 PM

3 h behind Novosibirsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,620,162

627,705

💱 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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Novosibirsk Ulyanovsk 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Ulyanovsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulyanovsk is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Novosibirsk, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $546 in Novosibirsk versus $362 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Novosibirsk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulyanovsk – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $48.00 in Novosibirsk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $898 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,121 in Novosibirsk, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulyanovsk but tight or insufficient in Novosibirsk. The gap between the two cities makes Ulyanovsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Ulyanovsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Novosibirsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.