Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Nizhny Novgorod Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Nizhny Novgorod

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,158 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,131 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,839 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,776 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,519 in Port Elizabeth versus $2,420 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Living in Port Elizabeth is roughly 2% more expensive than Nizhny Novgorod, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Port Elizabeth 14% lower, Nizhny Novgorod 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.00 R 146

$11.28 ₽823

-20.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.72 R 727

$38.77 ₽2,830

15.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 R 86.2

$5.60 ₽409

-5.36%

Cappuccino

$2.23 R 36.16

$2.66 ₽194

-16.17%

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

$1.17 R 19.08

$1.30 ₽94.7

-10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 R 16.83

$0.42 ₽30.99

147.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 R 40.57

$1.03 ₽75.5

142.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R 47.99

$3.14 ₽230

-6.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.12

$1.05 ₽76.7

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 R 15.13

$0.57 ₽41.81

63.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.17

$1.31 ₽96.0

9.16%

Eggs

$2.49 R 40.42

$1.53 ₽112

62.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 128

$10.59 ₽773

-25.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 R 79.0

$4.74 ₽346

2.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.05 R 131

$8.94 ₽652

-9.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.26

$1.75 ₽128

-4.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 R 22.98

$1.68 ₽122

-16.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.81

$1.96 ₽143

-18.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.34

$2.51 ₽183

-35.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.31

$0.71 ₽51.5

111.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R 18.10

$0.71 ₽52.1

56.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 R 19.37

$1.20 ₽87.9

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.05

$0.78 ₽57.1

19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 R 48.15

$2.92 ₽213

1.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 R 81.2

$11.14 ₽813

-55.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 18.88

$1.17 ₽85.4

-0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 R 27.87

$2.17 ₽158

-21.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R 17.79

$0.53 ₽39.01

105.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.50 R 561

$16.96 ₽1,238

103.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 R 43.49

$1.86 ₽136

44.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 R 7.22

$0.55 ₽40.38

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 R 131

$7.55 ₽551

6.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R 20.92

$0.79 ₽57.4

63.29%

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

$23.5K R 382.4K

$41.4K ₽3.0M

-43.17%

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

$25.5K R 413.8K

$31.7K ₽2.3M

-19.66%

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

$118 R 1,913

$111 ₽8,115

5.90%

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

$32.46 R 527

$5.52 ₽403

488.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.22 R 719

$7.45 ₽544

493.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.98 R 471

$31.67 ₽2,312

-8.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.80 R 338

$16.12 ₽1,177

29.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 R 155

$6.22 ₽454

53.05%

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

$164 R 2,661

$332 ₽24.2K

-50.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,714 R 76.6K

$3,874 ₽282.8K

21.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.6 R 1,083

$81.6 ₽5,955

-18.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.40 R 608

$77.5 ₽5,657

-51.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 R 1,524

$147 ₽10.7K

-36.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 R 1,471

$113 ₽8,235

-19.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 R 9,532

$578 ₽42.2K

1.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 R 7,276

$368 ₽26.9K

21.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 R 18.1K

$984 ₽71.8K

13.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$871 R 14.2K

$735 ₽53.7K

18.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$776 R 12.6K

$4,267 ₽311.5K

-81.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$545 R 8,864

$2,623 ₽191.5K

-79.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,620 R 26.3K

$948 ₽69.2K

70.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.04

16.46

-26.85%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $587 in Port Elizabeth and $578 in Nizhny Novgorod. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Elizabeth pays 71% 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: $45.00 in Port Elizabeth vs $39.00 in Nizhny Novgorod. Groceries flip the comparison at $181 vs $199, with Port Elizabeth cheaper for home cooking.

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

Nizhny Novgorod is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Port Elizabeth pays 71% more on average, 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: $587 in Port Elizabeth versus $578 in Nizhny Novgorod. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Port Elizabeth versus $332 in Nizhny Novgorod. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Port Elizabeth pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,131 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,158 in Port Elizabeth, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nizhny Novgorod but tight or insufficient in Port Elizabeth. The gap between the two cities makes Nizhny Novgorod the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Nizhny Novgorod gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Port Elizabeth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.