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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,308 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,160 in Shchelkovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,048 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,785 in Shchelkovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,788 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,411 in Shchelkovo.

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 13% more expensive than Shchelkovo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saint Petersburg 2% lower, Shchelkovo 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.46 ₽709

$12.49 ₽936

-24.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.63 ₽3,719

$58.6 ₽4,393

-15.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ₽425

$6.18 ₽463

-8.25%

Cappuccino

$2.57 ₽193

$3.15 ₽236

-18.41%

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

$1.08 ₽81.3

$1.44 ₽108

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₽43.52

$0.62 ₽46.35

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 ₽232

$1.41 ₽106

119.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ₽292

$4.47 ₽335

-12.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 ₽87.9

$1.33 ₽99.3

-12.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 ₽71.6

$0.85 ₽63.5

12.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ₽121

$1.74 ₽130

-7.47%

Eggs

$1.85 ₽139

$1.91 ₽143

-3.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.38 ₽928

$12.97 ₽972

-4.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 ₽407

$6.07 ₽455

-10.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 ₽795

$12.25 ₽918

-13.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 ₽131

$1.97 ₽147

-11.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₽139

$2.03 ₽152

-8.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₽149

$2.36 ₽177

-16.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 ₽262

$4.04 ₽303

-13.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₽62.8

$1.03 ₽77.1

-18.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₽48.01

$0.81 ₽60.3

-20.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₽102

$1.63 ₽122

-16.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₽56.0

$0.74 ₽55.8

1.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₽218

$3.25 ₽243

-10.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₽717

$8.10 ₽607

18.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ₽76.1

$1.07 ₽80.3

-4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₽154

$2.32 ₽174

-11.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₽67.8

$0.50 ₽37.21

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.5 ₽4,007

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 ₽215

$2.48 ₽186

15.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₽44.55

$0.45 ₽33.59

31.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 ₽577

$8.26 ₽619

-6.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 ₽56.5

$0.81 ₽61.0

-7.41%

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

$38.8K ₽2.9M

$38.7K ₽2.9M

0.25%

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

$37.0K ₽2.8M

$36.6K ₽2.7M

1.16%

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

$132 ₽9,855

$150 ₽11.2K

-12.31%

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

$6.70 ₽502

$7.83 ₽587

-14.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.34 ₽550

$8.10 ₽607

-9.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 ₽2,763

$34.86 ₽2,612

5.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₽1,726

Cinema Ticket

$5.84 ₽438

$6.41 ₽480

-8.89%

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

$397 ₽29.8K

$323 ₽24.2K

22.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,653 ₽723.3K

$6,919 ₽518.5K

39.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.2 ₽7,431

$87.0 ₽6,518

14.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 ₽4,105

$53.7 ₽4,020

2.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₽8,768

$131 ₽9,805

-10.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₽9,931

$163 ₽12.2K

-18.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$784 ₽58.8K

$443 ₽33.2K

77.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ₽34.4K

$303 ₽22.7K

51.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 ₽108.0K

$772 ₽57.8K

86.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 ₽68.0K

$511 ₽38.3K

77.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,548 ₽340.8K

$1,944 ₽145.7K

133.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,919 ₽218.7K

$1,603 ₽120.1K

82.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,261 ₽94.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.95

24.39

2.30%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: April 27, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $784 in Saint Petersburg and $443 in Shchelkovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50 in Saint Petersburg vs $59 in Shchelkovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $240 per month, with Saint Petersburg 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 Shchelkovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shchelkovo wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shchelkovo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,961 in Saint Petersburg and $1,740 in Shchelkovo 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: $784 in Saint Petersburg versus $443 in Shchelkovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $397 in Saint Petersburg versus $323 in Shchelkovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shchelkovo – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $50.0 in Saint Petersburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,160 in Shchelkovo versus $1,308 in Saint Petersburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shchelkovo but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. The gap between the two cities makes Shchelkovo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Shchelkovo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,160 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Shchelkovo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Shchelkovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.