Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Abakan

For one person, living is cheaper in Abakan: $961 a month against $1,375 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Saint Petersburg, Russia
Abakan, Russia
Saint Petersburg
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,375
/mo nomad
Abakan
🇷🇺 Russia
$961
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint Petersburg and in Abakan

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

A single person spends $1,375 per month in Saint Petersburg vs $961 in Abakan, rent included.

  • Saint Petersburg $1,375
  • Abakan $961

A couple spends around $2,195 per month in Saint Petersburg vs $1,491 in Abakan, rent included.

  • Saint Petersburg $2,195
  • Abakan $1,491

A family of three spends $3,014 per month in Saint Petersburg vs $2,022 in Abakan, rent included.

  • Saint Petersburg $3,014
  • Abakan $2,022

Saint Petersburg costs about 43% more than Abakan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saint Petersburg
Abakan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.42 ₽1,000
$11.59 ₽934
7.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.05 ₽3,547
$34.29 ₽2,762
28.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.95 ₽560
$6.61 ₽532
5.14%
Cappuccino
$3.26 ₽263
$3.08 ₽248
5.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 ₽129
$1.15 ₽92.2
40.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 ₽62.6
$0.49 ₽39.30
59.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.81 ₽226
$1.78 ₽143
57.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₽292
$3.01 ₽243
20.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saint Petersburg
Abakan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 ₽95.9
$1.33 ₽107
-10.53%
White Bread (500g)
$0.95 ₽76.8
$0.84 ₽67.8
13.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 ₽137
$2.03 ₽163
-16.26%
Eggs
$1.67 ₽134
$1.88 ₽151
-11.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.39 ₽998
$12.97 ₽1,045
-4.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.64 ₽535
$6.11 ₽492
8.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.85 ₽1,035
$11.83 ₽953
8.62%
Apples (1kg)
$1.75 ₽141
$2.15 ₽173
-18.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ₽132
$1.92 ₽155
-14.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.79 ₽145
$2.22 ₽179
-19.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.36 ₽270
$3.31 ₽266
1.51%
Potato (1kg)
$0.83 ₽66.8
$0.60 ₽48.55
38.33%
Onion (1kg)
$0.63 ₽50.6
$0.60 ₽48.18
5.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 ₽107
$1.25 ₽100
6.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 ₽62.7
$0.77 ₽61.8
1.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.16 ₽255
$2.69 ₽217
17.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.41 ₽758
$8.05 ₽648
16.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 ₽95.5
$0.95 ₽76.9
25.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 ₽159
$1.52 ₽123
29.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Saint Petersburg
Abakan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.10 ₽88.8
$0.45 ₽36.27
144.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.1 ₽4,518
$30.98 ₽2,495
81.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.80 ₽226
$2.42 ₽195
15.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 ₽48.55
$0.38 ₽30.57
57.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.01 ₽726
$5.82 ₽469
54.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 ₽71.2
$0.95 ₽76.9
-7.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.0K ₽3.5M
$46.0K ₽3.7M
-6.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.4K ₽3.0M
$44.5K ₽3.6M
-16.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint Petersburg
Abakan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$156 ₽12.6K
$81.7 ₽6,577
91.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.85 ₽632
$6.55 ₽527
19.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.71 ₽701
$9.55 ₽769
-8.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saint Petersburg
Abakan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.31 ₽3,327
$37.30 ₽3,004
10.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$43.82 ₽3,529
$21.83 ₽1,758
100.73%
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ₽609
$6.47 ₽521
17.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saint Petersburg
Abakan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$663 ₽53.4K
$349 ₽28.1K
90.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.9K ₽1.4M
$5,938 ₽478.2K
201.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saint Petersburg
Abakan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$98.5 ₽7,935
$43.54 ₽3,506
126.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.2 ₽4,364
$54.5 ₽4,388
-0.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$140 ₽11.3K
$108 ₽8,664
30.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 ₽10.3K
$80.2 ₽6,456
59.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saint Petersburg
Abakan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$772 ₽62.1K
$359 ₽28.9K
114.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$466 ₽37.6K
$245 ₽19.7K
90.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,619 ₽130.4K
$547 ₽44.0K
196.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$974 ₽78.4K
$373 ₽30.0K
161.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,632 ₽373.0K
$2,357 ₽189.8K
96.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₽232.4K
$1,721 ₽138.6K
67.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saint Petersburg
Abakan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,230 ₽99.0K
$627 ₽50.5K
96.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.69
21.45
-8.21%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: October 25, 2026

Last update for Abakan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Saint Petersburg
$466
Abakan
$245 47.5% $222
Groceries & Markets
Saint Petersburg
$234
Abakan
$231 1% $2.4
Eating Out
Saint Petersburg
$190
Abakan
$171 10.1% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Saint Petersburg
$189
Abakan
$129 32.1% $61
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint Petersburg
$173
Abakan
$98 43.4% $75
Getting Around
Saint Petersburg
$66
Abakan
$37 44.1% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Saint Petersburg
$56
Abakan
$50 11% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $772 in Saint Petersburg versus $359 in Abakan. 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 96% higher in Saint Petersburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Saint Petersburg versus $34 in Abakan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $231 – making Abakan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg
🇷🇺 Abakan
🕒 Local time
08:45 8:45 AM
12:45 12:45 PM
4 h ahead of Saint Petersburg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,597,763
187,239
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saint Petersburg Abakan 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Saint Petersburg
  • Abakan

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
Saint Petersburg vs Abakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Abakan cheaper than Saint Petersburg?
Yes – Saint Petersburg is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,063 per month in Saint Petersburg and $1,441 in Abakan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Abakan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $359 there versus $772 in Saint Petersburg.
What are total monthly expenses in Saint Petersburg and in Abakan?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,375 in Saint Petersburg and $961 in Abakan. That makes Abakan about 30% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $663 per month in Saint Petersburg and $349 in Abakan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is Saint Petersburg or Abakan more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Abakan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Abakan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint Petersburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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