Cost of Living Comparison Between Surgut and Saint Petersburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Surgut and Saint Petersburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $978 in Surgut versus $1,269 in Saint Petersburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,494 in Surgut versus $1,996 in Saint Petersburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,010 in Surgut versus $2,723 in Saint Petersburg.

Living in Surgut costs roughly 23% less than in Saint Petersburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surgut 27% lower, Saint Petersburg 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.33 ₽700

$9.61 ₽721

-2.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₽2,872

$48.97 ₽3,675

-21.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 ₽421

$5.87 ₽441

-4.26%

Cappuccino

$2.38 ₽178

$2.62 ₽196

-9.16%

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

$1.12 ₽84.2

$1.07 ₽80.5

4.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₽36.06

$0.58 ₽43.20

-17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 ₽106

$3.14 ₽236

-54.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₽196

$3.75 ₽282

-30.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₽82.6

$1.22 ₽91.5

-9.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 ₽49.59

$0.89 ₽66.5

-25.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ₽104

$1.57 ₽118

-11.46%

Eggs

$1.76 ₽132

$1.86 ₽140

-5.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 ₽801

$12.27 ₽921

-13.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₽369

$5.29 ₽397

-7.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 ₽649

$10.64 ₽798

-18.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₽134

$1.70 ₽128

5.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₽135

$1.88 ₽141

-4.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ₽149

$1.97 ₽148

1.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 ₽210

$3.47 ₽260

-19.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₽63.1

$0.90 ₽67.5

-6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 ₽49.65

$0.68 ₽51.1

-2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₽105

$1.33 ₽99.8

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₽52.9

$0.72 ₽54.2

-2.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₽223

$2.92 ₽219

1.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 ₽512

$9.47 ₽710

-27.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₽71.8

$1.05 ₽78.8

-8.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₽143

$2.03 ₽152

-5.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ₽37.00

$0.91 ₽68.4

-46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.4 ₽4,004

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₽145

$2.77 ₽208

-30.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₽24.37

$0.59 ₽44.57

-45.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.36 ₽478

$7.84 ₽588

-18.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₽54.2

$0.74 ₽55.9

-2.70%

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

$34.3K ₽2.6M

$38.2K ₽2.9M

-10.19%

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

$35.1K ₽2.6M

$37.8K ₽2.8M

-7.30%

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

$108 ₽8,112

$133 ₽9,948

-18.45%

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

$6.10 ₽458

$6.79 ₽509

-10.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.76 ₽583

$7.06 ₽530

9.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.24 ₽2,644

$36.63 ₽2,748

-3.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 ₽1,696

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 ₽371

$5.74 ₽431

-13.76%

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

$328 ₽24.6K

$393 ₽29.5K

-16.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,087 ₽531.8K

$9,391 ₽704.7K

-24.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 ₽5,194

$102 ₽7,626

-31.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.71 ₽3,280

$54.4 ₽4,081

-19.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₽8,708

$115 ₽8,633

0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₽8,032

$135 ₽10.2K

-20.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 ₽33.2K

$801 ₽60.1K

-44.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ₽22.6K

$459 ₽34.4K

-34.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 ₽57.5K

$1,404 ₽105.4K

-45.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ₽37.4K

$907 ₽68.1K

-45.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,581 ₽118.6K

$4,570 ₽343.0K

-65.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 ₽101.8K

$2,883 ₽216.4K

-52.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 ₽68.7K

$1,251 ₽93.9K

-26.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.33

24.95

-38.56%

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

Last update for Surgut: April 21, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Surgut and $801 in Saint Petersburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 37% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38 in Surgut vs $49 in Saint Petersburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $221 per month, with Surgut cheaper across the board.

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

Surgut vs Saint Petersburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surgut wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Surgut the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Saint Petersburg earns 37% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $442 in Surgut versus $801 in Saint Petersburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $328 in Surgut versus $393 in Saint Petersburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surgut – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $49.00 in Saint Petersburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $978 in Surgut versus $1,269 in Saint Petersburg, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Surgut but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. The gap between the two cities makes Surgut the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Surgut delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $978 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Surgut hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Surgut gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.