Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samara and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Samara: $765 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Samara
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Samara Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index

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Samara

🇷🇺 Russia

$765

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Samara and in Moscow

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Samara and in Moscow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $765 per month in Samara vs $1,887 in Moscow, rent included.

Samara $765
Moscow $1,887

A couple spends around $1,253 per month in Samara vs $2,893 in Moscow, rent included.

Samara $1,253
Moscow $2,893

A family of three spends $1,741 per month in Samara vs $3,899 in Moscow, rent included.

Samara $1,741
Moscow $3,899

Samara is about 59% cheaper than Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Samara sits 44% below the global median, while Moscow is 39% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.57 ₽716

$12.20 ₽1,018

-29.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.02 ₽3,591

$59.3 ₽4,952

-27.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ₽435

$7.06 ₽589

-26.20%

Cappuccino

$2.30 ₽192

$3.90 ₽326

-41.03%

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

$1.14 ₽94.9

$1.70 ₽142

-32.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₽43.42

$0.86 ₽71.6

-39.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₽148

$4.92 ₽411

-64.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ₽248

$5.23 ₽437

-43.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₽104

$1.23 ₽103

0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₽87.7

$1.02 ₽85.2

2.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₽135

$1.77 ₽147

-8.47%

Eggs

$1.53 ₽128

$1.97 ₽164

-22.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 ₽1,013

$14.72 ₽1,229

-17.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 ₽590

$6.97 ₽582

1.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 ₽624

$15.33 ₽1,279

-51.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 ₽254

$2.15 ₽179

41.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ₽147

$1.80 ₽150

-2.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ₽171

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 ₽337

$3.99 ₽333

1.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ₽68.9

$0.93 ₽77.6

-10.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₽31.46

$0.72 ₽59.8

-47.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 ₽138

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₽46.44

$1.00 ₽83.6

-44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 ₽210

$3.61 ₽301

-30.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 ₽1,011

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₽89.5

$1.23 ₽103

-13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₽220

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₽38.41

$1.00 ₽83.6

-54.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.43 ₽3,541

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 ₽309

$3.57 ₽298

3.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₽67.7

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ₽308

$12.22 ₽1,020

-69.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 ₽72.9

$0.94 ₽78.5

-7.45%

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

$51.7K ₽4.3M

$43.9K ₽3.7M

17.90%

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

$41.2K ₽3.4M

$39.5K ₽3.3M

4.14%

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

$140 ₽11.7K

$195 ₽16.2K

-27.94%

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

$4.73 ₽395

$8.83 ₽737

-46.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.93 ₽1,163

$10.13 ₽845

37.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.07 ₽3,511

$42.77 ₽3,570

-1.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 ₽1,832

$45.27 ₽3,779

-51.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 ₽997

$9.48 ₽791

26.05%

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

$850 ₽70.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K ₽2.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$146 ₽12.1K

$111 ₽9,237

31.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.9 ₽6,587

$68.4 ₽5,709

15.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$158 ₽13.2K

$148 ₽12.4K

6.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.0 ₽7,176

$184 ₽15.4K

-53.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 ₽123.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 ₽70.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,083 ₽257.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 ₽128.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,443 ₽203.9K

$10.1K ₽844.1K

-75.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,601 ₽133.6K

$4,782 ₽399.1K

-66.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 ₽145.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.03

19.56

27.97%

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

Last update for Samara: October 17, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Clothing & Footwear

Samara

$211 27.5%

Moscow

$230 12.2% 9.3% $20

Groceries & Markets

Samara

$191 * 25%

Moscow

$271 14.3% 41.7% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samara

$159 20.8%

Moscow

$214 11.3% 34.4% $55

Eating Out

Samara

$133 17.4%

Moscow

$211 11.2% 58.2% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Samara

$66 8.6%

Moscow

$62 3.3% 6.4% $4.2

Getting Around

Samara

$5.5 * 0.7%

Moscow

$54 2.9% 876% $49

Accommodation & Living

Samara

- * 0%

Moscow

$846 44.8%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Samara versus $59.0 in Moscow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $271 – making Samara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Samara

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

14:54 2:54 PM

13:54 1:54 PM

1 h behind Samara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,163,645

12,700,000 Capital

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Samara Moscow 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Samara
Moscow

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

Samara vs Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 147% more than Samara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,148 per month in Samara and $2,831 in Moscow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $765 in Samara and $1,887 in Moscow. That's a gap of about 147%.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Moscow, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Samara, where all-in costs run around $765, than in Moscow at $1,887. In Samara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Samara costs $765 versus $1,887 in Moscow. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Samara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moscow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.