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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,290 in Saint Petersburg versus $956 in Surgut.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,017 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,501 in Surgut.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,046 in Surgut.

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 35% more expensive than Surgut, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saint Petersburg 4% lower, Surgut 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.39 ₽680

$9.26 ₽671

1.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 ₽3,630

$38.64 ₽2,800

29.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 ₽424

$5.62 ₽407

4.09%

Cappuccino

$2.71 ₽196

$2.38 ₽173

13.87%

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

$1.12 ₽81.0

$1.08 ₽78.1

3.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₽44.61

$0.48 ₽34.72

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₽232

$1.43 ₽104

123.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ₽274

$2.57 ₽186

47.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ₽84.4

$1.10 ₽79.9

5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₽65.0

$0.67 ₽48.47

34.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ₽114

$1.37 ₽99.5

14.60%

Eggs

$1.94 ₽141

$1.80 ₽130

7.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.00 ₽870

$10.66 ₽772

12.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 ₽381

$4.77 ₽346

10.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 ₽781

$8.59 ₽622

25.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₽123

$1.80 ₽130

-6.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₽133

$1.80 ₽131

2.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ₽140

$1.92 ₽139

0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 ₽244

$2.75 ₽200

22.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₽60.8

$0.78 ₽56.8

7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 ₽47.00

$0.71 ₽51.1

-8.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₽96.6

$1.41 ₽102

-5.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₽57.1

$0.70 ₽50.7

12.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 ₽218

$2.95 ₽214

2.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.82 ₽712

$6.96 ₽504

41.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽72.6

$0.94 ₽68.2

6.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₽147

$1.89 ₽137

7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ₽62.8

$0.52 ₽37.69

67.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ₽3,861

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 ₽208

$1.86 ₽135

54.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₽39.92

$0.35 ₽25.41

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.71 ₽559

$6.31 ₽457

22.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 ₽57.1

$0.73 ₽52.9

8.22%

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

$37.6K ₽2.7M

$34.9K ₽2.5M

7.73%

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

$37.8K ₽2.7M

$35.1K ₽2.5M

7.94%

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

$134 ₽9,706

$110 ₽7,989

21.49%

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

$6.81 ₽493

$5.90 ₽427

15.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.22 ₽523

$7.58 ₽549

-4.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.57 ₽2,722

$35.04 ₽2,539

7.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 ₽1,664

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ₽412

$5.21 ₽378

9.02%

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

$404 ₽29.2K

$325 ₽23.6K

24.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,691 ₽702.2K

$6,893 ₽499.4K

40.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 ₽7,315

$69.7 ₽5,053

44.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₽3,983

$43.56 ₽3,156

26.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₽8,508

$113 ₽8,177

4.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₽9,622

$105 ₽7,604

26.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$804 ₽58.3K

$451 ₽32.7K

78.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₽33.6K

$309 ₽22.4K

50.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 ₽101.7K

$751 ₽54.4K

87.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 ₽64.3K

$517 ₽37.4K

71.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,923 ₽356.7K

$2,763 ₽200.2K

78.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,147 ₽228.0K

$1,594 ₽115.5K

97.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,324 ₽95.9K

$754 ₽54.6K

75.53%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Surgut: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $804 in Saint Petersburg and $451 in Surgut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 76% 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: $50.0 in Saint Petersburg vs $39.00 in Surgut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $193 per month, with Surgut 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 Surgut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surgut wins on cost – living expenses run 35% 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.

Saint Petersburg pays 76% 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: $804 in Saint Petersburg versus $451 in Surgut. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $404 in Saint Petersburg versus $325 in Surgut. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surgut – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $50.0 in Saint Petersburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $956 in Surgut versus $1,290 in Saint Petersburg, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Surgut but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. The gap between the two cities makes Surgut the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Surgut delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $956 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Surgut hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Surgut gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.