Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulan Ude and Kazan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulan Ude: $1,138 a month against $1,254 in Kazan, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Ulan Ude
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Ulan Ude Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Kazan
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Kazan Living Index

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Ulan Ude

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,138

/mo nomad

Kazan

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,254

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ulan Ude and in Kazan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ulan Ude and in Kazan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Ulan Ude versus $1,254 in Kazan.

Ulan Ude $1,138
Kazan $1,254

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,770 in Ulan Ude versus $1,944 in Kazan.

Ulan Ude $1,770
Kazan $1,944

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,402 in Ulan Ude versus $2,635 in Kazan.

Ulan Ude $2,402
Kazan $2,635

Living in Ulan Ude costs roughly 9% less than in Kazan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ulan Ude 16% lower, Kazan 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.01 ₽565

$13.87 ₽1,117

-49.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.90 ₽4,019

$40.79 ₽3,285

22.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 ₽595

$6.49 ₽522

13.71%

Cappuccino

$3.70 ₽298

$3.27 ₽263

13.15%

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

$1.82 ₽147

$1.42 ₽115

28.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₽153

$0.63 ₽50.6

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 ₽306

$1.83 ₽148

107.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 ₽510

$2.47 ₽199

156.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₽117

$1.14 ₽91.8

28.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ₽70.1

$0.77 ₽62.3

12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 ₽115

$1.59 ₽128

-10.06%

Eggs

$2.22 ₽179

$1.49 ₽120

48.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.66 ₽1,019

$11.67 ₽940

8.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 ₽548

$4.84 ₽390

40.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.50 ₽1,087

$11.03 ₽888

22.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ₽171

$2.00 ₽161

6.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ₽150

$1.73 ₽139

7.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 ₽151

$2.00 ₽161

-6.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 ₽226

$3.16 ₽255

-11.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₽53.9

$0.85 ₽68.5

-21.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 ₽63.6

$0.55 ₽44.21

43.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 ₽176

$1.50 ₽121

46.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽52.7

$0.78 ₽63.0

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₽242

$3.02 ₽243

-0.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 ₽563

$8.01 ₽645

-12.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₽121

$1.10 ₽88.7

37.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₽103

$1.99 ₽160

-35.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ₽39.36

$0.58 ₽46.94

-15.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.50 ₽1,973

$31.56 ₽2,542

-22.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 ₽102

$2.50 ₽201

-49.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.15 ₽12.31

$0.53 ₽42.95

-71.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 ₽604

$7.58 ₽611

-1.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 ₽65.6

$0.85 ₽68.4

-4.71%

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

$50.2K ₽4.0M

$53.0K ₽4.3M

-5.26%

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

$37.7K ₽3.0M

$42.4K ₽3.4M

-11.12%

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

$95.1 ₽7,655

$128 ₽10.3K

-25.74%

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

$4.84 ₽390

$5.61 ₽451

-13.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.89 ₽635

$7.33 ₽590

7.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.48 ₽1,971

$37.72 ₽3,038

-35.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.19 ₽3,962

$31.24 ₽2,516

57.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.49 ₽603

$6.72 ₽541

11.46%

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

$301 ₽24.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,657 ₽536.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 ₽5,895

$95.3 ₽7,671

-23.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.56 ₽2,461

$96.1 ₽7,742

-68.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 ₽9,859

$108 ₽8,658

13.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₽10.1K

$79.0 ₽6,358

59.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₽42.3K

$699 ₽56.3K

-24.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 ₽31.9K

$448 ₽36.1K

-11.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 ₽65.5K

$1,158 ₽93.2K

-29.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 ₽49.6K

$806 ₽64.9K

-23.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,138 ₽172.2K

$4,519 ₽363.9K

-52.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,580 ₽127.3K

$2,489 ₽200.5K

-36.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$911 ₽73.4K

$1,000 ₽80.5K

-8.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.67

20.8

4.18%

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

Last update for Ulan Ude: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kazan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulan Ude

$396 34.8%

Kazan

$448 35.7% 13% $52

Groceries & Markets

Ulan Ude

$238 20.9%

Kazan

$213 17% 10.7% $25

Eating Out

Ulan Ude

$169 14.9%

Kazan

$192 15.3% 13.5% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Ulan Ude

$158 13.9%

Kazan

$170 13.6% 7.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulan Ude

$108 9.5%

Kazan

$141 11.2% 30.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Ulan Ude

$39 3.5%

Kazan

$51 4.1% 29.7% $12

Getting Around

Ulan Ude

$28 2.5%

Kazan

$39 3.1% 37.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Ulan Ude and $699 in Kazan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kazan pays 10% 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: $50 in Ulan Ude vs $41 in Kazan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $213 per month, with Kazan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Ulan Ude

🇷🇺 Kazan

🕒 Local time

07:46 7:46 AM

02:46 2:46 AM

5 h behind Ulan Ude

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

436,138

1,257,341

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Ulan Ude Kazan 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ulan Ude
Kazan

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

Ulan Ude vs Kazan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,138 in Ulan Ude and $1,254 in Kazan, so Ulan Ude is about 9% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Ulan Ude. 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: $526 in Ulan Ude versus $699 in Kazan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kazan pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,138 per month in Ulan Ude versus $1,254 in Kazan – Ulan Ude is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ulan Ude gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Ulan Ude wins on affordability, Kazan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.