Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Magadan

For one person, living is cheaper in Magadan: $1,144 a month against $1,370 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Magadan
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Magadan Living Index

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Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,370

/mo nomad

Magadan

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,370 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,144 in Magadan.

Saint Petersburg $1,370
Magadan $1,144

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,191 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,772 in Magadan.

Saint Petersburg $2,191
Magadan $1,772

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,401 in Magadan.

Saint Petersburg $3,011
Magadan $2,401

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 20% more expensive than in Magadan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.09 ₽990

$12.42 ₽1,017

-2.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 ₽3,594

$41.93 ₽3,435

4.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₽546

$7.29 ₽597

-8.50%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ₽268

$2.89 ₽237

13.49%

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

$1.69 ₽138

$1.18 ₽96.7

43.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₽64.8

$0.57 ₽46.81

38.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ₽204

$1.82 ₽149

36.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 ₽295

$3.49 ₽286

3.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 ₽96.6

$1.21 ₽99.1

-2.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ₽79.5

$0.79 ₽64.4

22.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 ₽134

$1.47 ₽120

11.56%

Eggs

$1.74 ₽142

$1.66 ₽136

4.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 ₽1,045

$12.13 ₽993

5.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 ₽547

$5.36 ₽439

24.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 ₽1,056

$10.17 ₽833

26.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 ₽143

$1.79 ₽146

-2.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₽132

$1.86 ₽152

-13.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₽147

$1.78 ₽146

0.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 ₽268

$2.65 ₽217

23.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ₽69.3

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₽55.8

$0.64 ₽52.0

6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₽116

$1.20 ₽98.2

18.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₽67.1

$0.61 ₽49.96

34.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 ₽258

$3.50 ₽287

-10.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.25 ₽758

$7.83 ₽642

18.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₽104

$1.08 ₽88.8

17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₽169

$2.23 ₽183

-7.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₽89.9

$0.54 ₽43.92

103.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ₽4,532

$25.33 ₽2,075

118.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ₽258

$2.47 ₽202

27.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₽53.3

$0.37 ₽30.65

75.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₽727

$5.51 ₽451

60.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 ₽71.4

$0.89 ₽73.2

-2.25%

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

$42.8K ₽3.5M

$52.9K ₽4.3M

-19.15%

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

$37.0K ₽3.0M

$41.0K ₽3.4M

-9.82%

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

$158 ₽12.9K

$148 ₽12.2K

6.27%

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

$7.61 ₽623

$6.41 ₽525

18.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.07 ₽743

$8.09 ₽663

12.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 ₽3,477

$33.50 ₽2,744

26.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.42 ₽3,475

$26.55 ₽2,175

59.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 ₽589

$6.22 ₽509

15.59%

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

$682 ₽55.9K

$364 ₽29.9K

87.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₽1.9M

$5,702 ₽467.1K

315.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 ₽7,918

$91.1 ₽7,459

6.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 ₽4,408

$58.0 ₽4,749

-7.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 ₽11.4K

$148 ₽12.2K

-5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₽10.3K

$120 ₽9,823

4.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 ₽62.8K

$441 ₽36.1K

73.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 ₽38.1K

$328 ₽26.9K

41.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 ₽132.3K

$918 ₽75.2K

75.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 ₽80.4K

$571 ₽46.8K

71.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,508 ₽369.3K

$2,122 ₽173.9K

112.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,876 ₽235.6K

$1,479 ₽121.2K

94.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 ₽102.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.69

21.33

-7.69%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: November 1, 2026

Last update for Magadan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Petersburg

$465 33.9%

Magadan

$328 28.7% 29.3% $136

Groceries & Markets

Saint Petersburg

$236 17.2%

Magadan

$208 18.2% 11.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Petersburg

$187 13.7%

Magadan

$188 16.4% 0.3% $0.6

Eating Out

Saint Petersburg

$186 13.5%

Magadan

$179 15.7% 3.6% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Petersburg

$174 12.7%

Magadan

$163 14.3% 6.6% $11

Getting Around

Saint Petersburg

$66 4.8%

Magadan

$32 2.8% 51.9% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Petersburg

$57 4.2%

Magadan

$46 4% 19.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $766 in Saint Petersburg and $441 in Magadan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44 in Saint Petersburg vs $42 in Magadan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $208 per month, with Magadan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Magadan

🕒 Local time

01:23 1:23 AM

09:23 9:23 AM

8 h ahead of Saint Petersburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,597,763

89,193

💱 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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Between locations

Saint Petersburg Magadan 5,770 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint Petersburg
Magadan

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 Magadan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Magadan wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Magadan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,056 in Saint Petersburg and $1,716 in Magadan 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $766 in Saint Petersburg versus $441 in Magadan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,370 per month in Saint Petersburg versus $1,144 in Magadan – Magadan is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Magadan runs roughly 54% less than in Saint Petersburg. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Magadan is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Magadan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.