Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tomsk and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Tomsk: $1,096 a month against $1,833 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Tomsk
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Tomsk Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index

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Tomsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,096

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,096 per month in Tomsk vs $1,833 in Moscow, rent included.

Tomsk $1,096
Moscow $1,833

A couple spends around $1,687 per month in Tomsk vs $2,835 in Moscow, rent included.

Tomsk $1,687
Moscow $2,835

A family of three spends $2,277 per month in Tomsk vs $3,837 in Moscow, rent included.

Tomsk $2,277
Moscow $3,837

Tomsk is about 40% cheaper than Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tomsk sits 19% below the global median, while Moscow is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.70 ₽642

$12.01 ₽1,002

-35.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.26 ₽2,442

$59.8 ₽4,987

-51.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.39 ₽533

$6.97 ₽582

-8.32%

Cappuccino

$2.20 ₽184

$3.90 ₽326

-43.59%

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

$0.89 ₽74.5

$1.67 ₽140

-46.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 ₽33.91

$0.88 ₽73.1

-53.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 ₽93.2

$4.88 ₽408

-77.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₽266

$5.50 ₽459

-42.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ₽102

$1.27 ₽106

-3.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 ₽60.0

$1.02 ₽85.1

-29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₽77.8

$1.67 ₽139

-44.31%

Eggs

$1.36 ₽113

$1.92 ₽161

-29.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 ₽952

$14.46 ₽1,207

-21.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₽371

$6.69 ₽558

-33.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 ₽766

$15.11 ₽1,261

-39.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 ₽139

$2.04 ₽170

-18.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 ₽165

$1.86 ₽155

5.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 ₽177

$2.02 ₽169

4.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 ₽240

$4.06 ₽338

-29.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 ₽34.81

$0.92 ₽76.9

-54.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₽31.00

$0.75 ₽62.5

-50.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 ₽144

$1.63 ₽136

5.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₽39.65

$0.91 ₽76.0

-47.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₽225

$3.42 ₽286

-21.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.81 ₽485

$11.97 ₽999

-51.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₽74.8

$1.20 ₽100

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₽138

$2.64 ₽221

-37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₽39.36

$0.91 ₽75.7

-48.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.45 ₽706

$41.33 ₽3,449

-79.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 ₽193

$3.60 ₽300

-35.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ₽24.19

$0.85 ₽71.1

-65.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 ₽602

$12.10 ₽1,010

-40.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₽71.0

$0.87 ₽72.8

-2.30%

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

$36.0K ₽3.0M

$39.3K ₽3.3M

-8.27%

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

$30.9K ₽2.6M

$38.5K ₽3.2M

-19.81%

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

$166 ₽13.9K

$191 ₽16.0K

-13.23%

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

$7.75 ₽647

$8.65 ₽722

-10.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.19 ₽1,101

$10.19 ₽850

29.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.44 ₽3,125

$42.73 ₽3,566

-12.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 ₽1,338

$44.45 ₽3,710

-63.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 ₽407

$9.50 ₽793

-48.74%

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

$240 ₽20.0K

$817 ₽68.2K

-70.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.7K ₽2.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 ₽9,630

$110 ₽9,172

5.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.8 ₽5,990

$67.9 ₽5,664

5.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 ₽13.9K

$146 ₽12.2K

13.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ₽9,972

$184 ₽15.4K

-35.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 ₽40.0K

$1,499 ₽125.1K

-68.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 ₽26.8K

$804 ₽67.1K

-60.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$779 ₽65.0K

$3,068 ₽256.0K

-74.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₽52.4K

$1,501 ₽125.3K

-58.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,992 ₽166.3K

$10.2K ₽855.4K

-80.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,455 ₽121.4K

$4,709 ₽393.0K

-69.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$901 ₽75.2K

$1,715 ₽143.1K

-47.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.56

12.47%

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

Last update for Tomsk: October 11, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tomsk

$321 29.3%

Moscow

$804 43.9% 150% $483

Clothing & Footwear

Tomsk

$213 19.4%

Moscow

$229 12.5% 7.4% $16

Groceries & Markets

Tomsk

$190 17.3%

Moscow

$266 14.5% 40.3% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tomsk

$187 17.1%

Moscow

$210 11.5% 12.4% $23

Eating Out

Tomsk

$124 11.3%

Moscow

$209 11.4% 68.5% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Tomsk

$47 4.3%

Moscow

$62 3.4% 30.8% $15

Getting Around

Tomsk

$14 1.3%

Moscow

$53 2.9% 274% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $479 in Tomsk versus $1,499 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 90% higher in Moscow, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Tomsk versus $60.0 in Moscow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $266 – making Tomsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Tomsk

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

22:51 10:51 PM

18:51 6:51 PM

4 h behind Tomsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

551,505

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

Tomsk Moscow 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Tomsk
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

Tomsk vs Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 67% more than Tomsk, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,645 per month in Tomsk and $2,749 in Moscow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 389% less in Tomsk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $240 per month in Tomsk and $817 in Moscow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tomsk, where all-in costs run around $1,096, than in Moscow at $1,833. In Tomsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tomsk costs $1,096 versus $1,833 in Moscow. 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 Tomsk. 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.