Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Shakhty Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Shakhty

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,290 in Saint Petersburg versus $969 in Shakhty.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,017 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,480 in Shakhty.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,991 in Shakhty.

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 33% more expensive than Shakhty, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saint Petersburg 4% lower, Shakhty 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.39 ₽675

$9.38 ₽675

0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 ₽3,602

$37.81 ₽2,718

32.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 ₽421

$5.55 ₽399

5.41%

Cappuccino

$2.71 ₽195

$2.30 ₽165

17.83%

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

$1.12 ₽80.4

$1.12 ₽80.5

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₽44.27

$0.52 ₽37.29

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₽230

$1.40 ₽101

128.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ₽272

$2.47 ₽177

53.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ₽83.7

$1.10 ₽79.1

5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₽64.5

$0.71 ₽51.0

26.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ₽113

$1.36 ₽98.0

15.44%

Eggs

$1.94 ₽140

$1.72 ₽124

12.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.00 ₽863

$10.80 ₽777

11.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 ₽378

$4.84 ₽348

8.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 ₽775

$9.02 ₽648

19.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₽122

$1.81 ₽130

-6.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₽132

$1.90 ₽137

-3.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ₽139

$1.98 ₽142

-2.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 ₽242

$2.75 ₽197

22.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₽60.4

$0.84 ₽60.3

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 ₽46.64

$0.66 ₽47.75

-1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₽95.8

$1.39 ₽100

-4.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₽56.7

$0.72 ₽51.9

9.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 ₽217

$2.95 ₽212

2.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.82 ₽706

$8.02 ₽576

22.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽72.0

$0.93 ₽67.0

7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₽146

$1.96 ₽141

3.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ₽62.4

$0.49 ₽34.99

77.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ₽3,831

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 ₽206

$1.88 ₽135

52.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₽39.61

$0.33 ₽23.39

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.71 ₽555

$6.28 ₽452

22.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 ₽56.6

$0.73 ₽52.6

8.22%

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

$37.6K ₽2.7M

$34.2K ₽2.5M

10.10%

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

$37.8K ₽2.7M

$36.1K ₽2.6M

4.86%

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

$134 ₽9,631

$111 ₽7,980

20.68%

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

$6.81 ₽489

$5.79 ₽416

17.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.22 ₽519

$7.85 ₽564

-8.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.57 ₽2,701

$35.65 ₽2,563

5.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 ₽1,651

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ₽409

$5.16 ₽371

10.08%

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

$404 ₽29.0K

$326 ₽23.4K

23.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,691 ₽696.8K

$6,863 ₽493.5K

41.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 ₽7,259

$69.4 ₽4,988

45.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₽3,952

$44.27 ₽3,183

24.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₽8,443

$114 ₽8,164

3.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₽9,547

$108 ₽7,740

23.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$804 ₽57.8K

$452 ₽32.5K

78.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₽33.3K

$303 ₽21.8K

53.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 ₽101.0K

$766 ₽55.1K

83.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 ₽63.8K

$517 ₽37.2K

71.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,923 ₽354.0K

$2,625 ₽188.7K

87.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,147 ₽226.3K

$1,786 ₽128.4K

76.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,324 ₽95.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.95

15.33

62.75%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: June 8, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $804 in Saint Petersburg and $452 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Saint Petersburg vs $38.00 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $199 per month, with Shakhty cheaper across the board.

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 Shakhty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shakhty wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shakhty the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,935 in Saint Petersburg and $1,453 in Shakhty 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: $804 in Saint Petersburg versus $452 in Shakhty. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $404 in Saint Petersburg versus $326 in Shakhty. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shakhty – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $50.0 in Saint Petersburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $969 in Shakhty versus $1,290 in Saint Petersburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shakhty but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. The gap between the two cities makes Shakhty the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Shakhty delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $969 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Shakhty hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Shakhty gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.