Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulyanovsk and Novosibirsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulyanovsk: $898 a month against $1,121 in Novosibirsk, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Ulyanovsk
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Ulyanovsk Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
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Novosibirsk Living Index

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Ulyanovsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$898

/mo nomad

Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,121

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $898 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,121 in Novosibirsk.

Ulyanovsk $898
Novosibirsk $1,121

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,386 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,786 in Novosibirsk.

Ulyanovsk $1,386
Novosibirsk $1,786

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,874 in Ulyanovsk versus $2,451 in Novosibirsk.

Ulyanovsk $1,874
Novosibirsk $2,451

Living in Ulyanovsk costs roughly 20% less than in Novosibirsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ulyanovsk 34% lower, Novosibirsk 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.40 ₽701

$11.52 ₽962

-27.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.41 ₽2,538

$48.38 ₽4,038

-37.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 ₽538

$6.06 ₽506

6.27%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ₽191

$2.66 ₽222

-13.91%

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

$0.93 ₽77.8

$1.11 ₽92.7

-16.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₽29.97

$0.57 ₽47.92

-36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₽147

$1.18 ₽98.5

49.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₽164

$3.60 ₽300

-45.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 ₽86.9

$1.20 ₽100

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 ₽51.3

$0.70 ₽58.5

-11.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₽87.2

$1.37 ₽114

-24.09%

Eggs

$1.49 ₽124

$1.61 ₽135

-7.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 ₽1,217

$12.06 ₽1,007

20.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 ₽620

$4.80 ₽401

54.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.35 ₽613

$12.01 ₽1,002

-38.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 ₽133

$1.97 ₽164

-19.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₽129

$1.78 ₽149

-12.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 ₽338

$1.95 ₽163

107.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 ₽409

$3.30 ₽275

48.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ₽124

$0.87 ₽73.0

71.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 ₽70.0

$0.60 ₽50.0

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 ₽122

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₽44.15

$0.80 ₽66.6

-33.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ₽258

$3.19 ₽266

-3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 ₽846

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₽89.2

$0.95 ₽79.4

12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₽138

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ₽36.70

$0.56 ₽46.81

-21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ₽2,453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₽294

$2.41 ₽201

46.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 ₽41.11

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 ₽301

$6.16 ₽514

-41.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 ₽72.5

$0.88 ₽73.1

-1.14%

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

$53.4K ₽4.5M

$42.8K ₽3.6M

24.62%

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

$41.0K ₽3.4M

$38.8K ₽3.2M

5.58%

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

$141 ₽11.8K

$109 ₽9,089

29.68%

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

$4.81 ₽401

$7.32 ₽611

-34.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.69 ₽1,143

$8.35 ₽697

63.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.46 ₽3,043

$37.80 ₽3,155

-3.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.86 ₽2,075

$29.99 ₽2,503

-17.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.51 ₽711

$7.29 ₽609

16.74%

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

$303 ₽25.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.17 ₽2,518

$70.3 ₽5,865

-57.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.74 ₽2,983

$46.16 ₽3,852

-22.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 ₽7,942

$140 ₽11.7K

-32.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 ₽4,979

$98.3 ₽8,201

-39.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 ₽30.2K

$546 ₽45.6K

-33.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 ₽20.3K

$367 ₽30.6K

-33.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 ₽41.1K

$1,016 ₽84.8K

-51.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 ₽36.0K

$672 ₽56.1K

-35.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,620 ₽218.7K

$2,352 ₽196.3K

11.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,519 ₽126.7K

$1,778 ₽148.4K

-14.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$509 ₽42.5K

$887 ₽74.0K

-42.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.83

0.74%

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

Last update for Ulyanovsk: October 19, 2026

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulyanovsk

$243 27.1%

Novosibirsk

$367 32.7% 50.8% $123

Groceries & Markets

Ulyanovsk

$205 * 22.9%

Novosibirsk

$220 19.6% 6.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulyanovsk

$160 17.8%

Novosibirsk

$125 11.1% 22% $35

Eating Out

Ulyanovsk

$132 14.7%

Novosibirsk

$162 14.5% 22.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Ulyanovsk

$99 11.1%

Novosibirsk

$160 14.2% 60.7% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Ulyanovsk

$53 6%

Novosibirsk

$52 4.7% 2.1% $1.1

Getting Around

Ulyanovsk

$5.3 * 0.6%

Novosibirsk

$37 3.3% 592% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $362 in Ulyanovsk and $546 in Novosibirsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novosibirsk pays 74% 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: $30.00 in Ulyanovsk vs $48.00 in Novosibirsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $220 per month, with Ulyanovsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Ulyanovsk

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

17:53 5:53 PM

3 h ahead of Ulyanovsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

627,705

1,620,162

💱 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

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Ulyanovsk Novosibirsk 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ulyanovsk
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

Ulyanovsk vs Novosibirsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulyanovsk is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Novosibirsk. 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: $362 in Ulyanovsk versus $546 in Novosibirsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Novosibirsk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulyanovsk – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $48.00 in Novosibirsk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $898 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,121 in Novosibirsk, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulyanovsk but tight or insufficient in Novosibirsk. The gap between the two cities makes Ulyanovsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Ulyanovsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Novosibirsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.