Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Veliky Novgorod and Saint Petersburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Veliky Novgorod: $824 a month against $1,375 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Veliky Novgorod
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Veliky Novgorod Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg Living Index

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Veliky Novgorod

🇷🇺 Russia

$824

/mo nomad

Saint Petersburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,375

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $824 in Veliky Novgorod versus $1,375 in Saint Petersburg.

Veliky Novgorod $824
Saint Petersburg $1,375

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,376 in Veliky Novgorod versus $2,195 in Saint Petersburg.

Veliky Novgorod $1,376
Saint Petersburg $2,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,927 in Veliky Novgorod versus $3,014 in Saint Petersburg.

Veliky Novgorod $1,927
Saint Petersburg $3,014

Living in Veliky Novgorod costs roughly 40% less than in Saint Petersburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₽708

$12.42 ₽1,000

-29.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.88 ₽3,453

$44.05 ₽3,547

-2.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 ₽440

$6.95 ₽560

-21.44%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ₽176

$3.26 ₽263

-32.82%

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

$0.73 ₽58.6

$1.61 ₽129

-54.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₽31.16

$0.78 ₽62.6

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₽87.5

$2.81 ₽226

-61.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₽152

$3.63 ₽292

-47.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 ₽92.8

$1.19 ₽95.9

-3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₽56.8

$0.95 ₽76.8

-25.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 ₽134

$1.70 ₽137

-1.76%

Eggs

$1.36 ₽109

$1.67 ₽134

-18.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.21 ₽903

$12.39 ₽998

-9.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 ₽510

$6.64 ₽535

-4.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.37 ₽513

$12.85 ₽1,035

-50.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 ₽128

$1.75 ₽141

-9.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₽134

$1.64 ₽132

1.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ₽145

$1.79 ₽145

0.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 ₽258

$3.36 ₽270

-4.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ₽61.5

$0.83 ₽66.8

-8.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ₽47.97

$0.63 ₽50.6

-4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ₽111

$1.33 ₽107

3.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₽65.7

$0.78 ₽62.7

5.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 ₽243

$3.16 ₽255

-4.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 ₽496

$9.41 ₽758

-34.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₽60.8

$1.19 ₽95.5

-36.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₽76.9

$1.97 ₽159

-51.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 ₽46.55

$1.10 ₽88.8

-47.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.28 ₽2,841

$56.1 ₽4,518

-37.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₽149

$2.80 ₽226

-33.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 ₽15.61

$0.60 ₽48.55

-68.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 ₽295

$9.01 ₽726

-59.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₽72.0

$0.88 ₽71.2

1.14%

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

$18.9K ₽1.5M

$43.0K ₽3.5M

-56.00%

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

$37.1K ₽3.0M

$37.4K ₽3.0M

-0.71%

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

$45.87 ₽3,694

$156 ₽12.6K

-70.64%

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

$5.62 ₽453

$7.85 ₽632

-28.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.77 ₽465

$8.71 ₽701

-33.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.80 ₽2,803

$41.31 ₽3,327

-15.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 ₽1,849

$43.82 ₽3,529

-47.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ₽462

$7.57 ₽609

-24.17%

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

$665 ₽53.6K

$663 ₽53.4K

0.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ₽1.4M

$17.9K ₽1.4M

-0.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.22 ₽2,998

$98.5 ₽7,935

-62.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.86 ₽2,485

$54.2 ₽4,364

-43.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 ₽8,425

$140 ₽11.3K

-25.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.2 ₽5,972

$128 ₽10.3K

-42.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 ₽29.5K

$772 ₽62.1K

-52.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 ₽20.1K

$466 ₽37.6K

-46.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 ₽54.1K

$1,619 ₽130.4K

-58.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 ₽40.2K

$974 ₽78.4K

-48.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,809 ₽145.6K

$4,632 ₽373.0K

-60.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₽98.6K

$2,886 ₽232.4K

-57.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$798 ₽64.3K

$1,230 ₽99.0K

-35.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.5

19.69

-0.96%

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

Last update for Veliky Novgorod: October 27, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Veliky Novgorod

$250 30.3%

Saint Petersburg

$466 33.9% 86.9% $217

Groceries & Markets

Veliky Novgorod

$193 23.4%

Saint Petersburg

$234 17% 21% $41

Eating Out

Veliky Novgorod

$127 15.4%

Saint Petersburg

$190 13.8% 50.1% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Veliky Novgorod

$111 13.5%

Saint Petersburg

$189 13.8% 70.5% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Veliky Novgorod

$57 7%

Saint Petersburg

$173 12.6% 202% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Veliky Novgorod

$46 5.6%

Saint Petersburg

$56 4.1% 22% $10

Getting Around

Veliky Novgorod

$40 4.9%

Saint Petersburg

$66 4.8% 64.1% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Veliky Novgorod and $772 in Saint Petersburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 54% 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: $43 in Veliky Novgorod vs $44 in Saint Petersburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $234 per month, with Veliky Novgorod cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Veliky Novgorod

🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

Same time as Veliky Novgorod

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

223,191

5,597,763

💱 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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Veliky Novgorod vs Saint Petersburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Veliky Novgorod wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Veliky Novgorod the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Veliky Novgorod. 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: $366 in Veliky Novgorod versus $772 in Saint Petersburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $665 in Veliky Novgorod versus $663 in Saint Petersburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Veliky Novgorod runs roughly 37% less than in Saint Petersburg. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $824 in Veliky Novgorod versus $1,375 in Saint Petersburg, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Veliky Novgorod but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Veliky Novgorod wins on affordability, Saint Petersburg on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.