Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Yekaterinburg

For one person, living costs are similar in Saint Petersburg and in Yekaterinburg: $1,334 and $1,381 a month, rent and utilities included.

65

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Yekaterinburg
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Yekaterinburg Living Index

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Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,334

/mo nomad

Yekaterinburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,334 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,381 in Yekaterinburg.

Saint Petersburg $1,334
Yekaterinburg $1,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,131 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,264 in Yekaterinburg.

Saint Petersburg $2,131
Yekaterinburg $2,264

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,927 in Saint Petersburg versus $3,147 in Yekaterinburg.

Saint Petersburg $2,927
Yekaterinburg $3,147

Living in Saint Petersburg costs roughly 3% less than in Yekaterinburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint Petersburg is 2% below, Yekaterinburg is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.86 ₽990

$13.05 ₽1,089

-9.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.90 ₽3,497

$49.53 ₽4,134

-15.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₽544

$6.55 ₽547

-0.61%

Cappuccino

$3.21 ₽268

$2.44 ₽203

31.56%

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

$1.63 ₽136

$1.26 ₽105

29.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽64.8

$0.42 ₽34.81

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 ₽254

$2.26 ₽189

34.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ₽310

$2.95 ₽246

26.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 ₽97.9

$1.21 ₽101

-3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ₽83.4

$0.67 ₽56.3

49.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 ₽141

$1.22 ₽102

38.52%

Eggs

$1.64 ₽137

$1.72 ₽143

-4.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 ₽1,028

$11.19 ₽934

10.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₽553

$5.42 ₽452

22.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.56 ₽1,048

$13.20 ₽1,102

-4.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 ₽147

$2.06 ₽172

-14.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₽135

$1.79 ₽149

-9.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ₽146

$1.53 ₽128

14.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 ₽273

$2.79 ₽233

17.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₽70.3

$0.68 ₽56.6

23.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 ₽54.7

$0.61 ₽50.6

8.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ₽108

$1.53 ₽127

-15.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₽63.6

$0.88 ₽73.1

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₽256

$3.47 ₽290

-11.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 ₽717

$7.10 ₽593

20.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₽101

$1.40 ₽117

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₽168

$2.60 ₽217

-22.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 ₽87.2

$0.49 ₽40.54

114.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ₽4,440

$18.23 ₽1,521

191.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 ₽229

$4.35 ₽363

-37.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₽51.6

$0.21 ₽17.48

195.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ₽730

$4.32 ₽360

102.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ₽77.4

$0.87 ₽73.0

6.90%

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

$40.9K ₽3.4M

$53.4K ₽4.5M

-23.39%

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

$36.2K ₽3.0M

$38.6K ₽3.2M

-6.01%

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

$151 ₽12.6K

$118 ₽9,855

27.89%

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

$7.75 ₽647

$6.18 ₽516

25.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.66 ₽723

$12.19 ₽1,017

-28.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.26 ₽3,444

$43.59 ₽3,638

-5.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.73 ₽3,567

$35.69 ₽2,979

19.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 ₽622

$7.44 ₽621

0.27%

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

$633 ₽52.9K

$346 ₽28.9K

82.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₽1.5M

$3,748 ₽312.8K

364.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.5 ₽8,224

$134 ₽11.2K

-26.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 ₽4,412

$103 ₽8,615

-48.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 ₽11.5K

$241 ₽20.1K

-42.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₽10.1K

$176 ₽14.7K

-31.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 ₽61.8K

$788 ₽65.8K

-6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₽37.3K

$470 ₽39.3K

-4.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 ₽135.2K

$1,308 ₽109.1K

23.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 ₽78.4K

$1,026 ₽85.6K

-8.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,469 ₽373.0K

$2,589 ₽216.0K

72.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,803 ₽233.9K

$1,715 ₽143.1K

63.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,187 ₽99.1K

$923 ₽77.1K

28.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.81

22.22

-10.85%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: October 17, 2026

Last update for Yekaterinburg: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Petersburg

$447 33.5%

Yekaterinburg

$470 34.1% 5.2% $23

Groceries & Markets

Saint Petersburg

$230 17.2%

Yekaterinburg

$218 15.8% 5.2% $12

Eating Out

Saint Petersburg

$185 13.9%

Yekaterinburg

$177 12.8% 4.3% $8

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Petersburg

$185 13.9%

Yekaterinburg

$294 21.3% 59.3% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Petersburg

$167 12.6%

Yekaterinburg

$136 9.9% 18.5% $31

Getting Around

Saint Petersburg

$63 4.7%

Yekaterinburg

$26 1.9% 59.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Petersburg

$56 4.2%

Yekaterinburg

$58 4.2% 4.1% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Saint Petersburg and $788 in Yekaterinburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Saint Petersburg vs $50.0 in Yekaterinburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $230 vs $218, with Yekaterinburg cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Yekaterinburg

🕒 Local time

15:37 3:37 PM

17:37 5:37 PM

2 h ahead of Saint Petersburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,597,763

1,495,066

💱 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 Yekaterinburg 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Petersburg
Yekaterinburg

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 Yekaterinburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Petersburg wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Yekaterinburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Saint Petersburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 29% 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 $788 in Yekaterinburg. 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 $1,381 in Yekaterinburg – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Saint Petersburg runs roughly 192% less than in Yekaterinburg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,334 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,381 in Yekaterinburg, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saint Petersburg but tight or insufficient in Yekaterinburg. The gap between the two cities makes Saint Petersburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Saint Petersburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,334 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Saint Petersburg hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Saint Petersburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Yekaterinburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.