Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Surgut

For one person, living is cheaper in Surgut: $1,136 a month against $1,370 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Surgut
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Surgut Living Index

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Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,370

/mo nomad

Surgut

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,136

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint Petersburg and in Surgut

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Saint Petersburg and in Surgut actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,370 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,136 in Surgut.

Saint Petersburg $1,370
Surgut $1,136

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,191 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,720 in Surgut.

Saint Petersburg $2,191
Surgut $1,720

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,305 in Surgut.

Saint Petersburg $3,011
Surgut $2,305

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 21% more expensive than in Surgut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.09 ₽991

$12.02 ₽985

0.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 ₽3,596

$37.39 ₽3,064

17.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₽546

$7.08 ₽580

-5.79%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ₽269

$2.62 ₽215

25.19%

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

$1.69 ₽138

$1.10 ₽90.5

53.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₽64.8

$0.64 ₽52.1

23.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ₽204

$1.93 ₽158

29.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 ₽295

$2.70 ₽221

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 ₽96.7

$1.26 ₽103

-6.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ₽79.6

$0.69 ₽56.4

40.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 ₽135

$1.30 ₽106

26.15%

Eggs

$1.74 ₽143

$1.54 ₽126

12.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 ₽1,046

$10.93 ₽896

16.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 ₽548

$5.04 ₽413

32.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 ₽1,056

$11.47 ₽940

12.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 ₽143

$1.99 ₽163

-12.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₽132

$1.77 ₽145

-9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₽147

$1.91 ₽157

-6.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 ₽268

$3.48 ₽285

-6.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ₽69.4

$0.91 ₽74.6

-6.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₽55.9

$0.55 ₽44.88

23.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₽116

$1.56 ₽128

-8.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₽67.1

$0.61 ₽50.3

34.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 ₽259

$2.63 ₽216

19.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.25 ₽758

$8.23 ₽674

12.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₽104

$1.22 ₽100

4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₽169

$2.05 ₽168

0.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₽90.0

$0.53 ₽43.82

107.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ₽4,535

$30.61 ₽2,509

80.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ₽258

$2.60 ₽213

21.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₽53.3

$0.34 ₽28.16

91.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₽727

$6.27 ₽514

41.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 ₽71.5

$0.89 ₽72.7

-2.25%

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

$42.8K ₽3.5M

$60.3K ₽4.9M

-29.12%

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

$37.0K ₽3.0M

$43.1K ₽3.5M

-14.11%

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

$158 ₽12.9K

$133 ₽10.9K

18.34%

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

$7.61 ₽624

$6.15 ₽504

23.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.07 ₽744

$9.23 ₽757

-1.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 ₽3,479

$39.81 ₽3,263

6.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.42 ₽3,477

$26.16 ₽2,144

62.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 ₽589

$6.04 ₽495

19.04%

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

$682 ₽55.9K

$343 ₽28.1K

98.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₽1.9M

$6,248 ₽512.1K

278.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 ₽7,922

$89.5 ₽7,334

8.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 ₽4,410

$55.0 ₽4,504

-2.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 ₽11.4K

$139 ₽11.4K

0.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₽10.3K

$117 ₽9,563

7.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 ₽62.8K

$556 ₽45.6K

37.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 ₽38.1K

$335 ₽27.5K

38.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 ₽132.4K

$905 ₽74.1K

78.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 ₽80.4K

$514 ₽42.1K

90.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,508 ₽369.5K

$2,368 ₽194.1K

90.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,876 ₽235.7K

$1,304 ₽106.9K

120.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 ₽102.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.69

21.33

-7.69%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: November 1, 2026

Last update for Surgut: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Saint Petersburg

$465 33.9%

Surgut

$335 29.5% 27.9% $130

Groceries & Markets

Saint Petersburg

$236 17.2%

Surgut

$213 18.7% 9.7% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Petersburg

$187 13.7%

Surgut

$180 15.8% 3.9% $7.3

Eating Out

Saint Petersburg

$186 13.5%

Surgut

$171 15% 7.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Petersburg

$174 12.7%

Surgut

$149 13.1% 14.8% $26

Getting Around

Saint Petersburg

$66 4.8%

Surgut

$37 3.3% 43.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Petersburg

$57 4.2%

Surgut

$52 4.6% 8.7% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $766 in Saint Petersburg and $556 in Surgut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44 in Saint Petersburg vs $37 in Surgut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $213 per month, with Surgut cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Surgut

🕒 Local time

08:32 8:32 AM

10:32 10:32 AM

2 h ahead of Saint Petersburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,597,763

406,938

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.08 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Saint Petersburg Surgut 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Petersburg
Surgut

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Surgut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surgut wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Surgut the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,056 in Saint Petersburg and $1,704 in Surgut 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: $766 in Saint Petersburg versus $556 in Surgut. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,370 per month in Saint Petersburg versus $1,136 in Surgut – Surgut is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Surgut runs roughly 45% less than in Saint Petersburg. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Surgut is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Surgut gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.