Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saratov and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Saratov: $1,186 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Saratov
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Saratov Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index

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Saratov

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,186

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saratov 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 Saratov and in Moscow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,186 per month in Saratov vs $1,887 in Moscow, rent included.

Saratov $1,186
Moscow $1,887

A couple spends around $1,809 per month in Saratov vs $2,893 in Moscow, rent included.

Saratov $1,809
Moscow $2,893

A family of three spends $2,432 per month in Saratov vs $3,899 in Moscow, rent included.

Saratov $2,432
Moscow $3,899

Saratov is about 37% cheaper than Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Saratov sits 12% below the global median, while Moscow is 39% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.45 ₽1,290

$12.20 ₽1,018

26.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 ₽4,952

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₽828

$7.06 ₽589

40.51%

Cappuccino

$4.20 ₽351

$3.90 ₽326

7.69%

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

$0.94 ₽78.6

$1.70 ₽142

-44.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₽44.28

$0.86 ₽71.6

-38.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ₽78.7

$4.92 ₽411

-80.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 ₽437

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 ₽93.8

$1.23 ₽103

-8.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₽85.2

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ₽132

$1.77 ₽147

-10.73%

Eggs

$1.77 ₽147

$1.97 ₽164

-10.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 ₽1,104

$14.72 ₽1,229

-10.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.89 ₽491

$6.97 ₽582

-15.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 ₽1,095

$15.33 ₽1,279

-14.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 ₽402

$2.15 ₽179

124.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 ₽203

$1.80 ₽150

35.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 ₽59.2

$2.05 ₽171

-65.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 ₽451

$3.99 ₽333

35.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 ₽95.4

$0.93 ₽77.6

22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ₽40.70

$0.72 ₽59.8

-31.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 ₽78.4

$1.65 ₽138

-43.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₽55.9

$1.00 ₽83.6

-33.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₽251

$3.61 ₽301

-16.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.69 ₽809

$12.11 ₽1,011

-19.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ₽88.7

$1.23 ₽103

-13.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ₽186

$2.64 ₽220

-15.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 ₽43.34

$1.00 ₽83.6

-48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.99 ₽1,251

$42.43 ₽3,541

-64.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₽111

$3.57 ₽298

-62.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₽28.76

$0.81 ₽67.7

-58.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.69 ₽809

$12.22 ₽1,020

-20.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽70.5

$0.94 ₽78.5

-10.64%

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

$52.7K ₽4.4M

$43.9K ₽3.7M

20.13%

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

$40.4K ₽3.4M

$39.5K ₽3.3M

2.26%

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

$118 ₽9,816

$195 ₽16.2K

-39.58%

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

$9.69 ₽809

$8.83 ₽737

9.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.98 ₽916

$10.13 ₽845

8.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.45 ₽3,960

$42.77 ₽3,570

10.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.72 ₽2,314

$45.27 ₽3,779

-38.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.77 ₽648

$9.48 ₽791

-18.04%

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

$308 ₽25.7K

$850 ₽70.9K

-63.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,142 ₽178.8K

$29.1K ₽2.4M

-92.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 ₽7,223

$111 ₽9,237

-21.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 ₽4,573

$68.4 ₽5,709

-19.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 ₽8,744

$148 ₽12.4K

-29.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₽10.2K

$184 ₽15.4K

-33.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₽42.8K

$1,480 ₽123.5K

-65.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ₽28.2K

$846 ₽70.6K

-60.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 ₽81.8K

$3,083 ₽257.3K

-68.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 ₽58.2K

$1,542 ₽128.7K

-54.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,746 ₽145.7K

$10.1K ₽844.1K

-82.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,270 ₽106.0K

$4,782 ₽399.1K

-73.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$750 ₽62.6K

$1,743 ₽145.4K

-56.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.33

19.56

29.50%

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

Last update for Saratov: October 19, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saratov

$337 28.5%

Moscow

$846 44.8% 151% $509

Groceries & Markets

Saratov

$247 * 20.8%

Moscow

$271 14.3% 9.5% $24

Eating Out

Saratov

$214 * 18.1%

Moscow

$211 11.2% 1.7% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Saratov

$166 14%

Moscow

$230 12.2% 39% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saratov

$138 11.7%

Moscow

$214 11.3% 54.5% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Saratov

$63 5.3%

Moscow

$62 3.3% 2% $1.3

Getting Around

Saratov

$20 1.7%

Moscow

$54 2.9% 169% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $513 in Saratov versus $1,480 in Moscow. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 132% higher in Moscow, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Saratov

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

20:12 8:12 PM

19:12 7:12 PM

1 h behind Saratov

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

818,383

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saratov Moscow 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saratov
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

Saratov vs Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 59% more than Saratov, 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 $1,779 per month in Saratov and $2,831 in Moscow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saratov, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 183% less in Saratov. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 10% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saratov, where all-in costs run around $1,186, than in Moscow at $1,887. In Saratov it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Saratov costs $1,186 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 Saratov. 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.