Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Volgograd and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Volgograd: $892 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Volgograd
Learn more

Volgograd Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
Learn more

Moscow Living Index

Jump to prices

Volgograd

🇷🇺 Russia

$892

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $892 per month in Volgograd vs $1,922 in Moscow, rent included.

Volgograd $892
Moscow $1,922

A couple spends around $1,474 per month in Volgograd vs $2,941 in Moscow, rent included.

Volgograd $1,474
Moscow $2,941

A family of three spends $2,057 per month in Volgograd vs $3,960 in Moscow, rent included.

Volgograd $2,057
Moscow $3,960

Volgograd is about 54% cheaper than Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Volgograd sits 34% below the global median, while Moscow is 41% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 ₽535

$12.50 ₽1,008

-46.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.28 ₽3,974

$61.2 ₽4,939

-19.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 ₽516

$7.65 ₽617

-16.34%

Cappuccino

$2.84 ₽229

$3.84 ₽309

-26.04%

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

$0.96 ₽77.8

$1.74 ₽140

-44.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₽48.56

$0.85 ₽68.8

-29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ₽97.9

$4.83 ₽390

-74.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₽148

$5.17 ₽417

-64.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 ₽86.4

$1.32 ₽107

-18.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 ₽49.33

$1.04 ₽84.0

-41.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 ₽94.3

$1.77 ₽143

-33.90%

Eggs

$1.44 ₽117

$2.02 ₽163

-28.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₽597

$15.08 ₽1,216

-50.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 ₽385

$6.86 ₽553

-30.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 ₽937

$15.29 ₽1,233

-24.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 ₽100

$2.14 ₽173

-42.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₽122

$1.83 ₽148

-17.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ₽124

$2.03 ₽164

-24.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 ₽204

$4.14 ₽334

-38.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₽60.1

$0.94 ₽76.0

-20.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 ₽38.64

$0.77 ₽62.0

-37.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 ₽28.89

$1.69 ₽137

-78.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₽51.1

$1.01 ₽81.3

-37.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ₽236

$3.71 ₽299

-21.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.36 ₽755

$12.23 ₽986

-23.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 ₽90.4

$1.26 ₽102

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₽157

$2.73 ₽220

-28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 ₽41.54

$0.96 ₽77.4

-45.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.64 ₽1,342

$43.33 ₽3,494

-61.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ₽296

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₽67.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ₽250

$12.33 ₽994

-74.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₽71.4

$0.96 ₽77.4

-7.29%

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

$53.9K ₽4.3M

$45.4K ₽3.7M

18.83%

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

$41.4K ₽3.3M

$41.2K ₽3.3M

0.46%

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

$88.3 ₽7,121

$199 ₽16.0K

-55.59%

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

$10.47 ₽844

$9.04 ₽729

15.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.00 ₽645

$10.05 ₽810

-20.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 ₽3,589

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.40 ₽3,823

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 ₽777

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

$898 ₽72.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₽2.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 ₽9,131

$117 ₽9,411

-2.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.2 ₽5,985

$69.4 ₽5,595

6.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.7 ₽4,413

$153 ₽12.3K

-64.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$187 ₽15.1K

$188 ₽15.1K

-0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 ₽49.1K

$1,533 ₽123.6K

-60.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 ₽21.6K

$860 ₽69.4K

-68.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 ₽99.4K

$3,127 ₽252.2K

-60.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 ₽45.0K

$1,552 ₽125.1K

-64.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,459 ₽117.7K

$10.5K ₽845.5K

-86.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 ₽110.7K

$4,981 ₽401.7K

-72.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$615 ₽49.6K

$1,798 ₽145.0K

-65.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.33

19.58

8.94%

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

Last update for Volgograd: October 27, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Volgograd

$268 30.1%

Moscow

$860 44.7% 221% $592

Clothing & Footwear

Volgograd

$193 21.7%

Moscow

$237 12.3% 22.7% $44

Groceries & Markets

Volgograd

$183 20.5%

Moscow

$274 14.3% 50.1% $92

Eating Out

Volgograd

$122 13.7%

Moscow

$214 11.1% 74.6% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Volgograd

$107 12%

Moscow

$218 11.3% 104% $111

Getting Around

Volgograd

$19 * 2.1%

Moscow

$55 2.9% 194% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Volgograd

- * 0%

Moscow

$64 3.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $609 in Volgograd versus $1,533 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 in Moscow are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Volgograd versus $61 in Moscow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $274 – making Volgograd the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Volgograd

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

21:45 9:45 PM

Same time as Volgograd

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,004,763

12,700,000 Capital

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Volgograd Moscow 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Volgograd
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

Volgograd vs Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 115% more than Volgograd, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,338 per month in Volgograd and $2,883 in Moscow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Volgograd, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $609 there versus $1,533 in Moscow.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Volgograd. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 50% 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 Volgograd, where all-in costs run around $892, than in Moscow at $1,922. In Volgograd it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Moscow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $892 in Volgograd to $1,922 in Moscow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Volgograd. 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.