Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Rostov-on-Don

For one person, living is cheaper in Rostov-on-Don: $1,137 a month against $1,326 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Rostov-on-Don
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Rostov-on-Don Living Index

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Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,326

/mo nomad

Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,137

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint Petersburg and in Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,326 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,137 in Rostov-on-Don.

Saint Petersburg $1,326
Rostov-on-Don $1,137

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,585 in Rostov-on-Don.

Saint Petersburg $2,102
Rostov-on-Don $1,585

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,878 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,032 in Rostov-on-Don.

Saint Petersburg $2,878
Rostov-on-Don $2,032

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 17% more expensive than in Rostov-on-Don, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saint Petersburg 2% lower, Rostov-on-Don 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.75 ₽981

$10.91 ₽911

7.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.76 ₽3,485

$24.73 ₽2,064

68.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 ₽550

$5.66 ₽472

16.43%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ₽260

$2.83 ₽236

9.89%

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

$1.55 ₽129

$1.10 ₽91.9

40.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₽60.0

$0.48 ₽39.90

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 ₽241

$1.16 ₽97.0

149.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ₽307

$2.90 ₽242

26.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 ₽91.4

$1.08 ₽90.1

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ₽76.6

$0.72 ₽60.0

27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 ₽141

$1.26 ₽105

34.13%

Eggs

$1.68 ₽140

$1.41 ₽117

19.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 ₽1,042

$9.38 ₽783

33.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 ₽535

$5.08 ₽424

26.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.22 ₽1,020

$8.03 ₽670

52.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₽141

$1.41 ₽117

19.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₽138

$1.79 ₽149

-7.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ₽145

$1.42 ₽119

21.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 ₽255

$2.27 ₽190

34.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ₽70.7

$0.67 ₽56.0

26.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ₽50.0

$0.59 ₽49.05

1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ₽107

$1.03 ₽86.2

24.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽65.3

$0.65 ₽54.6

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₽244

$2.70 ₽226

8.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 ₽701

$6.10 ₽509

37.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₽95.6

$0.87 ₽72.7

32.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₽165

$1.97 ₽165

0.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ₽85.1

$0.53 ₽44.36

92.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ₽4,502

$14.26 ₽1,190

278.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 ₽243

$3.59 ₽300

-18.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₽51.9

$0.14 ₽11.52

342.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.61 ₽719

$3.91 ₽327

120.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 ₽77.0

$0.82 ₽68.4

12.20%

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

$35.2K ₽2.9M

$28.8K ₽2.4M

22.55%

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

$32.9K ₽2.7M

$31.3K ₽2.6M

5.09%

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

$152 ₽12.7K

$124 ₽10.3K

22.67%

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

$7.33 ₽612

$7.20 ₽601

1.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.55 ₽713

$8.59 ₽717

-0.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.05 ₽3,260

$33.15 ₽2,767

17.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.28 ₽3,529

$20.83 ₽1,739

102.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 ₽601

$5.38 ₽449

33.83%

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

$625 ₽52.2K

$363 ₽30.3K

72.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₽1.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.2 ₽8,110

$55.2 ₽4,605

76.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 ₽4,325

$44.18 ₽3,687

17.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 ₽11.2K

$107 ₽8,917

25.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₽10.1K

$104 ₽8,685

16.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 ₽62.0K

$624 ₽52.1K

18.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 ₽37.7K

$460 ₽38.4K

-1.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 ₽133.5K

$895 ₽74.7K

78.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 ₽76.7K

$568 ₽47.4K

61.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,496 ₽375.3K

$2,317 ₽193.3K

94.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,811 ₽234.6K

$1,465 ₽122.3K

91.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,150 ₽96.0K

$822 ₽68.6K

39.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.81

19.83

-0.10%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: October 11, 2026

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Petersburg

$452 34.1%

Rostov-on-Don

$460 40.5% 1.9% $8.8

Groceries & Markets

Saint Petersburg

$225 17%

Rostov-on-Don

$177 15.5% 21.5% $48

Eating Out

Saint Petersburg

$182 13.7%

Rostov-on-Don

$156 13.7% 14.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Petersburg

$182 13.7%

Rostov-on-Don

$140 12.3% 23.2% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Petersburg

$168 12.7%

Rostov-on-Don

$140 12.3% 16.8% $28

Getting Around

Saint Petersburg

$64 4.8%

Rostov-on-Don

$21 1.8% 67.7% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Petersburg

$53 4%

Rostov-on-Don

$44 3.9% 17.9% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Saint Petersburg and $624 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 40% 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 $25.00 in Rostov-on-Don for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $177 per month, with Rostov-on-Don cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Rostov-on-Don

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

Same time as Saint Petersburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,597,763

1,114,806

💱 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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Between locations

Saint Petersburg Rostov-on-Don 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Petersburg
Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rostov-on-Don 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 Rostov-on-Don the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $742 in Saint Petersburg versus $624 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rostov-on-Don runs roughly 278% less than in Saint Petersburg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $625 in Saint Petersburg versus $363 in Rostov-on-Don. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,137 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,326 in Saint Petersburg, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rostov-on-Don but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. The gap between the two cities makes Rostov-on-Don the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rostov-on-Don delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,137 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rostov-on-Don hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Rostov-on-Don 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.