Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Nizhny Novgorod

For one person, living costs are similar in Port Elizabeth and in Nizhny Novgorod: $1,216 and $1,232 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Nizhny Novgorod
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Nizhny Novgorod Living Index

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Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,216

/mo nomad

Nizhny Novgorod

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Elizabeth and in Nizhny Novgorod

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,216 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Port Elizabeth $1,216
Nizhny Novgorod $1,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,835 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,855 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Port Elizabeth $1,835
Nizhny Novgorod $1,855

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,453 in Port Elizabeth versus $2,479 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Port Elizabeth $2,453
Nizhny Novgorod $2,479

Living in Port Elizabeth costs roughly 1% less than in Nizhny Novgorod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Port Elizabeth 10% lower, Nizhny Novgorod 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.00 R 181

$13.93 ₽1,163

-21.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.67 R 687

$53.0 ₽4,420

-21.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 R 96.2

$7.06 ₽589

-17.28%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R 35.81

$3.30 ₽275

-34.24%

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

$1.03 R 16.91

$1.74 ₽145

-40.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.59

$0.70 ₽58.2

8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 R 44.37

$1.86 ₽156

44.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R 53.3

$3.70 ₽309

-12.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.39

$1.19 ₽99.6

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.20

$0.82 ₽68.2

26.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.94

$1.47 ₽123

2.72%

Eggs

$2.81 R 46.35

$1.61 ₽134

74.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 R 141

$11.65 ₽972

-26.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 R 87.7

$4.59 ₽383

16.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 R 138

$13.56 ₽1,132

-38.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 R 36.04

$1.70 ₽142

28.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.58

$1.70 ₽142

-12.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.04

$1.76 ₽147

-3.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.74

$3.66 ₽306

-50.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.41

$0.68 ₽57.1

144.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.83

$0.61 ₽50.7

137.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R 20.72

$1.28 ₽107

-1.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.39

$0.74 ₽61.6

33.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 R 53.8

$2.96 ₽247

10.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 R 79.4

$8.17 ₽682

-41.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.99

$1.09 ₽90.9

16.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 R 30.00

$2.35 ₽196

-22.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 R 18.17

$0.46 ₽38.56

139.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.67 R 604

$16.96 ₽1,416

116.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 R 33.68

$2.13 ₽177

-4.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R 8.25

$0.44 ₽36.57

13.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.45 R 139

$7.19 ₽600

17.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 24.38

$0.81 ₽67.6

82.72%

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

$35.8K R 589.5K

$42.4K ₽3.5M

-15.52%

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

$34.1K R 562.5K

$32.8K ₽2.7M

4.21%

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

$125 R 2,058

$144 ₽12.0K

-13.23%

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

$34.90 R 575

$7.12 ₽594

390.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.55 R 734

$8.03 ₽670

454.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.20 R 530

$32.72 ₽2,730

-1.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.27 R 383

$26.32 ₽2,197

-11.59%

Cinema Ticket

$10.74 R 177

$7.22 ₽603

48.75%

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

$177 R 2,924

$309 ₽25.8K

-42.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,046 R 99.6K

$6,940 ₽579.2K

-12.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 R 1,193

$69.3 ₽5,781

4.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 R 631

$54.3 ₽4,531

-29.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,806

$141 ₽11.8K

-22.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 R 1,574

$83.4 ₽6,963

14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 R 9,859

$610 ₽50.9K

-1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 R 6,838

$428 ₽35.7K

-3.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 R 13.3K

$863 ₽72.0K

-6.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 R 11.2K

$614 ₽51.3K

11.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$764 R 12.6K

$3,279 ₽273.7K

-76.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$522 R 8,604

$2,075 ₽173.2K

-74.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,625 R 26.8K

$1,024 ₽85.4K

58.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

20.81

-42.62%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Elizabeth

$415 34.1%

Nizhny Novgorod

$428 34.8% 3.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Elizabeth

$204 16.8%

Nizhny Novgorod

$159 12.9% 22.1% $45

Groceries & Markets

Port Elizabeth

$197 16.2%

Nizhny Novgorod

$219 17.8% 11.3% $22

Eating Out

Port Elizabeth

$159 13.1%

Nizhny Novgorod

$199 16.1% 25.2% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Port Elizabeth

$142 11.7%

Nizhny Novgorod

$157 12.7% 10.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Port Elizabeth

$54 4.4%

Nizhny Novgorod

$47 3.8% 12.1% $6.5

Getting Around

Port Elizabeth

$46 3.8%

Nizhny Novgorod

$23 1.9% 49.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $598 in Port Elizabeth and $610 in Nizhny Novgorod. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Elizabeth pays 59% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Port Elizabeth vs $53.0 in Nizhny Novgorod for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $219 per month, with Port Elizabeth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🇷🇺 Nizhny Novgorod

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

06:04 6:04 AM

1 h ahead of Port Elizabeth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,050,000

1,244,254

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Elizabeth Nizhny Novgorod 10,190 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Elizabeth
Nizhny Novgorod

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Port Elizabeth vs Nizhny Novgorod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Elizabeth is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 59% higher in Port Elizabeth, 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: $598 in Port Elizabeth versus $610 in Nizhny Novgorod. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $177 in Port Elizabeth versus $309 in Nizhny Novgorod. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Nizhny Novgorod. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,216 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Elizabeth but tight or insufficient in Nizhny Novgorod. The gap between the two cities makes Port Elizabeth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Port Elizabeth is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nizhny Novgorod, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Port Elizabeth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Nizhny Novgorod. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.