Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Novy Urengoy

For one person, living is cheaper in Novy Urengoy: $1,067 a month against $1,375 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Saint Petersburg, Russia
Novy Urengoy, Russia
Saint Petersburg
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,375
/mo nomad
Novy Urengoy
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,067
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint Petersburg and in Novy Urengoy

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

A single person spends $1,375 per month in Saint Petersburg vs $1,067 in Novy Urengoy, rent included.

  • Saint Petersburg $1,375
  • Novy Urengoy $1,067

A couple spends around $2,195 per month in Saint Petersburg vs $1,675 in Novy Urengoy, rent included.

  • Saint Petersburg $2,195
  • Novy Urengoy $1,675

A family of three spends $3,014 per month in Saint Petersburg vs $2,283 in Novy Urengoy, rent included.

  • Saint Petersburg $3,014
  • Novy Urengoy $2,283

Saint Petersburg costs about 29% more than Novy Urengoy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saint Petersburg
Novy Urengoy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.42 ₽1,001
$11.79 ₽951
5.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.05 ₽3,553
$38.49 ₽3,104
14.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.95 ₽561
$6.69 ₽539
3.89%
Cappuccino
$3.26 ₽263
$2.85 ₽230
14.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 ₽130
$1.19 ₽96.3
35.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 ₽62.7
$0.59 ₽47.18
32.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.81 ₽227
$1.87 ₽151
50.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₽293
$3.01 ₽243
20.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saint Petersburg
Novy Urengoy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 ₽96.0
$1.35 ₽109
-11.85%
White Bread (500g)
$0.95 ₽76.9
$0.87 ₽70.0
9.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 ₽137
$1.45 ₽117
17.24%
Eggs
$1.67 ₽135
$1.52 ₽123
9.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.39 ₽999
$12.15 ₽980
1.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.64 ₽536
$5.60 ₽452
18.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.85 ₽1,037
$13.36 ₽1,077
-3.82%
Apples (1kg)
$1.75 ₽142
$1.54 ₽124
13.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ₽132
$1.87 ₽151
-12.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.79 ₽145
$1.57 ₽127
14.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.36 ₽271
$2.58 ₽208
30.23%
Potato (1kg)
$0.83 ₽66.9
$0.79 ₽63.8
5.06%
Onion (1kg)
$0.63 ₽50.6
$0.67 ₽54.4
-5.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 ₽107
$1.31 ₽106
1.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 ₽62.8
$0.63 ₽51.0
23.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.16 ₽255
$2.91 ₽234
8.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.41 ₽759
$8.31 ₽670
13.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 ₽95.7
$1.11 ₽89.3
7.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 ₽159
$1.93 ₽156
2.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Saint Petersburg
Novy Urengoy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.10 ₽88.9
$0.59 ₽47.48
86.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.1 ₽4,524
$25.81 ₽2,082
117.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.80 ₽226
$2.44 ₽197
14.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 ₽48.62
$0.40 ₽32.43
50.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.01 ₽727
$6.68 ₽539
34.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 ₽71.3
$0.95 ₽76.5
-7.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.0K ₽3.5M
$52.4K ₽4.2M
-17.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.4K ₽3.0M
$37.9K ₽3.1M
-1.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint Petersburg
Novy Urengoy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$156 ₽12.6K
$108 ₽8,674
45.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.85 ₽633
$6.00 ₽484
30.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.71 ₽702
$8.63 ₽696
0.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saint Petersburg
Novy Urengoy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.31 ₽3,331
$37.16 ₽2,997
11.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$43.82 ₽3,534
$27.67 ₽2,232
58.37%
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ₽610
$6.45 ₽520
17.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saint Petersburg
Novy Urengoy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$663 ₽53.5K
$393 ₽31.7K
68.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.9K ₽1.4M
$6,689 ₽539.5K
167.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saint Petersburg
Novy Urengoy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$98.5 ₽7,946
$71.3 ₽5,747
38.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.2 ₽4,370
$48.28 ₽3,894
12.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$140 ₽11.3K
$111 ₽8,987
25.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 ₽10.3K
$108 ₽8,713
18.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saint Petersburg
Novy Urengoy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$772 ₽62.2K
$415 ₽33.4K
86.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$466 ₽37.6K
$320 ₽25.8K
45.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,619 ₽130.6K
$1,024 ₽82.6K
58.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$974 ₽78.5K
$568 ₽45.8K
71.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,632 ₽373.5K
$2,185 ₽176.2K
111.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₽232.8K
$1,544 ₽124.5K
86.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saint Petersburg
Novy Urengoy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,230 ₽99.2K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.69
21.45
-8.21%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: October 25, 2026

Last update for Novy Urengoy: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Saint Petersburg
$466
Novy Urengoy
$320 31.5% $147
Groceries & Markets
Saint Petersburg
$234
Novy Urengoy
$219 6.1% $14
Eating Out
Saint Petersburg
$190
Novy Urengoy
$171 10% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Saint Petersburg
$189
Novy Urengoy
$153 19.4% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint Petersburg
$173
Novy Urengoy
$122 29.3% $51
Getting Around
Saint Petersburg
$66
Novy Urengoy
$33 50.8% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Saint Petersburg
$56
Novy Urengoy
$50 11.3% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $772 in Saint Petersburg versus $415 in Novy Urengoy. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Saint Petersburg versus $38 in Novy Urengoy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $219 – making Novy Urengoy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg
🇷🇺 Novy Urengoy
🕒 Local time
21:08 9:08 PM
23:08 11:08 PM
2 h ahead of Saint Petersburg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,597,763
124,112
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 80.65 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.78 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saint Petersburg Novy Urengoy 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Saint Petersburg
  • Novy Urengoy

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 Novy Urengoy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Saint Petersburg or Novy Urengoy?
Saint Petersburg costs about 29% more than Novy Urengoy, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Saint Petersburg and in Novy Urengoy?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,063 per month in Saint Petersburg and $1,601 in Novy Urengoy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Saint Petersburg or Novy Urengoy?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Novy Urengoy, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $415 there versus $772 in Saint Petersburg.
How do childcare costs compare in Saint Petersburg and in Novy Urengoy?
Kindergarten costs $663 per month in Saint Petersburg and $393 in Novy Urengoy. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Saint Petersburg or in Novy Urengoy?
Groceries cost about 7% more in Saint Petersburg, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Saint Petersburg or in Novy Urengoy?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,375 in Saint Petersburg and $1,067 in Novy Urengoy. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Novy Urengoy – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Novy Urengoy is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 29% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Saint Petersburg vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?