Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulyanovsk and Saint Petersburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulyanovsk: $898 a month against $1,334 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Ulyanovsk
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Ulyanovsk Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index

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Ulyanovsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$898

/mo nomad

Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $898 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,334 in Saint Petersburg.

Ulyanovsk $898
Saint Petersburg $1,334

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,386 in Ulyanovsk versus $2,131 in Saint Petersburg.

Ulyanovsk $1,386
Saint Petersburg $2,131

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,874 in Ulyanovsk versus $2,927 in Saint Petersburg.

Ulyanovsk $1,874
Saint Petersburg $2,927

Living in Ulyanovsk costs roughly 33% less than in Saint Petersburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ulyanovsk 34% lower, Saint Petersburg 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.40 ₽701

$11.86 ₽990

-29.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.41 ₽2,538

$41.90 ₽3,497

-27.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 ₽538

$6.51 ₽544

-1.08%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ₽191

$3.21 ₽268

-28.66%

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

$0.93 ₽77.8

$1.63 ₽136

-42.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₽29.97

$0.78 ₽64.8

-53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₽147

$3.04 ₽254

-42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₽164

$3.72 ₽310

-47.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 ₽86.9

$1.17 ₽97.9

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 ₽51.3

$1.00 ₽83.4

-38.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₽87.2

$1.69 ₽141

-38.46%

Eggs

$1.49 ₽124

$1.64 ₽137

-9.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 ₽1,217

$12.32 ₽1,028

18.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 ₽620

$6.62 ₽553

12.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.35 ₽613

$12.56 ₽1,048

-41.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 ₽133

$1.77 ₽147

-10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₽129

$1.62 ₽135

-4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 ₽338

$1.75 ₽146

131.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 ₽409

$3.27 ₽273

49.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ₽124

$0.84 ₽70.3

77.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 ₽70.0

$0.66 ₽54.7

27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ₽108

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₽44.15

$0.76 ₽63.6

-30.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ₽258

$3.07 ₽256

0.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 ₽717

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₽89.2

$1.20 ₽101

-10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₽168

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ₽36.70

$1.05 ₽87.2

-58.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ₽4,440

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₽294

$2.74 ₽229

28.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₽51.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 ₽301

$8.74 ₽730

-58.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 ₽72.5

$0.93 ₽77.4

-6.45%

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

$53.4K ₽4.5M

$40.9K ₽3.4M

30.40%

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

$41.0K ₽3.4M

$36.2K ₽3.0M

12.99%

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

$141 ₽11.8K

$151 ₽12.6K

-6.47%

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

$4.81 ₽401

$7.75 ₽647

-37.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.69 ₽1,143

$8.66 ₽723

58.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.46 ₽3,043

$41.26 ₽3,444

-11.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.86 ₽2,075

$42.73 ₽3,567

-41.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.51 ₽711

$7.46 ₽622

14.08%

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

$633 ₽52.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₽1.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.17 ₽2,518

$98.5 ₽8,224

-69.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.74 ₽2,983

$52.9 ₽4,412

-32.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 ₽7,942

$138 ₽11.5K

-31.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 ₽4,979

$121 ₽10.1K

-50.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 ₽30.2K

$741 ₽61.8K

-51.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 ₽20.3K

$447 ₽37.3K

-45.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 ₽41.1K

$1,620 ₽135.2K

-69.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 ₽36.0K

$939 ₽78.4K

-54.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,620 ₽218.7K

$4,469 ₽373.0K

-41.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,519 ₽126.7K

$2,803 ₽233.9K

-45.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$509 ₽42.5K

$1,187 ₽99.1K

-57.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.81

16.10%

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

Last update for Ulyanovsk: October 19, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulyanovsk

$243 27.1%

Saint Petersburg

$447 33.5% 84% $204

Groceries & Markets

Ulyanovsk

$205 * 22.9%

Saint Petersburg

$230 17.2% 12% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulyanovsk

$160 17.8%

Saint Petersburg

$167 12.6% 4.8% $7.7

Eating Out

Ulyanovsk

$132 14.7%

Saint Petersburg

$185 13.9% 40.4% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Ulyanovsk

$99 11.1%

Saint Petersburg

$185 13.9% 86% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Ulyanovsk

$53 6%

Saint Petersburg

$56 4.2% 5% $2.7

Getting Around

Ulyanovsk

$5.3 * 0.6%

Saint Petersburg

$63 4.7% 1097% $58

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 $741 in Saint Petersburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 133% 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 $42.00 in Saint Petersburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $230 per month, with Ulyanovsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Ulyanovsk

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

13:53 1:53 PM

1 h behind Ulyanovsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

627,705

5,597,763

💱 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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Between locations

Ulyanovsk Saint Petersburg 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ulyanovsk
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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

Ulyanovsk vs Saint Petersburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulyanovsk wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ulyanovsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 133% lower in Saint Petersburg. 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 $741 in Saint Petersburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $898 per month in Ulyanovsk versus $1,334 in Saint Petersburg – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Saint Petersburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $898 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,334 in Saint Petersburg, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulyanovsk but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. The gap between the two cities makes Ulyanovsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ulyanovsk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $898 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ulyanovsk hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ulyanovsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.