Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Veliky Novgorod

For one person, living is cheaper in Veliky Novgorod: $824 a month against $1,375 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Veliky Novgorod
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Veliky Novgorod Living Index

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Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,375

/mo nomad

Veliky Novgorod

🇷🇺 Russia

$824

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint Petersburg and in Veliky Novgorod

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,375 in Saint Petersburg versus $824 in Veliky Novgorod.

Saint Petersburg $1,375
Veliky Novgorod $824

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,195 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,376 in Veliky Novgorod.

Saint Petersburg $2,195
Veliky Novgorod $1,376

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,014 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,927 in Veliky Novgorod.

Saint Petersburg $3,014
Veliky Novgorod $1,927

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 67% more expensive than in Veliky Novgorod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 ₽1,000

$8.80 ₽708

41.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.05 ₽3,547

$42.88 ₽3,453

2.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 ₽560

$5.46 ₽440

27.29%

Cappuccino

$3.26 ₽263

$2.19 ₽176

48.86%

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

$1.61 ₽129

$0.73 ₽58.6

120.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽62.6

$0.39 ₽31.16

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 ₽226

$1.09 ₽87.5

157.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₽292

$1.89 ₽152

92.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 ₽95.9

$1.15 ₽92.8

3.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₽76.8

$0.71 ₽56.8

33.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 ₽137

$1.67 ₽134

1.80%

Eggs

$1.67 ₽134

$1.36 ₽109

22.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 ₽998

$11.21 ₽903

10.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 ₽535

$6.33 ₽510

4.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.85 ₽1,035

$6.37 ₽513

101.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 ₽141

$1.59 ₽128

10.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₽132

$1.66 ₽134

-1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₽145

$1.80 ₽145

-0.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 ₽270

$3.21 ₽258

4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ₽66.8

$0.76 ₽61.5

9.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₽50.6

$0.60 ₽47.97

5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₽107

$1.38 ₽111

-3.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽62.7

$0.82 ₽65.7

-4.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 ₽255

$3.02 ₽243

4.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.41 ₽758

$6.15 ₽496

53.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₽95.5

$0.76 ₽60.8

56.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₽159

$0.95 ₽76.9

107.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₽88.8

$0.58 ₽46.55

89.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.1 ₽4,518

$35.28 ₽2,841

58.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 ₽226

$1.85 ₽149

51.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₽48.55

$0.19 ₽15.61

215.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.01 ₽726

$3.66 ₽295

146.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 ₽71.2

$0.89 ₽72.0

-1.12%

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

$43.0K ₽3.5M

$18.9K ₽1.5M

127.28%

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

$37.4K ₽3.0M

$37.1K ₽3.0M

0.71%

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

$156 ₽12.6K

$45.87 ₽3,694

240.55%

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

$7.85 ₽632

$5.62 ₽453

39.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.71 ₽701

$5.77 ₽465

50.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.31 ₽3,327

$34.80 ₽2,803

18.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.82 ₽3,529

$22.96 ₽1,849

90.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ₽609

$5.74 ₽462

31.88%

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

$663 ₽53.4K

$665 ₽53.6K

-0.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ₽1.4M

$17.8K ₽1.4M

0.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.5 ₽7,935

$37.22 ₽2,998

164.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₽4,364

$30.86 ₽2,485

75.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 ₽11.3K

$105 ₽8,425

33.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ₽10.3K

$74.2 ₽5,972

72.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$772 ₽62.1K

$366 ₽29.5K

110.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ₽37.6K

$250 ₽20.1K

86.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 ₽130.4K

$672 ₽54.1K

140.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 ₽78.4K

$499 ₽40.2K

95.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,632 ₽373.0K

$1,809 ₽145.6K

156.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₽232.4K

$1,224 ₽98.6K

135.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,230 ₽99.0K

$798 ₽64.3K

54.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.69

19.5

0.97%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: October 25, 2026

Last update for Veliky Novgorod: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Petersburg

$466 33.9%

Veliky Novgorod

$250 30.3% 46.5% $217

Groceries & Markets

Saint Petersburg

$234 17%

Veliky Novgorod

$193 23.4% 17.3% $41

Eating Out

Saint Petersburg

$190 13.8%

Veliky Novgorod

$127 15.4% 33.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Petersburg

$189 13.8%

Veliky Novgorod

$111 13.5% 41.3% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Petersburg

$173 12.6%

Veliky Novgorod

$57 7% 66.9% $116

Getting Around

Saint Petersburg

$66 4.8%

Veliky Novgorod

$40 4.9% 39.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Petersburg

$56 4.1%

Veliky Novgorod

$46 5.6% 18% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $772 in Saint Petersburg and $366 in Veliky Novgorod. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 54% 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: $44 in Saint Petersburg vs $43 in Veliky Novgorod for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $193 per month, with Veliky Novgorod cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Veliky Novgorod

🕒 Local time

18:57 6:57 PM

Same time as Saint Petersburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,597,763

223,191

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Saint Petersburg vs Veliky Novgorod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Veliky Novgorod wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Veliky Novgorod the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 54% 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 $366 in Veliky Novgorod. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $663 in Saint Petersburg versus $665 in Veliky Novgorod. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Veliky Novgorod runs roughly 37% less than in Saint Petersburg. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $824 in Veliky Novgorod versus $1,375 in Saint Petersburg, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Veliky Novgorod but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. The gap between the two cities makes Veliky Novgorod the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Veliky Novgorod wins on affordability, Saint Petersburg on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.