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: $1,269 in Saint Petersburg versus $954 in Shakhty.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,996 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,471 in Shakhty.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,723 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,988 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 5% lower, Shakhty 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.61 ₽721

$9.33 ₽700

3.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.97 ₽3,675

$37.47 ₽2,812

30.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 ₽441

$5.83 ₽437

0.69%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₽196

$2.36 ₽177

11.02%

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

$1.07 ₽80.5

$1.13 ₽84.9

-5.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₽43.20

$0.52 ₽38.68

11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 ₽236

$1.38 ₽103

127.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ₽282

$2.58 ₽193

45.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ₽91.5

$1.12 ₽83.9

8.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₽66.5

$0.71 ₽53.2

25.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ₽118

$1.43 ₽108

9.79%

Eggs

$1.86 ₽140

$1.80 ₽135

3.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 ₽921

$10.78 ₽809

13.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 ₽397

$4.78 ₽359

10.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 ₽798

$8.71 ₽654

22.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₽128

$1.82 ₽137

-6.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 ₽141

$1.81 ₽136

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₽148

$1.90 ₽143

3.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 ₽260

$2.79 ₽209

24.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 ₽67.5

$0.78 ₽58.6

15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₽51.1

$0.67 ₽50.4

1.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₽99.8

$1.41 ₽106

-5.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₽54.2

$0.71 ₽52.9

1.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₽219

$2.96 ₽222

-1.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.47 ₽710

$8.28 ₽621

14.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₽78.8

$0.99 ₽74.5

6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₽152

$1.94 ₽146

4.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₽68.4

$0.54 ₽40.16

68.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.4 ₽4,004

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 ₽208

$1.89 ₽142

46.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₽44.57

$0.33 ₽24.54

78.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ₽588

$6.44 ₽483

21.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 ₽55.9

$0.72 ₽54.1

2.78%

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

$38.2K ₽2.9M

$34.3K ₽2.6M

11.63%

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

$37.8K ₽2.8M

$35.8K ₽2.7M

5.81%

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

$133 ₽9,948

$111 ₽8,311

19.68%

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

$6.79 ₽509

$5.97 ₽448

13.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.06 ₽530

$7.67 ₽575

-7.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.63 ₽2,748

$35.98 ₽2,700

1.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 ₽1,696

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ₽431

$4.96 ₽372

15.73%

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

$393 ₽29.5K

$323 ₽24.2K

21.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,391 ₽704.7K

$6,945 ₽521.2K

35.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₽7,626

$70.3 ₽5,275

44.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 ₽4,081

$45.28 ₽3,398

20.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ₽8,633

$114 ₽8,550

0.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 ₽10.2K

$109 ₽8,154

24.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₽60.1K

$452 ₽33.9K

77.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ₽34.4K

$306 ₽23.0K

49.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 ₽105.4K

$759 ₽57.0K

84.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 ₽68.1K

$502 ₽37.7K

80.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,570 ₽343.0K

$2,111 ₽158.4K

116.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,883 ₽216.4K

$1,639 ₽123.0K

75.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,251 ₽93.9K

$403 ₽30.2K

210.78%

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Saint Petersburg and $452 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 211% 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: $49 in Saint Petersburg vs $37 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $198 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.

Saint Petersburg pays 211% more on average, 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: $801 in Saint Petersburg versus $452 in Shakhty. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $393 in Saint Petersburg versus $323 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 $49.00 in Saint Petersburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $954 in Shakhty versus $1,269 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 $954 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.