Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yakutsk and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Yakutsk: $1,267 a month against $1,887 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Yakutsk
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Yakutsk Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index

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Yakutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,267

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,267 per month in Yakutsk vs $1,887 in Moscow, rent included.

Yakutsk $1,267
Moscow $1,887

A couple spends around $1,829 per month in Yakutsk vs $2,893 in Moscow, rent included.

Yakutsk $1,829
Moscow $2,893

A family of three spends $2,391 per month in Yakutsk vs $3,899 in Moscow, rent included.

Yakutsk $2,391
Moscow $3,899

Yakutsk is about 33% cheaper than Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Yakutsk sits 6% below the global median, while Moscow is 39% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 ₽1,214

$12.20 ₽1,018

19.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.12 ₽3,515

$59.3 ₽4,952

-29.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₽762

$7.06 ₽589

29.46%

Cappuccino

$4.32 ₽360

$3.90 ₽326

10.77%

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

$1.72 ₽143

$1.70 ₽142

1.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₽78.0

$0.86 ₽71.6

8.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 ₽298

$4.92 ₽411

-27.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₽204

$5.23 ₽437

-53.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₽159

$1.23 ₽103

55.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 ₽80.0

$1.02 ₽85.2

-5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 ₽140

$1.77 ₽147

-5.65%

Eggs

$2.20 ₽183

$1.97 ₽164

11.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.78 ₽1,150

$14.72 ₽1,229

-6.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 ₽670

$6.97 ₽582

15.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 ₽1,060

$15.33 ₽1,279

-17.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 ₽256

$2.15 ₽179

42.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ₽205

$1.80 ₽150

36.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₽267

$2.05 ₽171

55.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 ₽425

$3.99 ₽333

27.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₽102

$0.93 ₽77.6

32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₽94.8

$0.72 ₽59.8

58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₽98.6

$1.65 ₽138

-28.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ₽88.4

$1.00 ₽83.6

6.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 ₽301

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ₽811

$12.11 ₽1,011

-19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ₽118

$1.23 ₽103

15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₽253

$2.64 ₽220

14.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 ₽59.6

$1.00 ₽83.6

-29.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.12 ₽1,679

$42.43 ₽3,541

-52.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 ₽166

$3.57 ₽298

-44.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₽17.48

$0.81 ₽67.7

-74.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ₽413

$12.22 ₽1,020

-59.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 ₽73.7

$0.94 ₽78.5

-6.38%

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

$18.1K ₽1.5M

$43.9K ₽3.7M

-58.72%

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

$19.6K ₽1.6M

$39.5K ₽3.3M

-50.37%

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

$201 ₽16.8K

$195 ₽16.2K

3.23%

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

$4.80 ₽400

$8.83 ₽737

-45.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.85 ₽905

$10.13 ₽845

7.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.8 ₽6,072

$42.77 ₽3,570

70.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.27 ₽3,779

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 ₽608

$9.48 ₽791

-23.10%

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

$471 ₽39.3K

$850 ₽70.9K

-44.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K ₽2.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ₽9,237

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 ₽5,709

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 ₽12.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 ₽15.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 ₽76.9K

$1,480 ₽123.5K

-37.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₽35.1K

$846 ₽70.6K

-50.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ₽102.3K

$3,083 ₽257.3K

-60.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 ₽49.6K

$1,542 ₽128.7K

-61.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,213 ₽184.7K

$10.1K ₽844.1K

-78.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,938 ₽161.7K

$4,782 ₽399.1K

-59.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$974 ₽81.3K

$1,743 ₽145.4K

-44.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.56

7.36%

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

Last update for Yakutsk: October 18, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yakutsk

$420 33.2%

Moscow

$846 44.8% 101% $426

Groceries & Markets

Yakutsk

$288 22.7%

Moscow

$271 14.3% 6% $17

Eating Out

Yakutsk

$229 18.1%

Moscow

$211 11.2% 7.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yakutsk

$217 17.1%

Moscow

$214 11.3% 1.4% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Yakutsk

$87 6.9%

Moscow

$62 3.3% 29.3% $26

Getting Around

Yakutsk

$26 2.1%

Moscow

$54 2.9% 108% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Yakutsk

- * 0%

Moscow

$230 12.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $922 in Yakutsk versus $1,480 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 run about 79% higher in Moscow, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Yakutsk versus $59.0 in Moscow. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Yakutsk vs $271 in Moscow – so Moscow wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Yakutsk

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

19:39 7:39 PM

13:39 1:39 PM

6 h behind Yakutsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

361,154

12,700,000 Capital

💱 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

Yakutsk Moscow 4,880 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Yakutsk
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

Yakutsk vs Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 49% more than Yakutsk, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,901 per month in Yakutsk and $2,831 in Moscow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yakutsk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 111% less in Yakutsk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $471 per month in Yakutsk and $850 in Moscow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Yakutsk, where all-in costs run around $1,267, than in Moscow at $1,887. In Yakutsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Yakutsk costs $1,267 versus $1,887 in Moscow. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Yakutsk. 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.