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: $1,270 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,002 in Surgut.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,572 in Surgut.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,762 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,142 in Surgut.

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 27% more expensive than in Surgut, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saint Petersburg 7% lower, Surgut 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.21 ₽947

$9.46 ₽799

18.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.64 ₽3,519

$36.97 ₽3,123

12.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.01 ₽508

$5.25 ₽443

14.48%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ₽250

$2.64 ₽223

12.12%

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

$1.46 ₽123

$1.13 ₽95.2

29.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₽58.4

$0.65 ₽55.1

6.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 ₽228

$1.66 ₽140

62.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 ₽291

$2.54 ₽214

35.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 ₽96.2

$1.21 ₽102

-5.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₽79.6

$0.69 ₽57.9

36.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 ₽140

$1.21 ₽102

37.19%

Eggs

$1.58 ₽134

$1.65 ₽140

-4.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 ₽996

$9.70 ₽819

21.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 ₽534

$4.74 ₽401

33.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.33 ₽1,042

$10.69 ₽904

15.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₽143

$1.90 ₽160

-10.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₽136

$1.73 ₽146

-6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 ₽145

$1.94 ₽164

-11.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 ₽267

$2.53 ₽214

24.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₽69.1

$0.72 ₽60.7

13.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ₽50.7

$0.53 ₽45.05

13.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₽107

$1.49 ₽126

-14.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₽68.3

$0.80 ₽67.9

1.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₽249

$3.12 ₽264

-5.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.48 ₽716

$7.99 ₽675

6.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 ₽94.7

$1.13 ₽95.9

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₽162

$2.02 ₽171

-4.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 ₽88.3

$0.45 ₽37.73

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.6 ₽4,525

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 ₽230

$2.40 ₽203

13.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₽48.70

$0.38 ₽31.98

52.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₽718

$6.56 ₽554

29.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽71.0

$0.77 ₽64.7

9.09%

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

$35.9K ₽3.0M

$38.2K ₽3.2M

-6.02%

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

$32.7K ₽2.8M

$36.4K ₽3.1M

-10.09%

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

$139 ₽11.8K

$117 ₽9,919

18.58%

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

$7.58 ₽640

$5.32 ₽450

42.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.31 ₽702

$7.35 ₽621

13.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.76 ₽3,613

$29.58 ₽2,499

44.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.02 ₽3,550

$23.47 ₽1,983

79.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 ₽612

$5.06 ₽427

43.08%

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

$568 ₽48.0K

$311 ₽26.3K

82.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K ₽1.5M

$6,517 ₽550.6K

170.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 ₽7,409

$66.6 ₽5,627

31.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 ₽4,327

$49.36 ₽4,170

3.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 ₽11.3K

$120 ₽10.1K

11.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₽10.3K

$105 ₽8,858

16.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 ₽62.5K

$443 ₽37.4K

67.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ₽37.4K

$328 ₽27.7K

34.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 ₽133.1K

$888 ₽75.0K

77.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 ₽75.4K

$526 ₽44.4K

69.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,292 ₽362.7K

$2,068 ₽174.7K

107.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,766 ₽233.7K

$1,684 ₽142.3K

64.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 ₽96.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.88

-5.33%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: September 14, 2026

Last update for Surgut: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Saint Petersburg and $443 in Surgut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Saint Petersburg vs $37.00 in Surgut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $200 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 27% 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 $1,905 in Saint Petersburg and $1,504 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: $739 in Saint Petersburg versus $443 in Surgut. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $568 in Saint Petersburg versus $311 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 $37.00 versus $42.00 in Saint Petersburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,002 in Surgut versus $1,270 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 $1,002 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 27% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.