Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Arkhangelsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Arkhangelsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,303 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,087 in Arkhangelsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,014 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,603 in Arkhangelsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,726 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,118 in Arkhangelsk.

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 20% more expensive than in Arkhangelsk, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saint Petersburg 2% lower, Arkhangelsk 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.56 ₽751

$9.54 ₽750

0.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.36 ₽3,877

$36.15 ₽2,840

36.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 ₽447

$6.52 ₽512

-12.88%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ₽214

$2.14 ₽168

27.10%

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

$1.07 ₽84.1

$1.17 ₽92.1

-8.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₽45.00

$0.51 ₽40.38

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 ₽247

$2.11 ₽166

48.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ₽292

$1.24 ₽97.2

199.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 ₽92.5

$1.12 ₽88.0

5.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 ₽75.6

$0.77 ₽60.9

24.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₽128

$1.97 ₽155

-17.77%

Eggs

$1.84 ₽145

$1.65 ₽130

11.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 ₽953

$11.23 ₽882

8.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₽422

$5.85 ₽460

-8.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ₽859

$10.33 ₽812

5.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 ₽138

$1.63 ₽128

7.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₽143

$1.80 ₽141

0.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ₽152

$2.31 ₽181

-16.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 ₽273

$2.01 ₽158

73.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₽68.7

$0.72 ₽56.7

20.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₽49.44

$0.60 ₽47.51

5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₽107

$0.99 ₽77.6

37.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₽56.9

$0.59 ₽46.17

22.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₽226

$3.20 ₽251

-10.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.41 ₽739

$9.30 ₽731

1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽78.8

$1.13 ₽88.6

-11.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₽159

$1.68 ₽132

20.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ₽68.4

$0.54 ₽42.06

61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.4 ₽4,198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 ₽215

$2.24 ₽176

22.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₽45.69

$1.35 ₽106

-57.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.80 ₽613

$6.18 ₽486

26.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 ₽61.7

$0.73 ₽57.0

8.22%

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

$37.5K ₽2.9M

$34.7K ₽2.7M

8.08%

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

$37.1K ₽2.9M

$35.3K ₽2.8M

5.13%

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

$135 ₽10.6K

$151 ₽11.8K

-10.74%

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

$6.73 ₽528

$7.25 ₽569

-7.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.34 ₽577

$9.58 ₽753

-23.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.42 ₽2,940

$32.05 ₽2,518

16.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 ₽1,798

$25.07 ₽1,970

-8.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.73 ₽450

$4.50 ₽353

27.33%

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

$403 ₽31.7K

$321 ₽25.2K

25.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,480 ₽744.8K

$6,874 ₽540.0K

37.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.7 ₽7,832

$126 ₽9,884

-20.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₽4,314

$38.17 ₽2,999

43.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₽9,134

$62.3 ₽4,895

86.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ₽10.8K

$76.2 ₽5,983

79.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 ₽63.0K

$444 ₽34.9K

80.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₽36.9K

$381 ₽29.9K

23.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 ₽113.2K

$646 ₽50.8K

123.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$884 ₽69.5K

$564 ₽44.3K

56.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,616 ₽362.6K

$1,697 ₽133.3K

172.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,978 ₽233.9K

$1,262 ₽99.2K

135.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,220 ₽95.9K

$552 ₽43.4K

120.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.95

15.75

58.41%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: July 12, 2026

Last update for Arkhangelsk: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $803 in Saint Petersburg and $444 in Arkhangelsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 121% 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: $49.00 in Saint Petersburg vs $36.00 in Arkhangelsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $208 per month, with Arkhangelsk cheaper across the board.

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 Arkhangelsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Petersburg and Arkhangelsk differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,303 vs $1,087 including rent). Arkhangelsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 121% higher in Saint Petersburg, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $803 in Saint Petersburg versus $444 in Arkhangelsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $403 in Saint Petersburg versus $321 in Arkhangelsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arkhangelsk – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $49.00 in Saint Petersburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,087 in Arkhangelsk versus $1,303 in Saint Petersburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arkhangelsk but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. The gap between the two cities makes Arkhangelsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Arkhangelsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.