Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tomsk and Novosibirsk

For one person, living costs are similar in Tomsk and in Novosibirsk: $1,147 and $1,153 a month, rent and utilities included.

55

Cost of Living Index in Tomsk
Learn more

Tomsk Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
Learn more

Novosibirsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Tomsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,147

/mo nomad

Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,153

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,147 in Tomsk versus $1,153 in Novosibirsk.

Tomsk $1,147
Novosibirsk $1,153

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,768 in Tomsk versus $1,833 in Novosibirsk.

Tomsk $1,768
Novosibirsk $1,833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,389 in Tomsk versus $2,512 in Novosibirsk.

Tomsk $2,389
Novosibirsk $2,512

Monthly costs are close between Tomsk and Novosibirsk; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tomsk 16% lower, Novosibirsk 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.05 ₽644

$11.60 ₽928

-30.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.48 ₽2,438

$48.68 ₽3,894

-37.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.68 ₽535

$6.27 ₽501

6.54%

Cappuccino

$2.21 ₽177

$2.81 ₽225

-21.35%

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

$0.91 ₽72.5

$1.18 ₽94.5

-22.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₽33.39

$0.58 ₽46.53

-27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₽93.6

$1.23 ₽98.3

-4.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ₽267

$3.61 ₽288

-7.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ₽98.3

$1.23 ₽98.5

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 ₽56.2

$0.72 ₽57.9

-2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₽79.1

$1.48 ₽119

-33.11%

Eggs

$1.36 ₽109

$1.73 ₽139

-21.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.20 ₽976

$11.99 ₽959

1.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 ₽376

$5.00 ₽400

-5.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 ₽793

$12.33 ₽986

-19.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 ₽138

$1.91 ₽153

-9.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 ₽156

$1.79 ₽143

8.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 ₽178

$2.06 ₽165

8.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 ₽235

$3.36 ₽269

-12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 ₽37.29

$0.82 ₽66.0

-42.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 ₽28.62

$0.61 ₽48.96

-40.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 ₽139

$1.55 ₽124

12.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₽40.44

$0.83 ₽66.7

-38.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 ₽223

$3.17 ₽253

-11.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 ₽493

$10.66 ₽853

-42.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₽73.4

$1.00 ₽79.8

-8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₽132

$1.70 ₽136

-2.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ₽36.37

$0.55 ₽43.81

-18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.51 ₽1,480

$32.41 ₽2,592

-42.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ₽193

$2.54 ₽203

-4.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₽25.82

$0.52 ₽41.65

-38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ₽582

$6.21 ₽497

17.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 ₽66.4

$0.82 ₽66.0

1.22%

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

$54.1K ₽4.3M

$43.9K ₽3.5M

23.30%

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

$41.8K ₽3.3M

$39.4K ₽3.2M

6.05%

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

$169 ₽13.5K

$111 ₽8,903

51.85%

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

$8.39 ₽671

$7.18 ₽574

16.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.60 ₽1,088

$8.33 ₽666

63.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.40 ₽3,151

$38.16 ₽3,052

3.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.58 ₽1,326

$30.42 ₽2,433

-45.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 ₽390

$7.41 ₽592

-34.28%

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

$252 ₽20.1K

$312 ₽24.9K

-19.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ₽9,747

$71.9 ₽5,753

69.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.6 ₽5,969

$47.55 ₽3,803

56.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$176 ₽14.1K

$144 ₽11.6K

21.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₽10.1K

$100 ₽8,035

25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 ₽40.9K

$570 ₽45.6K

-10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ₽26.5K

$379 ₽30.3K

-12.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 ₽66.3K

$1,022 ₽81.7K

-18.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 ₽52.1K

$692 ₽55.4K

-5.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,096 ₽167.7K

$2,446 ₽195.6K

-14.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,534 ₽122.7K

$1,869 ₽149.5K

-17.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$930 ₽74.4K

$922 ₽73.8K

0.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.83

-3.64%

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

Last update for Tomsk: October 26, 2026

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tomsk

$332 28.9%

Novosibirsk

$379 32.8% 14.3% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Tomsk

$224 19.6%

Novosibirsk

$164 14.2% 26.9% $60

Groceries & Markets

Tomsk

$198 17.3%

Novosibirsk

$225 19.5% 13.9% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tomsk

$191 16.7%

Novosibirsk

$127 11% 33.6% $64

Eating Out

Tomsk

$129 11.2%

Novosibirsk

$166 14.4% 28.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Tomsk

$49 4.3%

Novosibirsk

$53 4.6% 7.8% $3.8

Getting Around

Tomsk

$24 2.1%

Novosibirsk

$40 3.5% 63.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $511 in Tomsk and $570 in Novosibirsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30 in Tomsk vs $49 in Novosibirsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $225 per month, with Tomsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Tomsk

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

Same time as Tomsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

551,505

1,620,162

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.25 USD

100 RUB = 1.12 EUR

100 RUB = 1.25 USD

100 RUB = 1.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tomsk Novosibirsk 210 km

From you

Tomsk
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

Tomsk vs Novosibirsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $1,721 in Tomsk and $1,730 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $511 in Tomsk versus $570 in Novosibirsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tomsk runs roughly 43% less than in Novosibirsk. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Novosibirsk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Tomsk is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.