Bottom line in numbers
The cheat sheet first, the breakdown after. In June 2026, 1 EUR ≈ 98 RUB, 1 USD ≈ 90 RUB. We round to clean numbers.
- Central Moscow, single person, comfortable: ~150,000 RUB / ~€1,500 per month.
- St. Petersburg center, single: ~110,000 RUB / ~€1,100.
- Regional million-city (Kazan, Ekaterinburg, Nizhny): ~70,000 RUB / ~€700.
- Small city (Voronezh, Tula): ~45,000 RUB / ~€450.
Rent: Moscow vs St. Petersburg vs regions
Most flats are rented for 11 months, cash, with a one-month deposit. The big platforms are Cian, Avito and Yandex Realty.
- Studio inside the Garden Ring, Moscow: 70,000–110,000 RUB
- 1BR inside the Third Ring, Moscow: 80,000–140,000 RUB
- 1BR by a metro station, outer Moscow: 45,000–70,000 RUB
- 1BR St. Petersburg center: 50,000–90,000 RUB
- 1BR Kazan / Ekaterinburg / Sochi: 35,000–55,000 RUB
- 1BR smaller million-city: 22,000–35,000 RUB
Buying is cheap by Western standards but illiquid for foreigners. For a deeper look at Moscow specifically, see the Moscow 2026 guide.
Groceries and eating out
Weekly basket for one (Perekrestok / Vkusvill mix): 3,500–6,000 RUB. Sample prices in Moscow:
- 1 L milk: 90–120 RUB · dozen eggs: 110–160 RUB
- 1 kg chicken breast: 350–500 RUB · 1 kg salmon: 950–1,400 RUB
- 500 g rye bread: 60–90 RUB · 1 kg apples: 130–200 RUB
- Cappuccino: 250–400 RUB · craft beer 0.5 L: 350–550 RUB
- Business lunch: 500–900 RUB · dinner for two with wine: 5,000–9,000 RUB
Markup on imported cheese, olive oil and wine is heavy. Local everything is significantly cheaper than the EU.
Transport: metro, taxi, intercity
- Metro single ride (Troika card): 50 RUB
- Unlimited monthly metro+bus+tram: 2,400 RUB
- Yandex Go short ride: 250–450 RUB · 30-min ride: 600–900 RUB
- Sapsan train Moscow–St. Petersburg (4 h): 3,500–7,500 RUB
- Domestic flight Moscow–Sochi: 4,000–10,000 RUB
- Liter of petrol AI-95: ~62 RUB
Utilities, internet, mobile
- Utilities for a 1BR (water, heating, electricity, building fee): 5,500–8,500 RUB / month
- Fiber internet 500 Mbps–1 Gbps: 500–700 RUB / month
- Mobile plan with 30 GB + unlimited calls: 500–700 RUB / month (MTS, Beeline, Tele2, Yota)
- eSIM for foreigners (MTS, Megafon): activated against a Russian passport or via roaming partner
Healthcare and insurance
Private clinics (GMS, EMC, Medsi, SM-Clinic, Atlas) are the realistic option for foreigners. GP visit: 3,000–6,000 RUB. Blood panel: 2,500–5,000 RUB. Dental cleaning: 4,000–7,000 RUB. A full private annual insurance plan: €700–€1,500. Most pharmacy drugs (Apteka 36.6, Stolichki, Rigla) do not require prescriptions.
Gym, cafés, nightlife, culture
- Standard gym monthly: 2,500–4,500 RUB · premium World Class: 8,000–15,000 RUB
- Bolshoi or Mariinsky balcony seat: 1,500–4,000 RUB
- Cinema ticket: 350–650 RUB
- Cocktail in a good Moscow bar: 700–1,200 RUB
- Banya (Sanduny etc.) general 2 h: 2,500–4,000 RUB
Three full monthly budgets
Central Moscow, single, comfortable — ~150,000 RUB / €1,500
- Rent 1BR inside the Third Ring: 90,000
- Utilities + internet + mobile: 8,000
- Groceries: 18,000
- Eating out (≈10 times): 14,000
- Transport (monthly pass + taxis): 6,000
- Gym + entertainment: 8,000
- Buffer / clothes: 6,000
St. Petersburg, couple sharing — ~180,000 RUB / €1,800
- Rent 2BR central: 75,000
- Utilities + internet + 2 mobiles: 10,000
- Groceries: 28,000
- Restaurants/bars: 25,000
- Transport: 8,000
- Gym + culture: 12,000
- Buffer: 22,000
Kazan, single, comfortable — ~70,000 RUB / €700
- Rent 1BR good area: 38,000
- Utilities + internet + mobile: 6,500
- Groceries: 12,000
- Eating out: 6,000
- Transport: 2,500
- Gym + entertainment: 5,000
Ruble exchange and how to move money
Foreign Visa and Mastercard do not work inside Russia. Bring USD or EUR cash for the first two weeks and exchange at any bank (Sber, Tinkoff/T-Bank, Raiffeisen, Alfa). Open a Russian account on a long visa, get a Mir card, and use SBP for instant transfers between Russian accounts.
For the SWIFT / crypto / Mir card mechanics, read the dedicated Mir card and money in Russia guide.
