Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Veliky Novgorod and Bielsko-biala

For one person, living is cheaper in Veliky Novgorod: $791 a month against $1,480 in Bielsko-biala, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Veliky Novgorod
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Veliky Novgorod Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Bielsko-biala
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Bielsko-biala Living Index

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Veliky Novgorod

🇷🇺 Russia

$791

/mo nomad

Bielsko-biala

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Veliky Novgorod and in Bielsko-biala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in Veliky Novgorod versus $1,480 in Bielsko-biala.

Veliky Novgorod $791
Bielsko-biala $1,480

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,322 in Veliky Novgorod versus $2,131 in Bielsko-biala.

Veliky Novgorod $1,322
Bielsko-biala $2,131

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,853 in Veliky Novgorod versus $2,782 in Bielsko-biala.

Veliky Novgorod $1,853
Bielsko-biala $2,782

Living in Veliky Novgorod costs roughly 47% less than in Bielsko-biala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Veliky Novgorod is 41% below, Bielsko-biala is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.52 ₽711

$9.45 zł 36.70

-9.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.72 ₽3,482

$45.98 zł 179

-9.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.26 ₽439

$8.95 zł 34.76

-41.23%

Cappuccino

$2.10 ₽175

$3.61 zł 14.03

-41.83%

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

$0.73 ₽61.0

$2.21 zł 8.60

-66.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₽31.26

$1.36 zł 5.27

-72.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 ₽86.6

$3.77 zł 14.66

-72.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₽153

$3.79 zł 14.73

-51.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₽91.5

$1.04 zł 4.03

5.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 ₽57.7

$1.11 zł 4.30

-37.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 ₽142

$1.39 zł 5.40

22.30%

Eggs

$1.27 ₽106

$2.87 zł 11.16

-55.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 ₽891

$8.22 zł 31.95

29.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 ₽521

$5.86 zł 22.77

6.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.89 ₽491

$9.75 zł 37.88

-39.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 ₽131

$1.17 zł 4.56

34.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₽138

$1.61 zł 6.25

2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ₽137

$2.11 zł 8.19

-22.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 ₽265

$1.94 zł 7.53

63.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₽56.8

$0.80 zł 3.10

-15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 ₽51.3

$0.79 zł 3.07

-21.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ₽105

$1.04 zł 4.03

21.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₽66.5

$0.62 zł 2.41

29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ₽247

$4.91 zł 19.09

-39.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 ₽492

$6.33 zł 24.61

-6.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₽61.4

$1.10 zł 4.29

-32.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₽75.9

$1.65 zł 6.41

-44.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ₽43.84

$1.25 zł 4.85

-57.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.40 ₽2,788

$36.33 zł 141

-8.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 ₽152

$1.51 zł 5.85

20.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ₽13.85

$0.54 zł 2.09

-68.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ₽292

$9.36 zł 36.38

-62.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 ₽72.5

$1.66 zł 6.46

-47.59%

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

$18.1K ₽1.5M

$30.8K zł 119.7K

-41.10%

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

$32.1K ₽2.7M

$25.6K zł 99.5K

25.30%

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

$44.70 ₽3,730

$291 zł 1,132

-84.66%

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

$5.33 ₽445

$8.48 zł 32.95

-37.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.84 ₽487

$16.92 zł 65.8

-65.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.20 ₽2,771

$40.85 zł 159

-18.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.55 ₽1,799

$44.81 zł 174

-51.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ₽440

$7.08 zł 27.51

-25.56%

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

$635 ₽53.0K

$286 zł 1,111

121.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₽1.4M

$2,529 zł 9,825

580.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.26 ₽2,942

$72.8 zł 283

-51.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.96 ₽2,501

$40.10 zł 156

-25.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₽8,370

$88.2 zł 343

13.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 ₽5,862

$95.2 zł 370

-26.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 ₽29.7K

$605 zł 2,351

-41.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ₽19.9K

$551 zł 2,139

-56.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 ₽55.0K

$1,700 zł 6,606

-61.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 ₽40.0K

$864 zł 3,355

-44.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,713 ₽143.0K

$2,428 zł 9,433

-29.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,213 ₽101.3K

$1,942 zł 7,545

-37.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$770 ₽64.3K

$1,435 zł 5,574

-46.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.5

6.87

183.84%

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

Last update for Veliky Novgorod: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bielsko-biala: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Veliky Novgorod

$238 30.1%

Bielsko-biala

$551 37.2% 131% $312

Groceries & Markets

Veliky Novgorod

$186 23.5%

Bielsko-biala

$192 13% 3.4% $6.4

Eating Out

Veliky Novgorod

$122 15.5%

Bielsko-biala

$186 12.6% 52.3% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Veliky Novgorod

$106 13.4%

Bielsko-biala

$133 9% 25.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Veliky Novgorod

$56 7.1%

Bielsko-biala

$317 21.4% 467% $261

Sport & Entertainment

Veliky Novgorod

$44 5.5%

Bielsko-biala

$55 3.7% 25.7% $11

Getting Around

Veliky Novgorod

$38 4.8%

Bielsko-biala

$46 3.1% 19.3% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $356 in Veliky Novgorod and $605 in Bielsko-biala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bielsko-biala pays 86% 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: $42.00 in Veliky Novgorod vs $46.00 in Bielsko-biala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $192 per month, with Veliky Novgorod cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Veliky Novgorod

🇵🇱 Bielsko-biala

🕒 Local time

06:26 6:26 AM

05:26 5:26 AM

1 h behind Veliky Novgorod

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

223,191

169,756

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Veliky Novgorod Bielsko-biala 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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Veliky Novgorod
Bielsko-biala

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

Veliky Novgorod vs Bielsko-biala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Veliky Novgorod and Bielsko-biala differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($791 vs $1,480 including rent). Veliky Novgorod is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Bielsko-biala. 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: $356 in Veliky Novgorod versus $605 in Bielsko-biala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Veliky Novgorod runs roughly 9% less than in Bielsko-biala. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $635 in Veliky Novgorod versus $286 in Bielsko-biala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $791 in Veliky Novgorod versus $1,480 in Bielsko-biala, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Veliky Novgorod but tight or insufficient in Bielsko-biala. The gap between the two cities makes Veliky Novgorod 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.

Safety-wise, Veliky Novgorod and Bielsko-biala are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Veliky Novgorod gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Bielsko-biala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.