Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Tomsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Tomsk: $1,147 a month against $1,375 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Tomsk
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Tomsk Living Index

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Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,375

/mo nomad

Tomsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,147

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Tomsk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,375 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,147 in Tomsk.

Saint Petersburg $1,375
Tomsk $1,147

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,195 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,768 in Tomsk.

Saint Petersburg $2,195
Tomsk $1,768

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,014 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,389 in Tomsk.

Saint Petersburg $3,014
Tomsk $2,389

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 20% more expensive than in Tomsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 ₽993

$8.05 ₽644

54.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.05 ₽3,523

$30.48 ₽2,438

44.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 ₽556

$6.68 ₽535

4.04%

Cappuccino

$3.26 ₽261

$2.21 ₽177

47.51%

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

$1.61 ₽128

$0.91 ₽72.5

76.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽62.2

$0.42 ₽33.39

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 ₽225

$1.17 ₽93.6

140.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₽290

$3.34 ₽267

8.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 ₽95.2

$1.23 ₽98.3

-3.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₽76.3

$0.70 ₽56.2

35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 ₽136

$0.99 ₽79.1

71.72%

Eggs

$1.67 ₽134

$1.36 ₽109

22.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 ₽991

$12.20 ₽976

1.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 ₽531

$4.71 ₽376

40.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.85 ₽1,028

$9.92 ₽793

29.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 ₽140

$1.73 ₽138

1.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₽131

$1.95 ₽156

-15.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₽144

$2.23 ₽178

-19.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 ₽269

$2.94 ₽235

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ₽66.4

$0.47 ₽37.29

76.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₽50.2

$0.36 ₽28.62

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₽106

$1.74 ₽139

-23.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽62.3

$0.51 ₽40.44

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 ₽253

$2.79 ₽223

13.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.41 ₽753

$6.17 ₽493

52.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₽94.9

$0.92 ₽73.4

29.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₽158

$1.65 ₽132

19.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₽88.1

$0.45 ₽36.37

144.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.1 ₽4,487

$18.51 ₽1,480

203.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 ₽224

$2.42 ₽193

15.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₽48.22

$0.32 ₽25.82

87.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.01 ₽721

$7.27 ₽582

23.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 ₽70.7

$0.83 ₽66.4

6.02%

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

$43.0K ₽3.4M

$54.1K ₽4.3M

-20.44%

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

$37.4K ₽3.0M

$41.8K ₽3.3M

-10.57%

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

$156 ₽12.5K

$169 ₽13.5K

-7.58%

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

$7.85 ₽628

$8.39 ₽671

-6.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.71 ₽697

$13.60 ₽1,088

-35.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.31 ₽3,304

$39.40 ₽3,151

4.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.82 ₽3,505

$16.58 ₽1,326

164.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ₽605

$4.87 ₽390

55.44%

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

$663 ₽53.1K

$252 ₽20.1K

163.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ₽1.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.5 ₽7,881

$122 ₽9,747

-19.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₽4,334

$74.6 ₽5,969

-27.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 ₽11.2K

$176 ₽14.1K

-20.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ₽10.2K

$126 ₽10.1K

1.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$772 ₽61.7K

$511 ₽40.9K

51.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ₽37.3K

$332 ₽26.5K

40.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 ₽129.5K

$828 ₽66.3K

95.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 ₽77.9K

$651 ₽52.1K

49.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,632 ₽370.5K

$2,096 ₽167.7K

120.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₽230.9K

$1,534 ₽122.7K

88.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,230 ₽98.4K

$930 ₽74.4K

32.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.69

-10.50%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tomsk: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Petersburg

$466 33.9%

Tomsk

$332 28.9% 28.9% $135

Groceries & Markets

Saint Petersburg

$234 17%

Tomsk

$198 17.3% 15.3% $36

Eating Out

Saint Petersburg

$190 13.8%

Tomsk

$129 11.2% 32.2% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Petersburg

$189 13.8%

Tomsk

$224 19.6% 18.5% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Petersburg

$173 12.6%

Tomsk

$191 16.7% 10.6% $18

Getting Around

Saint Petersburg

$66 4.8%

Tomsk

$24 2.1% 63.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Petersburg

$56 4.1%

Tomsk

$49 4.3% 12.9% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $772 in Saint Petersburg and $511 in Tomsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Saint Petersburg vs $30 in Tomsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $198 per month, with Tomsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Tomsk

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

11:28 11:28 AM

4 h ahead of Saint Petersburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,597,763

551,505

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.25 USD

100 RUB = 1.12 EUR

100 RUB = 1.25 USD

100 RUB = 1.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Saint Petersburg Tomsk 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Petersburg
Tomsk

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 Tomsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tomsk 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 Tomsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Saint Petersburg, 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: $772 in Saint Petersburg versus $511 in Tomsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,375 per month in Saint Petersburg versus $1,147 in Tomsk – Tomsk is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Tomsk runs roughly 67% 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. Tomsk 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 Tomsk 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.