Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Rostov-on-Don and in Novosibirsk: $1,146 and $1,121 a month, rent and utilities included.

56

Cost of Living Index in Rostov-on-Don
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Rostov-on-Don Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
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Novosibirsk Living Index

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Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,146

/mo nomad

Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,121

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rostov-on-Don and in Novosibirsk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,146 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,121 in Novosibirsk.

Rostov-on-Don $1,146
Novosibirsk $1,121

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,600 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,786 in Novosibirsk.

Rostov-on-Don $1,600
Novosibirsk $1,786

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,055 in Rostov-on-Don versus $2,451 in Novosibirsk.

Rostov-on-Don $2,055
Novosibirsk $2,451

Living in Rostov-on-Don is roughly 2% more expensive than in Novosibirsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rostov-on-Don 15% lower, Novosibirsk 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.73 ₽895

$11.52 ₽962

-6.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.52 ₽2,046

$48.38 ₽4,038

-49.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.97 ₽498

$6.06 ₽506

-1.49%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ₽247

$2.66 ₽222

11.28%

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

$1.12 ₽93.5

$1.11 ₽92.7

0.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₽42.78

$0.57 ₽47.92

-10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₽102

$1.18 ₽98.5

4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₽259

$3.60 ₽300

-13.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 ₽94.9

$1.20 ₽100

-5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₽62.1

$0.70 ₽58.5

5.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 ₽102

$1.37 ₽114

-10.95%

Eggs

$1.44 ₽120

$1.61 ₽135

-10.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 ₽775

$12.06 ₽1,007

-22.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 ₽448

$4.80 ₽401

11.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.96 ₽664

$12.01 ₽1,002

-33.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 ₽120

$1.97 ₽164

-26.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ₽155

$1.78 ₽149

4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₽120

$1.95 ₽163

-26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 ₽192

$3.30 ₽275

-30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₽56.6

$0.87 ₽73.0

-21.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₽52.6

$0.60 ₽50.0

5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₽83.5

$1.47 ₽122

-31.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽54.4

$0.80 ₽66.6

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.75 ₽230

$3.19 ₽266

-13.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 ₽508

$10.13 ₽846

-39.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₽80.6

$0.95 ₽79.4

2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₽175

$1.65 ₽138

27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ₽42.79

$0.56 ₽46.81

-8.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.40 ₽1,202

$29.40 ₽2,453

-51.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ₽299

$2.41 ₽201

48.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.14 ₽12.09

$0.49 ₽41.11

-71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 ₽338

$6.16 ₽514

-34.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 ₽67.4

$0.88 ₽73.1

-7.95%

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

$52.1K ₽4.3M

$42.8K ₽3.6M

21.67%

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

$40.8K ₽3.4M

$38.8K ₽3.2M

5.31%

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

$124 ₽10.3K

$109 ₽9,089

13.40%

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

$7.47 ₽623

$7.32 ₽611

2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.95 ₽747

$8.35 ₽697

7.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.64 ₽2,891

$37.80 ₽3,155

-8.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 ₽1,778

$29.99 ₽2,503

-28.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 ₽459

$7.29 ₽609

-24.55%

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

$365 ₽30.4K

$303 ₽25.3K

20.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 ₽4,661

$70.3 ₽5,865

-20.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.05 ₽3,760

$46.16 ₽3,852

-2.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ₽9,013

$140 ₽11.7K

-22.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ₽8,832

$98.3 ₽8,201

7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 ₽53.6K

$546 ₽45.6K

17.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₽38.4K

$367 ₽30.6K

25.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 ₽74.8K

$1,016 ₽84.8K

-11.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 ₽47.7K

$672 ₽56.1K

-14.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,355 ₽196.5K

$2,352 ₽196.3K

0.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,508 ₽125.8K

$1,778 ₽148.4K

-15.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$825 ₽68.8K

$887 ₽74.0K

-6.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.83

22.83

-13.14%

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 Novosibirsk: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rostov-on-Don

$460 40.1%

Novosibirsk

$367 32.7% 20.3% $93

Groceries & Markets

Rostov-on-Don

$180 15.7%

Novosibirsk

$220 19.6% 22.1% $40

Eating Out

Rostov-on-Don

$158 13.8%

Novosibirsk

$162 14.5% 2.5% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Rostov-on-Don

$142 12.4%

Novosibirsk

$160 14.2% 12.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rostov-on-Don

$140 12.2%

Novosibirsk

$125 11.1% 11% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Rostov-on-Don

$46 4%

Novosibirsk

$52 4.7% 14.8% $6.8

Getting Around

Rostov-on-Don

$21 1.8%

Novosibirsk

$37 3.3% 76% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $642 in Rostov-on-Don and $546 in Novosibirsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novosibirsk pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Rostov-on-Don vs $48.00 in Novosibirsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $220 per month, with Rostov-on-Don cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🕒 Local time

13:24 1:24 PM

17:24 5:24 PM

4 h ahead of Rostov-on-Don

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,114,806

1,620,162

💱 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

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Between locations

Rostov-on-Don Novosibirsk 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rostov-on-Don
Novosibirsk

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

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

Novosibirsk is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Novosibirsk. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $642 in Rostov-on-Don versus $546 in Novosibirsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $365 in Rostov-on-Don versus $303 in Novosibirsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Rostov-on-Don pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,121 in Novosibirsk versus $1,146 in Rostov-on-Don, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Novosibirsk but tight or insufficient in Rostov-on-Don. The gap between the two cities makes Novosibirsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Novosibirsk is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rostov-on-Don, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Novosibirsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Rostov-on-Don. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.