Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Makhachkala

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,009 a month against $1,326 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Makhachkala
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Makhachkala Living Index

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Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,326

/mo nomad

Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,326 per month in Saint Petersburg vs $1,009 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Saint Petersburg $1,326
Makhachkala $1,009

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Saint Petersburg vs $1,562 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Saint Petersburg $2,102
Makhachkala $1,562

A family of three spends $2,878 per month in Saint Petersburg vs $2,115 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Saint Petersburg $2,878
Makhachkala $2,115

Saint Petersburg costs about 31% more than Makhachkala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Saint Petersburg and Makhachkala are more affordable than the global median – Saint Petersburg 2% lower, Makhachkala 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.75 ₽981

$10.20 ₽851

15.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.76 ₽3,485

$31.73 ₽2,648

31.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 ₽550

$5.48 ₽457

20.26%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ₽260

$2.65 ₽221

17.36%

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

$1.55 ₽129

$1.17 ₽98.0

32.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₽60.0

$0.61 ₽51.1

18.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 ₽241

$1.94 ₽162

48.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ₽307

$2.94 ₽246

25.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 ₽91.4

$1.10 ₽91.6

-0.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ₽76.6

$0.71 ₽58.9

29.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 ₽141

$1.41 ₽118

19.86%

Eggs

$1.68 ₽140

$1.53 ₽127

9.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 ₽1,042

$10.99 ₽917

13.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 ₽535

$5.39 ₽450

18.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.22 ₽1,020

$11.03 ₽921

10.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₽141

$1.70 ₽142

-0.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₽138

$1.75 ₽146

-5.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ₽145

$1.75 ₽146

-1.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 ₽255

$2.78 ₽232

10.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ₽70.7

$0.81 ₽67.4

4.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ₽50.0

$0.61 ₽51.1

-1.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ₽107

$1.23 ₽103

4.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽65.3

$0.74 ₽61.8

5.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₽244

$3.33 ₽278

-12.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 ₽701

$7.92 ₽661

6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₽95.6

$1.10 ₽91.4

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₽165

$2.02 ₽168

-1.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ₽85.1

$0.54 ₽44.80

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ₽4,502

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 ₽243

$2.70 ₽225

8.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₽51.9

$0.40 ₽33.48

55.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.61 ₽719

$5.71 ₽477

50.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 ₽77.0

$0.84 ₽70.2

9.52%

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

$35.2K ₽2.9M

$41.0K ₽3.4M

-14.00%

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

$32.9K ₽2.7M

$37.4K ₽3.1M

-11.89%

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

$152 ₽12.7K

$110 ₽9,172

38.14%

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

$7.33 ₽612

$5.49 ₽458

33.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.55 ₽713

$8.44 ₽705

1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.05 ₽3,260

$35.62 ₽2,973

9.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.28 ₽3,529

$23.57 ₽1,967

79.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 ₽601

$6.13 ₽512

17.46%

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

$625 ₽52.2K

$348 ₽29.1K

79.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₽1.4M

$5,288 ₽441.3K

223.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.2 ₽8,110

$80.1 ₽6,688

21.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 ₽4,325

$54.1 ₽4,518

-4.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 ₽11.2K

$102 ₽8,539

30.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₽10.1K

$112 ₽9,353

8.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 ₽62.0K

$460 ₽38.4K

61.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 ₽37.7K

$315 ₽26.3K

43.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 ₽133.5K

$891 ₽74.4K

79.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 ₽76.7K

$556 ₽46.4K

65.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,496 ₽375.3K

$2,226 ₽185.8K

101.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,811 ₽234.6K

$1,492 ₽124.5K

88.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,150 ₽96.0K

$622 ₽51.9K

84.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.81

21.45

-7.65%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: October 11, 2026

Last update for Makhachkala: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Petersburg

$452 34.1%

Makhachkala

$315 31.2% 30.2% $137

Groceries & Markets

Saint Petersburg

$225 17%

Makhachkala

$206 20.4% 8.7% $20

Eating Out

Saint Petersburg

$182 13.7%

Makhachkala

$153 15.1% 16.2% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Petersburg

$182 13.7%

Makhachkala

$157 15.6% 13.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Petersburg

$168 12.7%

Makhachkala

$124 12.3% 26.2% $44

Getting Around

Saint Petersburg

$64 4.8%

Makhachkala

$6.9 * 0.7% 89.3% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Petersburg

$53 4%

Makhachkala

$48 4.8% 10.4% $5.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $742 in Saint Petersburg versus $460 in Makhachkala. 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 85% higher in Saint Petersburg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Saint Petersburg versus $32.00 in Makhachkala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $206 – making Makhachkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Makhachkala

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

Same time as Saint Petersburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,597,763

604,266

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Saint Petersburg Makhachkala 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Petersburg
Makhachkala

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 Makhachkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint Petersburg is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,989 per month in Saint Petersburg and $1,513 in Makhachkala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Makhachkala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,326 in Saint Petersburg and $1,009 in Makhachkala. That's a gap of about 31%.

Kindergarten costs $625 per month in Saint Petersburg and $348 in Makhachkala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Makhachkala, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Saint Petersburg at $1,326. In Makhachkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Petersburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Makhachkala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Makhachkala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint Petersburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.