Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yekaterinburg and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Yekaterinburg: $1,369 a month against $1,833 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Yekaterinburg
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Yekaterinburg Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index

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Yekaterinburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,369

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,369 per month in Yekaterinburg vs $1,833 in Moscow, rent included.

Yekaterinburg $1,369
Moscow $1,833

A couple spends around $2,228 per month in Yekaterinburg vs $2,835 in Moscow, rent included.

Yekaterinburg $2,228
Moscow $2,835

A family of three spends $3,088 per month in Yekaterinburg vs $3,837 in Moscow, rent included.

Yekaterinburg $3,088
Moscow $3,837

Yekaterinburg is about 25% cheaper than Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Yekaterinburg and Moscow sit above the global median – Yekaterinburg by 1%, Moscow by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.53 ₽1,046

$12.01 ₽1,002

4.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 ₽4,498

$59.8 ₽4,987

-9.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 ₽486

$6.97 ₽582

-16.50%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₽195

$3.90 ₽326

-40.26%

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

$1.24 ₽104

$1.67 ₽140

-25.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₽31.27

$0.88 ₽73.1

-57.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 ₽191

$4.88 ₽408

-53.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₽256

$5.50 ₽459

-44.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 ₽94.9

$1.27 ₽106

-10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₽59.3

$1.02 ₽85.1

-30.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ₽99.0

$1.67 ₽139

-28.74%

Eggs

$1.69 ₽141

$1.92 ₽161

-11.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 ₽928

$14.46 ₽1,207

-23.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 ₽432

$6.69 ₽558

-22.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.43 ₽1,121

$15.11 ₽1,261

-11.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ₽171

$2.04 ₽170

0.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ₽145

$1.86 ₽155

-6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ₽122

$2.02 ₽169

-27.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 ₽222

$4.06 ₽338

-34.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₽55.8

$0.92 ₽76.9

-27.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₽48.80

$0.75 ₽62.5

-22.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 ₽124

$1.63 ₽136

-8.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₽76.1

$0.91 ₽76.0

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₽285

$3.42 ₽286

Wine (Bottle)

$7.29 ₽609

$11.97 ₽999

-39.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 ₽119

$1.20 ₽100

19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 ₽209

$2.64 ₽221

-4.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 ₽43.02

$0.91 ₽75.7

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.69 ₽1,477

$41.33 ₽3,449

-57.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 ₽346

$3.60 ₽300

15.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 ₽15.64

$0.85 ₽71.1

-77.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 ₽351

$12.10 ₽1,010

-65.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 ₽71.9

$0.87 ₽72.8

-1.15%

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

$36.1K ₽3.0M

$39.3K ₽3.3M

-8.05%

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

$28.5K ₽2.4M

$38.5K ₽3.2M

-25.96%

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

$120 ₽10.0K

$191 ₽16.0K

-37.31%

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

$5.81 ₽485

$8.65 ₽722

-32.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.93 ₽996

$10.19 ₽850

17.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.24 ₽3,609

$42.73 ₽3,566

1.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.43 ₽3,040

$44.45 ₽3,710

-18.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₽603

$9.50 ₽793

-24.00%

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

$350 ₽29.2K

$817 ₽68.2K

-57.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,645 ₽304.2K

$26.7K ₽2.2M

-86.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 ₽11.1K

$110 ₽9,172

21.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$105 ₽8,738

$67.9 ₽5,664

54.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$237 ₽19.8K

$146 ₽12.2K

62.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 ₽14.2K

$184 ₽15.4K

-7.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 ₽64.0K

$1,499 ₽125.1K

-48.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 ₽39.4K

$804 ₽67.1K

-41.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 ₽105.4K

$3,068 ₽256.0K

-58.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 ₽81.5K

$1,501 ₽125.3K

-34.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,455 ₽204.9K

$10.2K ₽855.4K

-76.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,672 ₽139.6K

$4,709 ₽393.0K

-64.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$980 ₽81.8K

$1,715 ₽143.1K

-42.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.22

19.56

13.60%

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

Last update for Yekaterinburg: October 12, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yekaterinburg

$472 34.5%

Moscow

$804 43.9% 70.2% $332

Clothing & Footwear

Yekaterinburg

$290 21.2%

Moscow

$229 12.5% 21.2% $61

Groceries & Markets

Yekaterinburg

$216 15.8%

Moscow

$266 14.5% 23.1% $50

Eating Out

Yekaterinburg

$170 12.4%

Moscow

$209 11.4% 23.4% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yekaterinburg

$138 10.1%

Moscow

$210 11.5% 52.6% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Yekaterinburg

$58 4.2%

Moscow

$62 3.4% 7% $4

Getting Around

Yekaterinburg

$25 1.8%

Moscow

$53 2.9% 113% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $767 in Yekaterinburg versus $1,499 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 75% 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 $54.0 in Yekaterinburg versus $60.0 in Moscow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $266 – making Yekaterinburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Yekaterinburg

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

10:25 10:25 AM

08:25 8:25 AM

2 h behind Yekaterinburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,495,066

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

Yekaterinburg Moscow 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Yekaterinburg
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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

Yekaterinburg vs Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 34% more than Yekaterinburg, 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 $2,053 per month in Yekaterinburg and $2,749 in Moscow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 134% less in Yekaterinburg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $350 per month in Yekaterinburg and $817 in Moscow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Yekaterinburg, where all-in costs run around $1,369, than in Moscow at $1,833. In Yekaterinburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Yekaterinburg costs $1,369 versus $1,833 in Moscow. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Yekaterinburg. 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.