Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Yaroslavl

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaroslavl: $855 a month against $1,334 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Yaroslavl
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Yaroslavl Living Index

Jump to prices

Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,334

/mo nomad

Yaroslavl

🇷🇺 Russia

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,334 in Saint Petersburg versus $855 in Yaroslavl.

Saint Petersburg $1,334
Yaroslavl $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,131 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,347 in Yaroslavl.

Saint Petersburg $2,131
Yaroslavl $1,347

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,927 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,839 in Yaroslavl.

Saint Petersburg $2,927
Yaroslavl $1,839

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 56% more expensive than in Yaroslavl, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.86 ₽990

$6.01 ₽501

97.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.90 ₽3,497

$30.76 ₽2,567

36.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₽544

$7.20 ₽601

-9.58%

Cappuccino

$3.21 ₽268

$2.88 ₽241

11.46%

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

$1.63 ₽136

$1.00 ₽83.1

63.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽64.8

$0.56 ₽46.47

39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 ₽254

$0.92 ₽77.0

230.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ₽310

$1.46 ₽122

154.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 ₽97.9

$0.93 ₽77.6

25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ₽83.4

$0.86 ₽72.0

16.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 ₽141

$1.20 ₽99.9

40.83%

Eggs

$1.64 ₽137

$1.61 ₽135

1.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 ₽1,028

$8.96 ₽748

37.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₽553

$5.16 ₽431

28.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.56 ₽1,048

$12.32 ₽1,028

1.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 ₽147

$1.59 ₽132

11.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₽135

$1.43 ₽119

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ₽146

$1.54 ₽129

13.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 ₽273

$2.57 ₽215

27.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₽70.3

$0.72 ₽60.1

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 ₽54.7

$0.40 ₽33.43

65.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ₽108

$1.47 ₽123

-12.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₽63.6

$0.41 ₽34.06

85.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₽256

$2.24 ₽187

37.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 ₽717

$7.11 ₽593

20.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₽101

$0.76 ₽63.8

57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₽168

$1.47 ₽122

36.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 ₽87.2

$0.50 ₽41.60

110.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ₽4,440

$17.78 ₽1,484

199.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 ₽229

$3.60 ₽300

-23.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₽51.6

$0.23 ₽18.79

169.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ₽730

$3.55 ₽297

146.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ₽77.4

$0.87 ₽72.5

6.90%

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

$40.9K ₽3.4M

$44.2K ₽3.7M

-7.49%

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

$36.2K ₽3.0M

$39.1K ₽3.3M

-7.34%

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

$151 ₽12.6K

$105 ₽8,789

43.39%

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

$7.75 ₽647

$3.73 ₽311

107.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.66 ₽723

$4.96 ₽414

74.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.26 ₽3,444

$26.81 ₽2,237

53.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.73 ₽3,567

$17.80 ₽1,485

140.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 ₽622

$5.87 ₽490

27.09%

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

$633 ₽52.9K

$184 ₽15.4K

244.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₽1.5M

$3,557 ₽296.9K

389.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.5 ₽8,224

$42.49 ₽3,546

131.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 ₽4,412

$24.39 ₽2,036

116.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 ₽11.5K

$143 ₽11.9K

-3.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₽10.1K

$118 ₽9,886

2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 ₽61.8K

$383 ₽31.9K

93.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₽37.3K

$223 ₽18.6K

100.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 ₽135.2K

$792 ₽66.1K

104.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 ₽78.4K

$416 ₽34.8K

125.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,469 ₽373.0K

$2,561 ₽213.7K

74.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,803 ₽233.9K

$1,205 ₽100.6K

132.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,187 ₽99.1K

$832 ₽69.4K

42.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.81

19.56

1.28%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: October 17, 2026

Last update for Yaroslavl: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Petersburg

$447 33.5%

Yaroslavl

$223 26.1% 50.1% $224

Groceries & Markets

Saint Petersburg

$230 17.2%

Yaroslavl

$189 22.1% 17.8% $41

Eating Out

Saint Petersburg

$185 13.9%

Yaroslavl

$118 13.8% 36.3% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Petersburg

$185 13.9%

Yaroslavl

$148 17.3% 20.1% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Petersburg

$167 12.6%

Yaroslavl

$114 13.3% 31.9% $53

Getting Around

Saint Petersburg

$63 4.7%

Yaroslavl

$25 2.9% 61.2% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Petersburg

$56 4.2%

Yaroslavl

$39 4.5% 31.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Saint Petersburg and $383 in Yaroslavl. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 43% 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: $42.00 in Saint Petersburg vs $31.00 in Yaroslavl for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $189 per month, with Yaroslavl cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Yaroslavl

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

Same time as Saint Petersburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,597,763

570,824

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Saint Petersburg Yaroslavl 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Petersburg
Yaroslavl

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 Yaroslavl: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yaroslavl wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Yaroslavl the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 43% 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: $741 in Saint Petersburg versus $383 in Yaroslavl. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,334 per month in Saint Petersburg versus $855 in Yaroslavl – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Yaroslavl runs roughly 199% less than in Saint Petersburg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $855 in Yaroslavl versus $1,334 in Saint Petersburg, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yaroslavl but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. The gap between the two cities makes Yaroslavl the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Yaroslavl delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $855 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Yaroslavl hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Saint Petersburg and Yaroslavl are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Yaroslavl gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.