Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulyanovsk and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulyanovsk: $898 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Ulyanovsk
Learn more

Ulyanovsk Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
Learn more

Moscow Living Index

Jump to prices

Ulyanovsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$898

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $898 per month in Ulyanovsk vs $1,887 in Moscow, rent included.

Ulyanovsk $898
Moscow $1,887

A couple spends around $1,386 per month in Ulyanovsk vs $2,893 in Moscow, rent included.

Ulyanovsk $1,386
Moscow $2,893

A family of three spends $1,874 per month in Ulyanovsk vs $3,899 in Moscow, rent included.

Ulyanovsk $1,874
Moscow $3,899

Ulyanovsk is about 52% cheaper than Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Ulyanovsk sits 34% below the global median, while Moscow is 39% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.40 ₽701

$12.20 ₽1,018

-31.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.41 ₽2,538

$59.3 ₽4,952

-48.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 ₽538

$7.06 ₽589

-8.78%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ₽191

$3.90 ₽326

-41.28%

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

$0.93 ₽77.8

$1.70 ₽142

-45.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₽29.97

$0.86 ₽71.6

-58.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₽147

$4.92 ₽411

-64.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₽164

$5.23 ₽437

-62.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 ₽86.9

$1.23 ₽103

-15.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 ₽51.3

$1.02 ₽85.2

-39.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₽87.2

$1.77 ₽147

-41.24%

Eggs

$1.49 ₽124

$1.97 ₽164

-24.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 ₽1,217

$14.72 ₽1,229

-0.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 ₽620

$6.97 ₽582

6.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.35 ₽613

$15.33 ₽1,279

-52.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 ₽133

$2.15 ₽179

-26.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₽129

$1.80 ₽150

-13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 ₽338

$2.05 ₽171

97.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 ₽409

$3.99 ₽333

22.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ₽124

$0.93 ₽77.6

60.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 ₽70.0

$0.72 ₽59.8

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 ₽138

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₽44.15

$1.00 ₽83.6

-47.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ₽258

$3.61 ₽301

-14.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 ₽1,011

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₽89.2

$1.23 ₽103

-13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₽220

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ₽36.70

$1.00 ₽83.6

-56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.43 ₽3,541

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₽294

$3.57 ₽298

-1.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₽67.7

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 ₽301

$12.22 ₽1,020

-70.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 ₽72.5

$0.94 ₽78.5

-7.45%

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

$53.4K ₽4.5M

$43.9K ₽3.7M

21.63%

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

$41.0K ₽3.4M

$39.5K ₽3.3M

3.58%

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

$141 ₽11.8K

$195 ₽16.2K

-27.45%

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

$4.81 ₽401

$8.83 ₽737

-45.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.69 ₽1,143

$10.13 ₽845

35.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.46 ₽3,043

$42.77 ₽3,570

-14.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.86 ₽2,075

$45.27 ₽3,779

-45.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.51 ₽711

$9.48 ₽791

-10.23%

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

$850 ₽70.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K ₽2.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.17 ₽2,518

$111 ₽9,237

-72.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.74 ₽2,983

$68.4 ₽5,709

-47.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 ₽7,942

$148 ₽12.4K

-35.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 ₽4,979

$184 ₽15.4K

-67.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 ₽30.2K

$1,480 ₽123.5K

-75.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 ₽20.3K

$846 ₽70.6K

-71.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 ₽41.1K

$3,083 ₽257.3K

-84.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 ₽36.0K

$1,542 ₽128.7K

-72.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,620 ₽218.7K

$10.1K ₽844.1K

-74.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,519 ₽126.7K

$4,782 ₽399.1K

-68.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$509 ₽42.5K

$1,743 ₽145.4K

-70.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.56

17.59%

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

Last update for Ulyanovsk: October 19, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulyanovsk

$243 27.1%

Moscow

$846 44.8% 248% $603

Groceries & Markets

Ulyanovsk

$205 * 22.9%

Moscow

$271 14.3% 31.7% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulyanovsk

$160 17.8%

Moscow

$214 11.3% 33.8% $54

Eating Out

Ulyanovsk

$132 14.7%

Moscow

$211 11.2% 59.9% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Ulyanovsk

$99 11.1%

Moscow

$230 12.2% 132% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Ulyanovsk

$53 6%

Moscow

$62 3.3% 15.4% $8.2

Getting Around

Ulyanovsk

$5.3 * 0.6%

Moscow

$54 2.9% 924% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $362 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,480 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 242% 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 $30.00 in Ulyanovsk versus $59.0 in Moscow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $271 – making Ulyanovsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Ulyanovsk

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

16:24 4:24 PM

1 h behind Ulyanovsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

627,705

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ulyanovsk Moscow 700 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ulyanovsk
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

Ulyanovsk vs Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 110% more than Ulyanovsk, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,347 per month in Ulyanovsk and $2,831 in Moscow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $898 in Ulyanovsk and $1,887 in Moscow. That's a gap of about 110%.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Moscow, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ulyanovsk, where all-in costs run around $898, than in Moscow at $1,887. In Ulyanovsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ulyanovsk costs $898 versus $1,887 in Moscow. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Ulyanovsk. 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.