Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Novosibirsk: $1,160 a month against $1,351 in Yekaterinburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Yekaterinburg
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Yekaterinburg Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
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Novosibirsk Living Index

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Yekaterinburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,351

/mo nomad

Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,160

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yekaterinburg and in Novosibirsk

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 Novosibirsk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Yekaterinburg versus $1,160 in Novosibirsk.

Yekaterinburg $1,351
Novosibirsk $1,160

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,221 in Yekaterinburg versus $1,809 in Novosibirsk.

Yekaterinburg $2,221
Novosibirsk $1,809

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,091 in Yekaterinburg versus $2,458 in Novosibirsk.

Yekaterinburg $3,091
Novosibirsk $2,458

Living in Yekaterinburg is roughly 16% more expensive than in Novosibirsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.38 ₽1,173

$12.22 ₽996

17.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 ₽4,595

$43.47 ₽3,546

29.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.26 ₽592

$7.17 ₽585

1.26%

Cappuccino

$2.32 ₽189

$3.04 ₽248

-23.68%

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

$1.17 ₽95.8

$1.08 ₽87.9

8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₽39.02

$0.55 ₽45.22

-12.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ₽180

$1.25 ₽102

76.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ₽249

$2.53 ₽206

20.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ₽99.5

$1.29 ₽105

-5.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 ₽57.2

$0.72 ₽58.8

-2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ₽105

$1.46 ₽119

-11.64%

Eggs

$1.67 ₽136

$1.70 ₽139

-1.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 ₽930

$12.05 ₽983

-5.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.49 ₽447

$4.86 ₽396

12.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ₽1,106

$11.51 ₽939

17.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 ₽166

$1.80 ₽147

12.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ₽143

$1.84 ₽150

-4.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₽127

$1.98 ₽162

-21.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.84 ₽232

$3.56 ₽290

-20.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ₽52.4

$0.85 ₽69.0

-24.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽50.0

$0.67 ₽54.8

-8.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 ₽125

$1.51 ₽123

1.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₽72.2

$0.81 ₽66.0

8.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 ₽292

$3.54 ₽289

1.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.37 ₽601

$9.68 ₽789

-23.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₽121

$1.01 ₽82.6

46.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₽215

$1.71 ₽140

53.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ₽40.69

$0.54 ₽43.71

-7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ₽1,529

$32.56 ₽2,655

-42.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.27 ₽349

$2.42 ₽198

76.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.18 ₽14.64

$0.51 ₽41.67

-64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 ₽368

$6.33 ₽516

-28.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 ₽67.6

$0.84 ₽68.5

-1.19%

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

$52.5K ₽4.3M

$42.6K ₽3.5M

23.17%

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

$38.3K ₽3.1M

$39.9K ₽3.3M

-4.14%

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

$124 ₽10.1K

$109 ₽8,884

13.86%

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

$6.30 ₽514

$7.14 ₽582

-11.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.26 ₽1,000

$8.30 ₽677

47.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.92 ₽3,583

$38.33 ₽3,126

14.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.27 ₽2,958

$30.61 ₽2,496

18.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ₽593

$6.94 ₽566

4.90%

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

$353 ₽28.8K

$302 ₽24.6K

17.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,843 ₽313.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ₽9,814

$71.5 ₽5,830

68.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$91.7 ₽7,481

$46.80 ₽3,817

96.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 ₽13.6K

$144 ₽11.8K

15.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 ₽12.5K

$98.9 ₽8,069

55.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 ₽65.4K

$578 ₽47.1K

38.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ₽38.7K

$386 ₽31.5K

22.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 ₽109.8K

$1,002 ₽81.7K

34.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 ₽83.0K

$664 ₽54.2K

53.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,747 ₽224.1K

$2,423 ₽197.6K

13.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,139 ₽174.5K

$1,794 ₽146.3K

19.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$945 ₽77.1K

$863 ₽70.4K

9.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.22

22.83

-2.67%

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

Last update for Yekaterinburg: November 2, 2026

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yekaterinburg

$474 35.1%

Novosibirsk

$386 33.3% 18.5% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Yekaterinburg

$239 17.7%

Novosibirsk

$163 14% 32% $77

Groceries & Markets

Yekaterinburg

$222 16.4%

Novosibirsk

$221 19.1% 0.4% $0.8

Eating Out

Yekaterinburg

$188 14%

Novosibirsk

$174 15% 7.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yekaterinburg

$143 10.6%

Novosibirsk

$124 10.7% 12.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Yekaterinburg

$58 4.3%

Novosibirsk

$52 4.5% 10.7% $6.3

Getting Around

Yekaterinburg

$26 1.9%

Novosibirsk

$40 3.4% 53.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $802 in Yekaterinburg and $578 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: $56 in Yekaterinburg vs $43 in Novosibirsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $221 per month, with Novosibirsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Yekaterinburg

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🕒 Local time

15:17 3:17 PM

17:17 5:17 PM

2 h ahead of Yekaterinburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,495,066

1,620,162

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Yekaterinburg Novosibirsk 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Yekaterinburg vs Novosibirsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novosibirsk is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. That difference 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: $802 in Yekaterinburg versus $578 in Novosibirsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yekaterinburg runs roughly 42% less than in Novosibirsk. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,351 per month in Yekaterinburg versus $1,160 in Novosibirsk – Novosibirsk is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Novosibirsk gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

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