Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulan Ude and Novosibirsk

For one person, living costs are similar in Ulan Ude and in Novosibirsk: $1,138 and $1,153 a month, rent and utilities included.

54

Cost of Living Index in Ulan Ude
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Ulan Ude Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
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Novosibirsk Living Index

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Ulan Ude

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,138

/mo nomad

Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,153

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Ulan Ude versus $1,153 in Novosibirsk.

Ulan Ude $1,138
Novosibirsk $1,153

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,770 in Ulan Ude versus $1,833 in Novosibirsk.

Ulan Ude $1,770
Novosibirsk $1,833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,402 in Ulan Ude versus $2,512 in Novosibirsk.

Ulan Ude $2,402
Novosibirsk $2,512

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.01 ₽565

$11.60 ₽934

-39.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.90 ₽4,019

$48.68 ₽3,920

2.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 ₽595

$6.27 ₽505

17.70%

Cappuccino

$3.70 ₽298

$2.81 ₽226

31.67%

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

$1.82 ₽147

$1.18 ₽95.1

54.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₽153

$0.58 ₽46.85

225.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 ₽306

$1.23 ₽98.9

208.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 ₽510

$3.61 ₽290

75.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₽117

$1.23 ₽99.2

18.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ₽70.1

$0.72 ₽58.3

20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 ₽115

$1.48 ₽119

-3.38%

Eggs

$2.22 ₽179

$1.73 ₽140

28.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.66 ₽1,019

$11.99 ₽966

5.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 ₽548

$5.00 ₽403

36.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.50 ₽1,087

$12.33 ₽993

9.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ₽171

$1.91 ₽154

10.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ₽150

$1.79 ₽144

3.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 ₽151

$2.06 ₽166

-9.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 ₽226

$3.36 ₽271

-16.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₽53.9

$0.82 ₽66.4

-18.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 ₽63.6

$0.61 ₽49.30

29.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 ₽176

$1.55 ₽125

41.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽52.7

$0.83 ₽67.1

-21.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₽242

$3.17 ₽255

-5.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 ₽563

$10.66 ₽858

-34.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₽121

$1.00 ₽80.4

51.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₽103

$1.70 ₽137

-24.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ₽39.36

$0.55 ₽44.11

-10.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.50 ₽1,973

$32.41 ₽2,610

-24.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 ₽102

$2.54 ₽204

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.15 ₽12.31

$0.52 ₽41.94

-71.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 ₽604

$6.21 ₽500

20.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 ₽65.6

$0.82 ₽66.4

-1.22%

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

$50.2K ₽4.0M

$43.9K ₽3.5M

14.46%

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

$37.7K ₽3.0M

$39.4K ₽3.2M

-4.36%

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

$95.1 ₽7,655

$111 ₽8,964

-14.61%

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

$4.84 ₽390

$7.18 ₽578

-32.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.89 ₽635

$8.33 ₽670

-5.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.48 ₽1,971

$38.16 ₽3,073

-35.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.19 ₽3,962

$30.42 ₽2,450

61.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.49 ₽603

$7.41 ₽596

1.08%

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

$312 ₽25.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 ₽5,895

$71.9 ₽5,793

1.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.56 ₽2,461

$47.55 ₽3,829

-35.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 ₽9,859

$144 ₽11.6K

-15.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₽10.1K

$100 ₽8,091

25.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₽42.3K

$570 ₽45.9K

-7.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 ₽31.9K

$379 ₽30.5K

4.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 ₽65.5K

$1,022 ₽82.3K

-20.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 ₽49.6K

$692 ₽55.8K

-10.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,138 ₽172.2K

$2,446 ₽197.0K

-12.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,580 ₽127.3K

$1,869 ₽150.5K

-15.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$911 ₽73.4K

$922 ₽74.3K

-1.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.67

22.83

-5.08%

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

Last update for Ulan Ude: October 25, 2026

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulan Ude

$396 34.8%

Novosibirsk

$379 32.8% 4.4% $17

Groceries & Markets

Ulan Ude

$238 20.9%

Novosibirsk

$225 19.5% 5.3% $13

Eating Out

Ulan Ude

$169 14.9%

Novosibirsk

$166 14.4% 2% $3.4

Clothing & Footwear

Ulan Ude

$158 13.9%

Novosibirsk

$164 14.2% 3.5% $5.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulan Ude

$108 9.5%

Novosibirsk

$127 11% 17.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Ulan Ude

$39 3.5%

Novosibirsk

$53 4.6% 34.3% $14

Getting Around

Ulan Ude

$28 2.5%

Novosibirsk

$40 3.5% 39.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Ulan Ude and $570 in Novosibirsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50 in Ulan Ude vs $49 in Novosibirsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $225 per month, with Novosibirsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Ulan Ude

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

17:42 5:42 PM

1 h behind Ulan Ude

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

436,138

1,620,162

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Ulan Ude Novosibirsk 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ulan Ude
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

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

You’d need roughly $1,706 in Ulan Ude 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: $526 in Ulan Ude versus $570 in Novosibirsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ulan Ude runs roughly 24% less than in Novosibirsk. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Novosibirsk pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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.