๐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,440 in Zilina versus $1,146 in Serpukhov.
๐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,101 in Zilina versus $1,791 in Serpukhov.
๐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,761 in Zilina versus $2,437 in Serpukhov.
๐Living in Zilina is roughly 26% more expensive than Serpukhov, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.
๐The two cities straddle the global median: Zilina is 7% above, Serpukhov is 15% below.
Currency
๐ฝ Eating Out
Zilina
Serpukhov
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.28โฌ7.89
$12.77โฝ971
-27.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$51.5โฌ43.82
$57.1โฝ4,345
-9.87%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.30โฌ7.07
$6.48โฝ493
28.09%
Cappuccino
$2.53โฌ2.16
$3.29โฝ250
-23.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75โฌ1.49
$1.39โฝ106
25.90%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49โฌ1.27
$0.66โฝ50.5
125.76%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.30โฌ1.95
$1.42โฝ108
61.97%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62โฌ2.23
$4.37โฝ332
-40.05%
๐ Groceries & Markets
Zilina
Serpukhov
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.07โฌ0.91
$1.32โฝ101
-18.94%
White Bread(500g)
$1.40โฌ1.19
$0.84โฝ64.0
66.67%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.97โฌ1.68
$1.76โฝ134
11.93%
Eggs
$3.61โฌ3.08
$1.48โฝ113
143.92%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$14.22โฌ12.10
$12.99โฝ988
9.47%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.40โฌ6.30
$4.48โฝ341
65.18%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.88โฌ10.96
$11.91โฝ906
8.14%
Apples(1kg)
$1.79โฌ1.52
$1.90โฝ144
-5.79%
Banana(1kg)
$1.83โฌ1.55
$2.01โฝ153
-8.96%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.27โฌ1.93
$2.29โฝ174
-0.87%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.50โฌ3.83
$4.19โฝ318
7.40%
Potato(1kg)
$1.41โฌ1.20
$0.98โฝ74.6
43.88%
Onion(1kg)
$1.73โฌ1.47
$0.85โฝ64.6
103.53%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.66โฌ1.41
$1.64โฝ125
1.22%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82โฌ0.70
$0.74โฝ56.6
10.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.34โฌ5.40
$3.13โฝ238
102.56%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.06โฌ5.16
$6.44โฝ490
-5.90%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.08โฌ0.92
$0.87โฝ66.1
24.14%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46โฌ1.24
$2.34โฝ178
-37.61%
๐ Getting Around
Zilina
Serpukhov
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.15โฌ0.98
$0.49โฝ37.28
134.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$23.25โฌ19.78
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.35โฌ1.15
$2.57โฝ196
-47.47%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.02โฌ0.87
$0.47โฝ35.80
117.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$22.69โฌ19.31
$6.52โฝ496
248.01%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.76โฌ1.49
$0.80โฝ60.7
120.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9Kโฌ24.6K
$38.5Kโฝ2.9M
-24.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6Kโฌ21.8K
$36.3Kโฝ2.8M
-29.55%
๐งพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zilina
Serpukhov
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$240โฌ205
$153โฝ11.6K
57.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.69โฌ26.11
$7.80โฝ593
293.46%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.13โฌ17.13
$7.77โฝ591
159.07%
๐ Sport & Entertainment
Zilina
Serpukhov
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$38.12โฌ32.44
$35.21โฝ2,678
8.26%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.85โฌ10.09
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.34โฌ7.95
$6.37โฝ485
46.62%
๐งธ Childcare & Education
Zilina
Serpukhov
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$466โฌ396
$329โฝ25.0K
41.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,059โฌ6,007
$7,016โฝ533.6K
0.61%
๐๐ Clothing & Footwear
Zilina
Serpukhov
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.2โฌ48.69
$88.0โฝ6,695
-35.02%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.86โฌ21.15
$52.7โฝ4,008
-52.83%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$74.2โฌ63.1
$134โฝ10.2K
-44.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109โฌ92.6
$165โฝ12.5K
-34.03%
๐ Accommodation & Living
Zilina
Serpukhov
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$572โฌ487
$441โฝ33.5K
29.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$500โฌ426
$301โฝ22.9K
66.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$936โฌ796
$761โฝ57.9K
22.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$771โฌ657
$510โฝ38.8K
51.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,541โฌ3,013
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,079โฌ2,620
-
-
๐ต Salaries & Financials
Zilina
Serpukhov
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,425โฌ1,212
$1,182โฝ89.9K
20.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.33
10.5
-58.76%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Zilina: April 12, 2026
Last update for Serpukhov: April 14, 2026
Cost Breakdown
๐ A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $572 in Zilina and $441 in Serpukhov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
๐ฐZilina pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.
๐Dining out: $51 in Zilina vs $57 in Serpukhov. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $225, with Serpukhov cheaper for home cooking.
City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Zilina vs Serpukhov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Zilina or Serpukhov?
Serpukhov wins on cost โ living expenses run 26% lower than in Zilina. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Serpukhov the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Zilina or Serpukhov?
Zilina pays 21% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Zilina vs Serpukhov?
Rent for a central apartment: $572 in Zilina versus $441 in Serpukhov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Zilina and Serpukhov?
Childcare runs $466 in Zilina versus $329 in Serpukhov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Zilina vs Serpukhov?
Dining out is cheaper in Serpukhov โ a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $51.0 in Zilina. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Zilina or Serpukhov?
At $1,146 in Serpukhov versus $1,440 in Zilina, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Serpukhov but tight or insufficient in Zilina. The gap between the two cities makes Serpukhov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Zilina or Serpukhov?
Both work as nomad bases, but Serpukhov delivers better value โ similar infrastructure at $1,146 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Serpukhov hard to pass up.
How safe is Zilina compared to Serpukhov?
Safety-wise, Zilina and Serpukhov are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Serpukhov gentler on the wallet โ expenses run 26% less than in Zilina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.