Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rostov-on-Don and Saint Petersburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Rostov-on-Don: $1,146 a month against $1,334 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Rostov-on-Don
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Rostov-on-Don Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index

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Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,146

/mo nomad

Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,146 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,334 in Saint Petersburg.

Rostov-on-Don $1,146
Saint Petersburg $1,334

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,600 in Rostov-on-Don versus $2,131 in Saint Petersburg.

Rostov-on-Don $1,600
Saint Petersburg $2,131

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,055 in Rostov-on-Don versus $2,927 in Saint Petersburg.

Rostov-on-Don $2,055
Saint Petersburg $2,927

Living in Rostov-on-Don costs roughly 14% less than in Saint Petersburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rostov-on-Don 15% lower, Saint Petersburg 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.73 ₽895

$11.86 ₽990

-9.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.52 ₽2,046

$41.90 ₽3,497

-41.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.97 ₽498

$6.51 ₽544

-8.29%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ₽247

$3.21 ₽268

-7.79%

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

$1.12 ₽93.5

$1.63 ₽136

-31.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₽42.78

$0.78 ₽64.8

-34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₽102

$3.04 ₽254

-59.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₽259

$3.72 ₽310

-16.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 ₽94.9

$1.17 ₽97.9

-2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₽62.1

$1.00 ₽83.4

-26.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 ₽102

$1.69 ₽141

-27.81%

Eggs

$1.44 ₽120

$1.64 ₽137

-12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 ₽775

$12.32 ₽1,028

-24.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 ₽448

$6.62 ₽553

-19.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.96 ₽664

$12.56 ₽1,048

-36.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 ₽120

$1.77 ₽147

-18.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ₽155

$1.62 ₽135

14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₽120

$1.75 ₽146

-18.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 ₽192

$3.27 ₽273

-29.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₽56.6

$0.84 ₽70.3

-19.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₽52.6

$0.66 ₽54.7

-4.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₽83.5

$1.29 ₽108

-22.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽54.4

$0.76 ₽63.6

-14.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.75 ₽230

$3.07 ₽256

-10.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 ₽508

$8.59 ₽717

-29.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₽80.6

$1.20 ₽101

-19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₽175

$2.01 ₽168

4.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ₽42.79

$1.05 ₽87.2

-51.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.40 ₽1,202

$53.2 ₽4,440

-72.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ₽299

$2.74 ₽229

30.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.14 ₽12.09

$0.62 ₽51.6

-77.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 ₽338

$8.74 ₽730

-53.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 ₽67.4

$0.93 ₽77.4

-12.90%

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

$52.1K ₽4.3M

$40.9K ₽3.4M

27.31%

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

$40.8K ₽3.4M

$36.2K ₽3.0M

12.69%

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

$124 ₽10.3K

$151 ₽12.6K

-18.21%

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

$7.47 ₽623

$7.75 ₽647

-3.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.95 ₽747

$8.66 ₽723

3.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.64 ₽2,891

$41.26 ₽3,444

-16.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 ₽1,778

$42.73 ₽3,567

-50.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 ₽459

$7.46 ₽622

-26.27%

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

$365 ₽30.4K

$633 ₽52.9K

-42.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₽1.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 ₽4,661

$98.5 ₽8,224

-43.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.05 ₽3,760

$52.9 ₽4,412

-14.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ₽9,013

$138 ₽11.5K

-21.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ₽8,832

$121 ₽10.1K

-12.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 ₽53.6K

$741 ₽61.8K

-13.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₽38.4K

$447 ₽37.3K

2.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 ₽74.8K

$1,620 ₽135.2K

-44.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 ₽47.7K

$939 ₽78.4K

-39.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,355 ₽196.5K

$4,469 ₽373.0K

-47.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,508 ₽125.8K

$2,803 ₽233.9K

-46.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$825 ₽68.8K

$1,187 ₽99.1K

-30.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.83

19.81

0.10%

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 Saint Petersburg: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rostov-on-Don

$460 40.1%

Saint Petersburg

$447 33.5% 2.7% $13

Groceries & Markets

Rostov-on-Don

$180 15.7%

Saint Petersburg

$230 17.2% 27.9% $50

Eating Out

Rostov-on-Don

$158 13.8%

Saint Petersburg

$185 13.9% 17.1% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Rostov-on-Don

$142 12.4%

Saint Petersburg

$185 13.9% 30.5% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rostov-on-Don

$140 12.2%

Saint Petersburg

$167 12.6% 19.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Rostov-on-Don

$46 4%

Saint Petersburg

$56 4.2% 23.1% $11

Getting Around

Rostov-on-Don

$21 1.8%

Saint Petersburg

$63 4.7% 205% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $642 in Rostov-on-Don and $741 in Saint Petersburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 44% 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: $25.00 in Rostov-on-Don vs $42.00 in Saint Petersburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $230 per month, with Rostov-on-Don cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🕒 Local time

13:24 1:24 PM

Same time as Rostov-on-Don

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,114,806

5,597,763

💱 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 Saint Petersburg 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Rostov-on-Don
Saint Petersburg

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 Saint Petersburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rostov-on-Don wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rostov-on-Don the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Saint Petersburg. 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 $741 in Saint Petersburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rostov-on-Don runs roughly 269% less than in Saint Petersburg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $365 in Rostov-on-Don versus $633 in Saint Petersburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,146 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,334 in Saint Petersburg, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rostov-on-Don but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. The gap between the two cities makes Rostov-on-Don the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rostov-on-Don delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,146 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rostov-on-Don hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Rostov-on-Don gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.