Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samara and Novosibirsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Samara: $765 a month against $1,121 in Novosibirsk, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Samara
Learn more

Samara Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
Learn more

Novosibirsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Samara

🇷🇺 Russia

$765

/mo nomad

Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,121

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Samara and in Novosibirsk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $765 in Samara versus $1,121 in Novosibirsk.

Samara $765
Novosibirsk $1,121

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,253 in Samara versus $1,786 in Novosibirsk.

Samara $1,253
Novosibirsk $1,786

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,741 in Samara versus $2,451 in Novosibirsk.

Samara $1,741
Novosibirsk $2,451

Living in Samara costs roughly 32% less than in Novosibirsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Samara 44% lower, Novosibirsk 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.57 ₽716

$11.52 ₽962

-25.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.02 ₽3,591

$48.38 ₽4,038

-11.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ₽435

$6.06 ₽506

-14.03%

Cappuccino

$2.30 ₽192

$2.66 ₽222

-13.53%

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

$1.14 ₽94.9

$1.11 ₽92.7

2.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₽43.42

$0.57 ₽47.92

-8.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₽148

$1.18 ₽98.5

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ₽248

$3.60 ₽300

-17.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₽104

$1.20 ₽100

3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₽87.7

$0.70 ₽58.5

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₽135

$1.37 ₽114

18.25%

Eggs

$1.53 ₽128

$1.61 ₽135

-4.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 ₽1,013

$12.06 ₽1,007

0.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 ₽590

$4.80 ₽401

47.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 ₽624

$12.01 ₽1,002

-37.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 ₽254

$1.97 ₽164

54.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ₽147

$1.78 ₽149

-1.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ₽163

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 ₽337

$3.30 ₽275

22.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ₽68.9

$0.87 ₽73.0

-4.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₽31.46

$0.60 ₽50.0

-36.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 ₽122

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₽46.44

$0.80 ₽66.6

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 ₽210

$3.19 ₽266

-21.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 ₽846

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₽89.5

$0.95 ₽79.4

12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₽138

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₽38.41

$0.56 ₽46.81

-17.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ₽2,453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 ₽309

$2.41 ₽201

53.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 ₽41.11

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ₽308

$6.16 ₽514

-40.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 ₽72.9

$0.88 ₽73.1

-1.14%

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

$51.7K ₽4.3M

$42.8K ₽3.6M

20.79%

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

$41.2K ₽3.4M

$38.8K ₽3.2M

6.15%

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

$140 ₽11.7K

$109 ₽9,089

28.80%

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

$4.73 ₽395

$7.32 ₽611

-35.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.93 ₽1,163

$8.35 ₽697

66.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.07 ₽3,511

$37.80 ₽3,155

11.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 ₽1,832

$29.99 ₽2,503

-26.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 ₽997

$7.29 ₽609

63.92%

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

$303 ₽25.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$146 ₽12.1K

$70.3 ₽5,865

107.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.9 ₽6,587

$46.16 ₽3,852

70.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$158 ₽13.2K

$140 ₽11.7K

12.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.0 ₽7,176

$98.3 ₽8,201

-12.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 ₽45.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 ₽30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 ₽84.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ₽56.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,443 ₽203.9K

$2,352 ₽196.3K

3.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,601 ₽133.6K

$1,778 ₽148.4K

-9.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₽74.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.03

22.83

9.64%

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

Last update for Samara: October 17, 2026

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Clothing & Footwear

Samara

$211 27.5%

Novosibirsk

$160 14.2% 24.2% $51

Groceries & Markets

Samara

$191 * 25%

Novosibirsk

$220 19.6% 15% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samara

$159 20.8%

Novosibirsk

$125 11.1% 21.6% $34

Eating Out

Samara

$133 17.4%

Novosibirsk

$162 14.5% 21.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Samara

$66 8.6%

Novosibirsk

$52 4.7% 20.6% $14

Getting Around

Samara

$5.5 * 0.7%

Novosibirsk

$37 3.3% 559% $31

Accommodation & Living

Samara

- * 0%

Novosibirsk

$367 32.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Samara vs $48.00 in Novosibirsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $220 per month, with Samara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Samara

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

20:23 8:23 PM

3 h ahead of Samara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,163,645

1,620,162

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Samara Novosibirsk 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Samara
Novosibirsk

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 Novosibirsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,148 in Samara and $1,682 in Novosibirsk to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Novosibirsk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Samara – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $48.00 in Novosibirsk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $765 in Samara versus $1,121 in Novosibirsk, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samara but tight or insufficient in Novosibirsk. The gap between the two cities makes Samara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Novosibirsk, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Samara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Novosibirsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.