Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tomsk and Saint Petersburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Tomsk: $1,147 a month against $1,375 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Tomsk
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Tomsk Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index

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Tomsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,147

/mo nomad

Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,375

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tomsk and in Saint Petersburg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,147 in Tomsk versus $1,375 in Saint Petersburg.

Tomsk $1,147
Saint Petersburg $1,375

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,768 in Tomsk versus $2,195 in Saint Petersburg.

Tomsk $1,768
Saint Petersburg $2,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,389 in Tomsk versus $3,014 in Saint Petersburg.

Tomsk $2,389
Saint Petersburg $3,014

Living in Tomsk costs roughly 17% less than in Saint Petersburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.05 ₽644

$12.42 ₽993

-35.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.48 ₽2,438

$44.05 ₽3,523

-30.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.68 ₽535

$6.95 ₽556

-3.88%

Cappuccino

$2.21 ₽177

$3.26 ₽261

-32.21%

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

$0.91 ₽72.5

$1.61 ₽128

-43.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₽33.39

$0.78 ₽62.2

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₽93.6

$2.81 ₽225

-58.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ₽267

$3.63 ₽290

-7.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ₽98.3

$1.19 ₽95.2

3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 ₽56.2

$0.95 ₽76.3

-26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₽79.1

$1.70 ₽136

-41.76%

Eggs

$1.36 ₽109

$1.67 ₽134

-18.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.20 ₽976

$12.39 ₽991

-1.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 ₽376

$6.64 ₽531

-29.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 ₽793

$12.85 ₽1,028

-22.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 ₽138

$1.75 ₽140

-1.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 ₽156

$1.64 ₽131

18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 ₽178

$1.79 ₽144

24.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 ₽235

$3.36 ₽269

-12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 ₽37.29

$0.83 ₽66.4

-43.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 ₽28.62

$0.63 ₽50.2

-42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 ₽139

$1.33 ₽106

30.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₽40.44

$0.78 ₽62.3

-34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 ₽223

$3.16 ₽253

-11.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 ₽493

$9.41 ₽753

-34.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₽73.4

$1.19 ₽94.9

-22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₽132

$1.97 ₽158

-16.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ₽36.37

$1.10 ₽88.1

-59.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.51 ₽1,480

$56.1 ₽4,487

-67.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ₽193

$2.80 ₽224

-13.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₽25.82

$0.60 ₽48.22

-46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ₽582

$9.01 ₽721

-19.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 ₽66.4

$0.88 ₽70.7

-5.68%

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

$54.1K ₽4.3M

$43.0K ₽3.4M

25.70%

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

$41.8K ₽3.3M

$37.4K ₽3.0M

11.82%

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

$169 ₽13.5K

$156 ₽12.5K

8.20%

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

$8.39 ₽671

$7.85 ₽628

6.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.60 ₽1,088

$8.71 ₽697

56.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.40 ₽3,151

$41.31 ₽3,304

-4.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.58 ₽1,326

$43.82 ₽3,505

-62.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 ₽390

$7.57 ₽605

-35.67%

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

$252 ₽20.1K

$663 ₽53.1K

-62.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ₽1.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ₽9,747

$98.5 ₽7,881

23.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.6 ₽5,969

$54.2 ₽4,334

37.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$176 ₽14.1K

$140 ₽11.2K

25.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₽10.1K

$128 ₽10.2K

-1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 ₽40.9K

$772 ₽61.7K

-33.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ₽26.5K

$466 ₽37.3K

-28.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 ₽66.3K

$1,619 ₽129.5K

-48.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 ₽52.1K

$974 ₽77.9K

-33.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,096 ₽167.7K

$4,632 ₽370.5K

-54.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,534 ₽122.7K

$2,886 ₽230.9K

-46.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$930 ₽74.4K

$1,230 ₽98.4K

-24.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.69

11.73%

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

Last update for Tomsk: October 26, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tomsk

$332 28.9%

Saint Petersburg

$466 33.9% 40.7% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Tomsk

$224 19.6%

Saint Petersburg

$189 13.8% 15.6% $35

Groceries & Markets

Tomsk

$198 17.3%

Saint Petersburg

$234 17% 18% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tomsk

$191 16.7%

Saint Petersburg

$173 12.6% 9.5% $18

Eating Out

Tomsk

$129 11.2%

Saint Petersburg

$190 13.8% 47.6% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Tomsk

$49 4.3%

Saint Petersburg

$56 4.1% 14.8% $7.3

Getting Around

Tomsk

$24 2.1%

Saint Petersburg

$66 4.8% 172% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $511 in Tomsk and $772 in Saint Petersburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $30 in Tomsk vs $44 in Saint Petersburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $234 per month, with Tomsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Tomsk

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

07:28 7:28 AM

4 h behind Tomsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

551,505

5,597,763

💱 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

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Between locations

Tomsk Saint Petersburg 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tomsk
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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 Saint Petersburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tomsk wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tomsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Tomsk. 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: $511 in Tomsk versus $772 in Saint Petersburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,147 per month in Tomsk versus $1,375 in Saint Petersburg – Tomsk is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Tomsk runs roughly 67% less than in Saint Petersburg. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

Expats usually find Tomsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.