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: $1,260 in Saint Petersburg versus $964 in Shakhty.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,472 in Shakhty.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,751 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,981 in Shakhty.

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 31% more expensive than in Shakhty, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saint Petersburg 6% lower, Shakhty 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.46 ₽735

$9.66 ₽751

-2.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.83 ₽3,873

$37.46 ₽2,912

33.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 ₽443

$5.56 ₽432

2.34%

Cappuccino

$2.63 ₽204

$2.30 ₽178

14.35%

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

$1.12 ₽87.2

$1.09 ₽84.4

2.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₽48.91

$0.48 ₽37.05

31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 ₽245

$1.40 ₽109

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 ₽297

$2.48 ₽193

54.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 ₽91.3

$1.10 ₽85.4

6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₽72.8

$0.70 ₽54.8

34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₽126

$1.37 ₽106

18.25%

Eggs

$1.92 ₽149

$1.77 ₽138

8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 ₽938

$10.65 ₽828

13.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 ₽418

$4.79 ₽373

12.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 ₽820

$8.88 ₽690

18.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₽130

$1.81 ₽141

-7.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₽141

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ₽148

$2.01 ₽156

-5.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 ₽269

$2.75 ₽214

26.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₽65.4

$0.85 ₽66.0

-1.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₽52.6

$0.66 ₽51.4

3.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₽106

$1.37 ₽106

-0.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₽56.2

$0.67 ₽52.1

7.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 ₽234

$2.90 ₽226

3.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 ₽708

$8.43 ₽655

8.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽78.4

$0.97 ₽75.3

4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₽160

$1.92 ₽149

7.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ₽66.0

$0.49 ₽37.79

73.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ₽4,112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 ₽215

$1.94 ₽151

42.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₽43.34

$0.35 ₽27.58

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 ₽588

$6.22 ₽484

21.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 ₽57.9

$0.72 ₽56.1

4.17%

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

$37.8K ₽2.9M

$34.9K ₽2.7M

8.18%

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

$37.5K ₽2.9M

$35.8K ₽2.8M

4.85%

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

$131 ₽10.2K

$109 ₽8,436

20.50%

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

$6.81 ₽529

$6.11 ₽475

11.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.13 ₽554

$7.83 ₽609

-8.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.02 ₽2,878

$36.25 ₽2,817

2.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.16 ₽1,800

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 ₽452

$5.15 ₽400

13.01%

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

$405 ₽31.5K

$325 ₽25.3K

24.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,453 ₽734.7K

$7,037 ₽547.0K

34.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 ₽7,697

$69.3 ₽5,385

42.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 ₽4,153

$44.33 ₽3,445

20.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₽8,986

$114 ₽8,895

1.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 ₽10.5K

$109 ₽8,468

23.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$785 ₽61.0K

$438 ₽34.1K

79.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ₽36.6K

$309 ₽24.1K

52.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 ₽108.7K

$754 ₽58.6K

85.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₽70.4K

$514 ₽40.0K

76.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,507 ₽350.3K

$2,268 ₽176.3K

98.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,892 ₽224.8K

$1,303 ₽101.2K

122.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,175 ₽91.4K

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $785 in Saint Petersburg and $438 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Saint Petersburg vs $37.00 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 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 31% 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 $1,890 in Saint Petersburg and $1,445 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: $785 in Saint Petersburg versus $438 in Shakhty. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $405 in Saint Petersburg versus $325 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 $50.0 in Saint Petersburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $964 in Shakhty versus $1,260 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 $964 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 31% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.