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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,303 in Saint Petersburg versus $844 in Ulyanovsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,014 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,259 in Ulyanovsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,726 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,675 in Ulyanovsk.

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 54% more expensive than in Ulyanovsk, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saint Petersburg 2% lower, Ulyanovsk 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.56 ₽751

$8.97 ₽705

6.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.36 ₽3,877

$32.25 ₽2,534

53.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 ₽447

$5.81 ₽456

-2.24%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ₽214

$2.32 ₽182

17.24%

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

$1.07 ₽84.1

$1.05 ₽82.5

1.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₽45.00

$0.49 ₽38.77

16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 ₽247

$0.92 ₽72.4

241.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ₽292

$1.60 ₽126

131.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 ₽92.5

$1.11 ₽87.0

6.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 ₽75.6

$0.60 ₽47.22

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₽128

$1.20 ₽94.0

35.00%

Eggs

$1.84 ₽145

$1.51 ₽118

21.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 ₽953

$9.27 ₽728

30.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₽422

$4.68 ₽367

14.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ₽859

$8.56 ₽672

27.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 ₽138

$1.30 ₽102

35.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₽143

$1.48 ₽117

22.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ₽152

$1.51 ₽118

28.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 ₽273

$1.75 ₽138

98.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₽68.7

$0.68 ₽53.0

27.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₽49.44

$0.39 ₽30.95

61.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₽107

$1.80 ₽141

-24.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₽56.9

$0.50 ₽38.92

44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₽226

$1.39 ₽109

107.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.41 ₽739

$4.66 ₽366

101.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽78.8

$0.86 ₽67.6

16.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₽159

$1.82 ₽143

10.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ₽68.4

$0.40 ₽31.70

117.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.4 ₽4,198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 ₽215

$1.95 ₽154

40.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₽45.69

$0.18 ₽14.52

222.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.80 ₽613

$3.83 ₽301

103.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 ₽61.7

$0.76 ₽59.4

3.95%

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

$37.5K ₽2.9M

$49.6K ₽3.9M

-24.36%

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

$37.1K ₽2.9M

$43.5K ₽3.4M

-14.63%

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

$135 ₽10.6K

$102 ₽8,028

31.71%

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

$6.73 ₽528

$5.46 ₽429

23.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.34 ₽577

$5.46 ₽429

34.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.42 ₽2,940

$34.90 ₽2,742

7.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 ₽1,798

Cinema Ticket

$5.73 ₽450

$4.19 ₽329

36.75%

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

$403 ₽31.7K

$90.3 ₽7,096

346.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,480 ₽744.8K

$6,112 ₽480.2K

55.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.7 ₽7,832

$101 ₽7,936

-1.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₽4,314

$47.69 ₽3,747

15.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₽9,134

$88.7 ₽6,964

31.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ₽10.8K

$75.8 ₽5,954

80.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 ₽63.0K

$314 ₽24.7K

155.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₽36.9K

$236 ₽18.6K

98.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 ₽113.2K

$564 ₽44.3K

155.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$884 ₽69.5K

$303 ₽23.8K

192.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,616 ₽362.6K

$2,283 ₽179.4K

102.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,978 ₽233.9K

$1,374 ₽107.9K

116.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,220 ₽95.9K

$708 ₽55.6K

72.37%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $803 in Saint Petersburg and $314 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 72% 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: $49.00 in Saint Petersburg vs $32.00 in Ulyanovsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $168 per month, with Ulyanovsk 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 Ulyanovsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulyanovsk wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ulyanovsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 72% 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: $803 in Saint Petersburg versus $314 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $403 in Saint Petersburg versus $90.3 in Ulyanovsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulyanovsk – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $49.00 in Saint Petersburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $844 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,303 in Saint Petersburg, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulyanovsk but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. The gap between the two cities makes Ulyanovsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ulyanovsk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $844 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ulyanovsk hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ulyanovsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.