Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Russia and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Russia: $1,267 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Russia
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Russia Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
Learn more

Australia Living Index

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🇷🇺 Russia

$1,267

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Russia and in Australia

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

A single person spends $1,267 per month in Russia vs $2,626 in Australia, rent included.

Russia $1,267
Australia $2,626

A couple spends around $1,985 per month in Russia vs $3,810 in Australia, rent included.

Russia $1,985
Australia $3,810

A family of three spends $2,703 per month in Russia vs $4,994 in Australia, rent included.

Russia $2,703
Australia $4,994

Cost ranges are similar: Russia spans $82–$1,922, Australia $1,068–$3,303. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Russia is roughly 52% lower than in Australia on average.

Russia sits 7% below the global median, while Australia is 93% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 ₽962

$17.65 A$25.08

-32.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 ₽3,443

$85.2 A$121

-49.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 ₽536

$11.09 A$15.76

-40.04%

Cappuccino

$3.18 ₽256

$3.90 A$5.54

-18.46%

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

$1.31 ₽106

$2.85 A$4.05

-54.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₽49.95

$2.31 A$3.29

-73.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ₽193

$7.53 A$10.70

-68.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₽245

$8.59 A$12.20

-64.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₽101

$1.76 A$2.50

-28.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ₽68.7

$2.81 A$3.99

-69.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 ₽120

$2.24 A$3.19

-33.48%

Eggs

$1.68 ₽135

$5.02 A$7.14

-66.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 ₽980

$9.87 A$14.02

23.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 ₽485

$9.32 A$13.24

-35.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 ₽981

$14.86 A$21.13

-18.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 ₽157

$3.82 A$5.42

-49.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₽152

$2.92 A$4.16

-35.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 ₽148

$3.13 A$4.46

-41.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 ₽265

$4.81 A$6.83

-31.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ₽63.3

$2.80 A$3.98

-71.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 ₽52.0

$2.38 A$3.38

-72.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 ₽120

$2.37 A$3.37

-37.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₽61.8

$1.65 A$2.35

-53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.14 ₽253

$39.13 A$55.6

-91.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.68 ₽699

$13.93 A$19.80

-37.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₽89.2

$4.96 A$7.05

-77.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₽177

$5.17 A$7.35

-57.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 ₽44.11

$2.42 A$3.44

-77.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.54 ₽2,943

$94.6 A$134

-61.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 ₽204

$3.49 A$4.97

-27.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 ₽38.27

$1.60 A$2.27

-70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 ₽547

$39.84 A$56.6

-82.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₽68.1

$1.39 A$1.97

-38.85%

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

$54.1K ₽4.4M

$30.0K A$42.7K

80.23%

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

$40.9K ₽3.3M

$25.8K A$36.6K

58.75%

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

$144 ₽11.6K

$205 A$291

-29.86%

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

$7.28 ₽586

$28.33 A$40.27

-74.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.96 ₽722

$58.8 A$83.5

-84.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.71 ₽3,117

$55.7 A$79.1

-30.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.62 ₽2,627

$19.57 A$27.82

66.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.53 ₽606

$15.38 A$21.86

-51.04%

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

$489 ₽39.4K

$2,145 A$3,049

-77.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ₽1.3M

$18.3K A$26.1K

-10.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 ₽7,384

$78.3 A$111

17.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 ₽4,445

$56.3 A$80.0

-1.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 ₽10.9K

$115 A$164

17.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₽10.2K

$123 A$175

2.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ₽49.8K

$1,591 A$2,261

-61.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ₽33.6K

$1,293 A$1,837

-67.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 ₽95.5K

$2,524 A$3,588

-53.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₽63.5K

$2,005 A$2,850

-60.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,068 ₽247.1K

$8,751 A$12.4K

-64.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,132 ₽171.7K

$6,260 A$8,898

-65.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$977 ₽78.7K

$3,984 A$5,663

-75.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.25

5.93

258.35%

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

Last update for Russia: October 25, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Russia

$418 33%

Australia

$1.3K 49.2% 210% $875

Groceries & Markets

Russia

$228 18%

Australia

$374 14.3% 64.2% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Russia

$184 14.6%

Australia

$168 6.4% 8.9% $16

Eating Out

Russia

$180 14.2%

Australia

$297 11.3% 65.2% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Russia

$160 12.6%

Australia

$292 11.1% 82.5% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Russia

$54 4.2%

Australia

$86 3.3% 60.7% $33

Getting Around

Russia

$44 3.5%

Australia

$116 4.4% 165% $72

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $490 in Russia vs $1,383 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,533 in Moscow and $1,749 in Canberra.

Average salary: $817 in Russia vs $3,874 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 182% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 105% more in Australia.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are about 4.7 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Russia

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

10:21 10:21 AM

18:21 6:21 PM

8 h ahead of Russia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

145,975,300

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Russia Australia 14,480 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Russia
Australia

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

Russia vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Russia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 52% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $490 in Russia.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Russia – part of why living there is about 52% cheaper overall.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Russia, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Russia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.