Cost of Living Comparison Between Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,377 in Yekaterinburg versus $1,117 in Novosibirsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,242 in Yekaterinburg versus $1,769 in Novosibirsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,106 in Yekaterinburg versus $2,422 in Novosibirsk.

Living in Yekaterinburg is roughly 23% more expensive than in Novosibirsk, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yekaterinburg is 1% above, Novosibirsk is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 ₽1,005

$11.88 ₽1,001

0.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.3 ₽4,569

$41.77 ₽3,517

29.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.09 ₽513

Cappuccino

$2.40 ₽202

$2.47 ₽208

-2.83%

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

$1.16 ₽98.0

$1.13 ₽95.1

2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₽33.25

$0.61 ₽51.5

-36.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₽181

$1.21 ₽101

76.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ₽253

$3.64 ₽307

-17.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 ₽93.5

$1.20 ₽101

-7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 ₽56.1

$0.71 ₽59.9

-5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ₽108

$1.51 ₽127

-14.57%

Eggs

$1.57 ₽132

$1.67 ₽140

-5.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.34 ₽1,040

$11.71 ₽986

5.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 ₽436

$4.84 ₽407

7.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.59 ₽1,060

$11.32 ₽953

11.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 ₽169

$1.93 ₽163

4.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 ₽153

$1.65 ₽139

10.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 ₽133

$1.85 ₽156

-14.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 ₽227

$3.09 ₽260

-12.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₽54.9

$0.82 ₽68.9

-20.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 ₽47.65

$0.66 ₽55.4

-13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ₽124

$1.54 ₽130

-3.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₽81.0

$0.72 ₽60.4

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 ₽296

$3.02 ₽254

16.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 ₽591

$10.50 ₽884

-33.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₽106

$1.02 ₽86.2

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ₽221

$1.82 ₽153

43.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ₽40.84

$0.52 ₽43.45

-5.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.67 ₽1,488

$28.29 ₽2,382

-37.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 ₽356

$2.09 ₽176

102.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 ₽16.20

$0.48 ₽40.44

-60.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₽361

$5.91 ₽498

-27.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 ₽64.9

$0.82 ₽69.2

-6.10%

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

$35.0K ₽2.9M

$23.6K ₽2.0M

48.13%

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

$28.1K ₽2.4M

$33.4K ₽2.8M

-16.04%

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

$131 ₽11.0K

$110 ₽9,302

18.27%

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

$6.24 ₽525

$7.22 ₽608

-13.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.00 ₽1,011

$8.60 ₽724

39.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.14 ₽3,633

$38.70 ₽3,259

11.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.21 ₽2,965

$29.34 ₽2,471

20.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₽547

$7.24 ₽610

-10.22%

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

$347 ₽29.2K

$292 ₽24.6K

18.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,733 ₽314.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$131 ₽11.0K

$68.6 ₽5,780

91.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$98.2 ₽8,267

$46.23 ₽3,893

112.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 ₽14.5K

$125 ₽10.5K

37.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 ₽15.1K

$95.5 ₽8,043

87.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 ₽72.2K

$560 ₽47.1K

53.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ₽44.0K

$389 ₽32.8K

34.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 ₽112.9K

$991 ₽83.5K

35.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 ₽89.8K

$705 ₽59.4K

51.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,450 ₽206.3K

$2,424 ₽204.1K

1.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,700 ₽143.2K

$1,794 ₽151.1K

-5.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$952 ₽80.1K

$868 ₽73.1K

9.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.33

22.83

-2.19%

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

Last update for Yekaterinburg: September 13, 2026

Last update for Novosibirsk: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $858 in Yekaterinburg and $560 in Novosibirsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yekaterinburg pays 10% 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: $54.0 in Yekaterinburg vs $42.00 in Novosibirsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $216 per month, with Novosibirsk cheaper across the board.

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 Novosibirsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novosibirsk is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Yekaterinburg, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $858 in Yekaterinburg versus $560 in Novosibirsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $347 in Yekaterinburg versus $292 in Novosibirsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Yekaterinburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,117 in Novosibirsk versus $1,377 in Yekaterinburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Novosibirsk but tight or insufficient in Yekaterinburg. The gap between the two cities makes Novosibirsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Novosibirsk is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Yekaterinburg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Novosibirsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Yekaterinburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.