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: $1,267 in Saint Petersburg versus $976 in Shakhty.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,019 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,520 in Shakhty.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,771 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,063 in Shakhty.

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 30% more expensive than in Shakhty, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saint Petersburg 8% lower, Shakhty 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.13 ₽948

$9.58 ₽817

16.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.61 ₽3,461

$36.51 ₽3,112

11.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.08 ₽519

$6.21 ₽529

-2.09%

Cappuccino

$2.89 ₽246

$2.28 ₽194

26.75%

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

$1.42 ₽121

$1.08 ₽91.7

31.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₽58.5

$0.57 ₽48.35

21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 ₽227

$1.76 ₽150

51.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₽281

$2.73 ₽232

20.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 ₽95.5

$1.16 ₽98.8

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ₽78.1

$0.79 ₽67.1

16.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 ₽142

$1.24 ₽106

33.87%

Eggs

$1.61 ₽137

$1.64 ₽140

-1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 ₽988

$9.81 ₽836

18.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 ₽528

$4.49 ₽383

38.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.26 ₽1,045

$8.91 ₽759

37.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 ₽148

$1.51 ₽128

14.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₽136

$1.69 ₽144

-5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ₽146

$1.96 ₽167

-12.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 ₽255

$2.76 ₽235

8.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₽63.8

$0.73 ₽62.0

2.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 ₽52.8

$0.56 ₽47.70

10.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ₽111

$1.43 ₽122

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₽61.9

$0.68 ₽58.0

7.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₽255

$2.71 ₽231

10.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 ₽762

$6.83 ₽582

30.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₽93.2

$0.97 ₽82.4

12.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₽168

$2.17 ₽185

-9.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 ₽88.3

$0.53 ₽45.58

96.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ₽4,535

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 ₽221

$1.98 ₽169

31.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₽48.03

$0.29 ₽24.95

93.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 ₽735

$5.83 ₽497

47.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 ₽73.7

$0.82 ₽69.8

4.88%

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

$35.5K ₽3.0M

$28.2K ₽2.4M

25.64%

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

$32.5K ₽2.8M

$35.1K ₽3.0M

-7.31%

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

$140 ₽11.9K

$107 ₽9,128

30.66%

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

$7.52 ₽641

$6.13 ₽523

22.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.82 ₽667

$7.18 ₽612

8.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.62 ₽3,547

$35.69 ₽3,042

16.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.27 ₽3,603

$23.10 ₽1,969

82.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 ₽610

$6.44 ₽549

11.02%

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

$550 ₽46.9K

$316 ₽26.9K

73.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₽1.5M

$6,161 ₽525.1K

178.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.2 ₽7,433

$74.7 ₽6,368

16.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 ₽4,284

$51.4 ₽4,379

-2.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₽11.2K

$100 ₽8,531

31.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₽10.3K

$86.5 ₽7,370

39.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ₽63.9K

$435 ₽37.1K

72.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 ₽37.3K

$278 ₽23.7K

57.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 ₽132.9K

$702 ₽59.8K

122.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 ₽77.1K

$512 ₽43.6K

76.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,215 ₽359.3K

$2,208 ₽188.2K

90.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,688 ₽229.1K

$1,383 ₽117.9K

94.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,098 ₽93.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.04

-4.57%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: September 6, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in Saint Petersburg and $435 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Saint Petersburg vs $37.00 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $189 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 30% 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 $1,900 in Saint Petersburg and $1,464 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: $750 in Saint Petersburg versus $435 in Shakhty. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $550 in Saint Petersburg versus $316 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 $37.00 versus $41.00 in Saint Petersburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $976 in Shakhty versus $1,267 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 $976 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 30% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.