Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Arkhangelsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Arkhangelsk: $1,168 a month against $1,334 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Arkhangelsk
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Arkhangelsk Living Index

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Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,334

/mo nomad

Arkhangelsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,168

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,334 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,168 in Arkhangelsk.

Saint Petersburg $1,334
Arkhangelsk $1,168

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,131 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,801 in Arkhangelsk.

Saint Petersburg $2,131
Arkhangelsk $1,801

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,927 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,434 in Arkhangelsk.

Saint Petersburg $2,927
Arkhangelsk $2,434

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 14% more expensive than in Arkhangelsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saint Petersburg 2% lower, Arkhangelsk 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.86 ₽990

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.90 ₽3,497

$49.21 ₽4,107

-14.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₽544

$9.90 ₽826

-34.24%

Cappuccino

$3.21 ₽268

$3.67 ₽306

-12.53%

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

$1.63 ₽136

$2.36 ₽197

-30.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽64.8

$2.41 ₽201

-67.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 ₽254

$3.65 ₽304

-16.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ₽310

$6.03 ₽503

-38.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 ₽97.9

$1.07 ₽88.9

9.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ₽83.4

$0.94 ₽78.2

6.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 ₽141

$1.78 ₽148

-5.06%

Eggs

$1.64 ₽137

$1.76 ₽147

-6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 ₽1,028

$8.36 ₽698

47.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₽553

$6.12 ₽511

8.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.56 ₽1,048

$13.38 ₽1,116

-6.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 ₽147

$2.45 ₽204

-27.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₽135

$1.79 ₽149

-9.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ₽146

$1.18 ₽98.3

48.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 ₽273

$2.49 ₽208

31.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₽70.3

$0.88 ₽73.2

-4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 ₽54.7

$0.50 ₽41.38

32.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ₽108

$0.47 ₽38.99

174.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₽63.6

$0.63 ₽52.5

20.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₽256

$2.98 ₽249

3.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 ₽717

$8.53 ₽712

0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₽101

$0.89 ₽74.4

34.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₽168

$3.09 ₽258

-34.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 ₽87.2

$0.59 ₽49.65

77.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ₽4,440

$51.6 ₽4,307

3.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 ₽229

$4.97 ₽414

-44.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₽51.6

$0.18 ₽15.17

244.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ₽730

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ₽77.4

$0.79 ₽65.7

17.72%

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

$40.9K ₽3.4M

$52.5K ₽4.4M

-22.10%

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

$36.2K ₽3.0M

$40.1K ₽3.3M

-9.53%

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

$151 ₽12.6K

$114 ₽9,507

32.56%

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

$7.75 ₽647

$9.53 ₽796

-18.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.66 ₽723

$17.79 ₽1,485

-51.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.26 ₽3,444

$54.6 ₽4,557

-24.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.73 ₽3,567

$48.61 ₽4,057

-12.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 ₽622

$9.73 ₽812

-23.33%

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

$633 ₽52.9K

$183 ₽15.2K

246.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₽1.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.5 ₽8,224

$85.4 ₽7,127

15.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 ₽4,412

$36.31 ₽3,030

45.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 ₽11.5K

$72.6 ₽6,059

90.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₽10.1K

$95.5 ₽7,968

26.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 ₽61.8K

$600 ₽50.1K

23.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₽37.3K

$428 ₽35.7K

4.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 ₽135.2K

$846 ₽70.6K

91.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 ₽78.4K

$719 ₽60.0K

30.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,469 ₽373.0K

$1,367 ₽114.1K

226.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,803 ₽233.9K

$859 ₽71.7K

226.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,187 ₽99.1K

$554 ₽46.3K

114.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.81

-13.87%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: October 17, 2026

Last update for Arkhangelsk: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Petersburg

$447 33.5%

Arkhangelsk

$428 36.7% 4.2% $19

Groceries & Markets

Saint Petersburg

$230 17.2%

Arkhangelsk

$211 18.1% 8.3% $19

Eating Out

Saint Petersburg

$185 13.9%

Arkhangelsk

$123 * 10.5% 33.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Petersburg

$185 13.9%

Arkhangelsk

$130 11.2% 29.4% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Petersburg

$167 12.6%

Arkhangelsk

$141 12.1% 15.6% $26

Getting Around

Saint Petersburg

$63 4.7%

Arkhangelsk

$60 5.1% 5.3% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Petersburg

$56 4.2%

Arkhangelsk

$74 6.3% 31.8% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Saint Petersburg and $600 in Arkhangelsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 114% 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: $42.00 in Saint Petersburg vs $49.00 in Arkhangelsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $230 vs $211, with Arkhangelsk cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Arkhangelsk

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

Same time as Saint Petersburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,597,763

344,927

💱 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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Saint Petersburg Arkhangelsk 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Petersburg
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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 Arkhangelsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Petersburg and Arkhangelsk differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,334 vs $1,168 including rent). Arkhangelsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 114% 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: $741 in Saint Petersburg versus $600 in Arkhangelsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,334 per month in Saint Petersburg versus $1,168 in Arkhangelsk – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Arkhangelsk runs roughly 3% less than in Saint Petersburg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,168 in Arkhangelsk versus $1,334 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 14% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.