Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Podolsk and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Podolsk: $975 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Podolsk
Learn more

Podolsk Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
Learn more

Moscow Living Index

Jump to prices

Podolsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$975

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Podolsk and in Moscow

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Podolsk and in Moscow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $975 per month in Podolsk vs $1,887 in Moscow, rent included.

Podolsk $975
Moscow $1,887

A couple spends around $1,519 per month in Podolsk vs $2,893 in Moscow, rent included.

Podolsk $1,519
Moscow $2,893

A family of three spends $2,063 per month in Podolsk vs $3,899 in Moscow, rent included.

Podolsk $2,063
Moscow $3,899

Podolsk is about 48% cheaper than Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Podolsk sits 28% below the global median, while Moscow is 39% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.18 ₽516

$12.20 ₽1,018

-49.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.74 ₽2,565

$59.3 ₽4,952

-48.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.67 ₽640

$7.06 ₽589

8.64%

Cappuccino

$2.84 ₽237

$3.90 ₽326

-27.18%

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

$1.00 ₽83.6

$1.70 ₽142

-41.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₽48.99

$0.86 ₽71.6

-31.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ₽77.7

$4.92 ₽411

-81.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₽122

$5.23 ₽437

-72.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 ₽81.4

$1.23 ₽103

-20.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ₽72.6

$1.02 ₽85.2

-14.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.77 ₽147

-30.51%

Eggs

$1.64 ₽137

$1.97 ₽164

-16.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 ₽755

$14.72 ₽1,229

-38.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 ₽416

$6.97 ₽582

-28.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.27 ₽1,024

$15.33 ₽1,279

-19.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 ₽137

$2.15 ₽179

-23.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 ₽123

$1.80 ₽150

-17.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ₽130

$2.05 ₽171

-24.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 ₽219

$3.99 ₽333

-34.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₽57.0

$0.93 ₽77.6

-26.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₽31.23

$0.72 ₽59.8

-48.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₽118

$1.65 ₽138

-14.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₽33.72

$1.00 ₽83.6

-60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 ₽186

$3.61 ₽301

-38.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.45 ₽621

$12.11 ₽1,011

-38.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₽60.3

$1.23 ₽103

-41.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₽89.1

$2.64 ₽220

-59.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 ₽50.1

$1.00 ₽83.6

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.76 ₽3,068

$42.43 ₽3,541

-13.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ₽206

$3.57 ₽298

-30.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₽16.63

$0.81 ₽67.7

-75.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 ₽295

$12.22 ₽1,020

-71.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₽71.0

$0.94 ₽78.5

-9.57%

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

$35.7K ₽3.0M

$43.9K ₽3.7M

-18.54%

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

$24.1K ₽2.0M

$39.5K ₽3.3M

-38.97%

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

$104 ₽8,694

$195 ₽16.2K

-46.49%

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

$3.62 ₽302

$8.83 ₽737

-59.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.71 ₽393

$10.13 ₽845

-53.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.65 ₽3,059

$42.77 ₽3,570

-14.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.98 ₽2,001

$45.27 ₽3,779

-47.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 ₽597

$9.48 ₽791

-24.58%

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

$610 ₽50.9K

$850 ₽70.9K

-28.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,684 ₽307.4K

$29.1K ₽2.4M

-87.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.63 ₽3,558

$111 ₽9,237

-61.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.5 ₽4,468

$68.4 ₽5,709

-21.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ₽8,968

$148 ₽12.4K

-27.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₽9,224

$184 ₽15.4K

-40.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₽39.3K

$1,480 ₽123.5K

-68.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 ₽26.5K

$846 ₽70.6K

-62.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 ₽74.5K

$3,083 ₽257.3K

-71.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 ₽48.7K

$1,542 ₽128.7K

-62.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,258 ₽188.4K

$10.1K ₽844.1K

-77.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,519 ₽126.8K

$4,782 ₽399.1K

-68.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,217 ₽101.6K

$1,743 ₽145.4K

-30.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

19.56

6.08%

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

Last update for Podolsk: October 19, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Podolsk

$318 32.6%

Moscow

$846 44.8% 166% $528

Groceries & Markets

Podolsk

$189 19.4%

Moscow

$271 14.3% 43.1% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Podolsk

$141 14.5%

Moscow

$230 12.2% 62.8% $89

Eating Out

Podolsk

$121 12.4%

Moscow

$211 11.2% 75% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Podolsk

$112 11.5%

Moscow

$214 11.3% 89.9% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Podolsk

$51 5.2%

Moscow

$62 3.3% 21.1% $11

Getting Around

Podolsk

$43 4.4%

Moscow

$54 2.9% 26.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $470 in Podolsk versus $1,480 in Moscow. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 43% higher in Moscow, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Podolsk versus $59.0 in Moscow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $271 – making Podolsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Podolsk

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

04:07 4:07 AM

Same time as Podolsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

223,896

12,700,000 Capital

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Podolsk Moscow 36 km

From you

Podolsk
Moscow

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

Podolsk vs Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 94% more than Podolsk, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,463 per month in Podolsk and $2,831 in Moscow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Podolsk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Podolsk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $610 per month in Podolsk and $850 in Moscow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Podolsk, where all-in costs run around $975, than in Moscow at $1,887. In Podolsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Podolsk costs $975 versus $1,887 in Moscow. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Podolsk. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moscow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.