Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rostov-on-Don and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Rostov-on-Don: $1,146 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Rostov-on-Don
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Rostov-on-Don Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index

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Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,146

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rostov-on-Don 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 Rostov-on-Don and in Moscow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,146 per month in Rostov-on-Don vs $1,887 in Moscow, rent included.

Rostov-on-Don $1,146
Moscow $1,887

A couple spends around $1,600 per month in Rostov-on-Don vs $2,893 in Moscow, rent included.

Rostov-on-Don $1,600
Moscow $2,893

A family of three spends $2,055 per month in Rostov-on-Don vs $3,899 in Moscow, rent included.

Rostov-on-Don $2,055
Moscow $3,899

Rostov-on-Don is about 39% cheaper than Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rostov-on-Don sits 15% below the global median, while Moscow is 39% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.73 ₽895

$12.20 ₽1,018

-12.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.52 ₽2,046

$59.3 ₽4,952

-58.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.97 ₽498

$7.06 ₽589

-15.44%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ₽247

$3.90 ₽326

-24.10%

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

$1.12 ₽93.5

$1.70 ₽142

-34.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₽42.78

$0.86 ₽71.6

-40.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₽102

$4.92 ₽411

-75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₽259

$5.23 ₽437

-40.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 ₽94.9

$1.23 ₽103

-7.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₽62.1

$1.02 ₽85.2

-27.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 ₽102

$1.77 ₽147

-31.07%

Eggs

$1.44 ₽120

$1.97 ₽164

-26.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 ₽775

$14.72 ₽1,229

-36.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 ₽448

$6.97 ₽582

-23.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.96 ₽664

$15.33 ₽1,279

-48.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 ₽120

$2.15 ₽179

-33.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ₽155

$1.80 ₽150

3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₽120

$2.05 ₽171

-30.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 ₽192

$3.99 ₽333

-42.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₽56.6

$0.93 ₽77.6

-26.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₽52.6

$0.72 ₽59.8

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₽83.5

$1.65 ₽138

-39.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽54.4

$1.00 ₽83.6

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.75 ₽230

$3.61 ₽301

-23.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 ₽508

$12.11 ₽1,011

-49.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₽80.6

$1.23 ₽103

-21.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₽175

$2.64 ₽220

-20.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ₽42.79

$1.00 ₽83.6

-49.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.40 ₽1,202

$42.43 ₽3,541

-66.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ₽299

$3.57 ₽298

0.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.14 ₽12.09

$0.81 ₽67.7

-82.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 ₽338

$12.22 ₽1,020

-66.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 ₽67.4

$0.94 ₽78.5

-13.83%

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

$52.1K ₽4.3M

$43.9K ₽3.7M

18.75%

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

$40.8K ₽3.4M

$39.5K ₽3.3M

3.31%

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

$124 ₽10.3K

$195 ₽16.2K

-36.56%

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

$7.47 ₽623

$8.83 ₽737

-15.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.95 ₽747

$10.13 ₽845

-11.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.64 ₽2,891

$42.77 ₽3,570

-19.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 ₽1,778

$45.27 ₽3,779

-52.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 ₽459

$9.48 ₽791

-41.98%

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

$365 ₽30.4K

$850 ₽70.9K

-57.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K ₽2.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 ₽4,661

$111 ₽9,237

-49.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.05 ₽3,760

$68.4 ₽5,709

-34.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ₽9,013

$148 ₽12.4K

-27.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ₽8,832

$184 ₽15.4K

-42.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 ₽53.6K

$1,480 ₽123.5K

-56.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₽38.4K

$846 ₽70.6K

-45.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 ₽74.8K

$3,083 ₽257.3K

-70.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 ₽47.7K

$1,542 ₽128.7K

-62.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,355 ₽196.5K

$10.1K ₽844.1K

-76.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,508 ₽125.8K

$4,782 ₽399.1K

-68.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$825 ₽68.8K

$1,743 ₽145.4K

-52.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.83

19.56

1.38%

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

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: 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

Rostov-on-Don

$460 40.1%

Moscow

$846 44.8% 84% $386

Groceries & Markets

Rostov-on-Don

$180 15.7%

Moscow

$271 14.3% 50.4% $91

Eating Out

Rostov-on-Don

$158 13.8%

Moscow

$211 11.2% 33.4% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Rostov-on-Don

$142 12.4%

Moscow

$230 12.2% 62.5% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rostov-on-Don

$140 12.2%

Moscow

$214 11.3% 52.7% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Rostov-on-Don

$46 4%

Moscow

$62 3.3% 35.3% $16

Getting Around

Rostov-on-Don

$21 1.8%

Moscow

$54 2.9% 161% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $642 in Rostov-on-Don 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 111% 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 $25.00 in Rostov-on-Don versus $59.0 in Moscow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $271 – making Rostov-on-Don the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

13:24 1:24 PM

Same time as Rostov-on-Don

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,114,806

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

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Between locations

Rostov-on-Don Moscow 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Rostov-on-Don
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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

Rostov-on-Don vs Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 65% more than Rostov-on-Don, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,719 per month in Rostov-on-Don 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 Rostov-on-Don, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 195% less in Rostov-on-Don. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $365 per month in Rostov-on-Don and $850 in Moscow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rostov-on-Don, where all-in costs run around $1,146, than in Moscow at $1,887. In Rostov-on-Don it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rostov-on-Don costs $1,146 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 Rostov-on-Don. 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.