Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Astrakhan

For one person, living is cheaper in Astrakhan: $152 a month against $1,370 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index

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Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,370

/mo nomad

Astrakhan

🇷🇺 Russia

$152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,370 in Saint Petersburg versus $152 in Astrakhan.

Saint Petersburg $1,370
Astrakhan $152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,191 in Saint Petersburg versus $335 in Astrakhan.

Saint Petersburg $2,191
Astrakhan $335

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Saint Petersburg versus $517 in Astrakhan.

Saint Petersburg $3,011
Astrakhan $517

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 800% more expensive than in Astrakhan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.09 ₽990

$8.69 ₽712

39.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 ₽3,594

$42.28 ₽3,464

3.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₽546

$5.47 ₽448

21.94%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ₽268

$2.72 ₽223

20.59%

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

$1.69 ₽138

$1.45 ₽119

16.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₽64.8

$0.82 ₽67.3

-3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ₽204

$3.02 ₽247

-17.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 ₽295

$4.80 ₽393

-25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 ₽96.6

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ₽79.5

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 ₽134

Eggs

$1.74 ₽142

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 ₽1,045

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 ₽547

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 ₽1,056

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 ₽143

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₽132

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₽147

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 ₽268

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ₽69.3

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₽55.8

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₽116

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₽67.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 ₽258

Wine (Bottle)

$9.25 ₽758

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₽104

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₽169

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₽89.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ₽4,532

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ₽258

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₽53.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₽727

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 ₽71.4

$0.81 ₽66.4

7.41%

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

$42.8K ₽3.5M

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

$37.0K ₽3.0M

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

$158 ₽12.9K

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

$7.61 ₽623

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.07 ₽743

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 ₽3,477

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.42 ₽3,475

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 ₽589

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

$682 ₽55.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₽1.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 ₽7,918

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 ₽4,408

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 ₽11.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₽10.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 ₽62.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 ₽38.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 ₽132.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 ₽80.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,508 ₽369.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,876 ₽235.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 ₽102.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.69

3.63%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: November 1, 2026

Last update for Astrakhan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Petersburg

$465 33.9%

Astrakhan

–

Groceries & Markets

Saint Petersburg

$236 17.2%

Astrakhan

–

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Petersburg

$187 13.7%

Astrakhan

–

Eating Out

Saint Petersburg

$186 13.5%

Astrakhan

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Petersburg

$174 12.7%

Astrakhan

–

Getting Around

Saint Petersburg

$66 4.8%

Astrakhan

–

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Petersburg

$57 4.2%

Astrakhan

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $44 in Saint Petersburg vs $42 in Astrakhan for two.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Astrakhan

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

02:25 2:25 AM

1 h ahead of Saint Petersburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,597,763

524,371

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Saint Petersburg Astrakhan 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

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Astrakhan

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 Astrakhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,370 in Saint Petersburg and $152 in Astrakhan, so Astrakhan is about 89% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,056 in Saint Petersburg and $229 in Astrakhan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Astrakhan – a meal for two runs $42 versus $44 in Saint Petersburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,370 per month in Saint Petersburg versus $152 in Astrakhan – Astrakhan is about 89% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $152 in Astrakhan versus $1,370 in Saint Petersburg, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Astrakhan but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. The gap between the two cities makes Astrakhan 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.