Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samara and Nis

For one person, living is cheaper in Samara: $765 a month against $1,025 in Nis, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nis outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Samara
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Samara Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Nis
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Nis Living Index

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Samara

🇷🇺 Russia

$765

/mo nomad

Nis

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,025

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Samara and in Nis

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

A single person spends $765 per month in Samara vs $1,025 in Nis, rent included.

Samara $765
Nis $1,025

A couple spends around $1,253 per month in Samara vs $1,504 in Nis, rent included.

Samara $1,253
Nis $1,504

A family of three spends $1,741 per month in Samara vs $1,983 in Nis, rent included.

Samara $1,741
Nis $1,983

Samara is about 25% cheaper than Nis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Samara and Nis are more affordable than the global median – Samara 44% lower, Nis 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.57 ₽716

$8.73 RSD 911

-1.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.02 ₽3,591

$33.40 RSD 3,482

28.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ₽435

$9.74 RSD 1,015

-46.51%

Cappuccino

$2.30 ₽192

$1.97 RSD 205

16.75%

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

$1.14 ₽94.9

$2.29 RSD 238

-50.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₽43.42

$1.75 RSD 183

-70.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₽148

$3.57 RSD 372

-50.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ₽248

$4.54 RSD 473

-34.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₽104

$1.09 RSD 114

13.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₽87.7

$0.74 RSD 76.8

41.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₽135

$1.79 RSD 187

-9.50%

Eggs

$1.53 ₽128

$2.39 RSD 250

-35.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 ₽1,013

$7.95 RSD 829

52.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 ₽590

$5.69 RSD 594

24.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 ₽624

$10.31 RSD 1,075

-27.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 ₽254

$1.07 RSD 112

184.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ₽147

$1.70 RSD 178

3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 RSD 151

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 ₽337

$2.11 RSD 220

91.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ₽68.9

$0.83 RSD 86.9

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₽31.46

$0.75 RSD 78.3

-49.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 RSD 64.9

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₽46.44

$0.57 RSD 59.6

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 ₽210

$4.50 RSD 469

-44.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 RSD 588

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₽89.5

$0.67 RSD 70.2

59.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 RSD 130

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₽38.41

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 ₽309

$1.87 RSD 195

97.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 RSD 68.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ₽308

$8.24 RSD 859

-55.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 ₽72.9

$1.88 RSD 196

-53.72%

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

$51.7K ₽4.3M

$30.0K RSD 3.1M

72.67%

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

$41.2K ₽3.4M

$23.4K RSD 2.4M

75.96%

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

$140 ₽11.7K

$165 RSD 17.2K

-14.86%

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

$4.73 ₽395

$18.90 RSD 1,970

-74.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.93 ₽1,163

$22.91 RSD 2,388

-39.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.07 ₽3,511

$30.62 RSD 3,192

37.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 ₽1,832

$15.51 RSD 1,617

41.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 ₽997

$4.72 RSD 492

153.18%

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

$252 RSD 26.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,863 RSD 507.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$146 ₽12.1K

$88.3 RSD 9,201

64.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.9 ₽6,587

$37.22 RSD 3,880

112.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$158 ₽13.2K

$101 RSD 10.5K

55.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.0 ₽7,176

$111 RSD 11.6K

-22.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 RSD 40.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 RSD 28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 RSD 62.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 RSD 41.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,443 ₽203.9K

$2,496 RSD 260.2K

-2.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,601 ₽133.6K

$1,882 RSD 196.1K

-14.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$894 RSD 93.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.03

5.12

388.87%

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

Last update for Samara: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nis: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Clothing & Footwear

Samara

$211 27.5%

Nis

$152 14.8% 27.8% $59

Groceries & Markets

Samara

$191 * 25%

Nis

$181 17.6% 5.4% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samara

$159 20.8%

Nis

$207 20.2% 30% $48

Eating Out

Samara

$133 17.4%

Nis

$166 16.2% 24.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Samara

$66 8.6%

Nis

$40 3.9% 39.3% $26

Getting Around

Samara

$5.5 * 0.7%

Nis

$5.1 * 0.5% 7.4% $0.4

Accommodation & Living

Samara

- * 0%

Nis

$275 26.8%

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 $33.00 in Nis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $181 – making Nis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Samara

🇷🇸 Nis

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

15:18 3:18 PM

2 h behind Samara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,163,645

78,470

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Samara Nis 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Samara
Nis

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 Nis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nis costs about 34% more than Samara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $1,537 in Nis. 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 $1,025 in Nis. That's a gap of about 34%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Nis – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $765 in Samara and $1,025 in Nis, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Samara costs $765 versus $1,025 in Nis. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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