Moscow at a glance
- Moscow is the most expensive of Russia's 8 priced cities: $1,425 a month in essentials, 76% above Kazan at $808.
- The average net salary of $1,717 covers that 1.2×.
- 97.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at federal subject level.
- PM2.5 averages 25.7 µg/m³ a year, 5× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 8 Russia cities we track, so every row says whether Moscow is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,425 | $938 | 1.52× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $791 | $410 | 1.93× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,484 | $654 | 2.27× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $115 | $104 | $12 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $282 | $228 | $54 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $194 | $142 | 1.37× as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $43 | $36 | $8 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,717 | $888 | 1.93× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,476 | $789 | 1.87× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $3,025 | $1,196 | 2.53× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Moscow, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $12.54 | $11.29 | $1.25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $62.72 | $41.96 | 1.49× as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $7.53 | $6.27 | $1.26 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.67 | $3.08 | $0.59 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $4.89 | $1.88 | 2.60× as much |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $5.02 | $2.98 | 1.68× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.63 | $1.36 | $0.26 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.82 | $0.65 | 1.27× as much |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.28 | $1.21 | $0.07 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.02 | $0.80 | 1.27× as much |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.70 | $1.55 | $0.15 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.91 | $1.79 | $0.12 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $13.42 | $12.68 | $0.74 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $6.32 | $5.67 | $0.65 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.14 | $1.98 | $0.16 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.82 | $1.79 | $0.03 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $3.97 | $3.12 | 1.27× as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.87 | $0.83 | $0.04 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.67 | $0.66 | $0.02 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.86 | $0.83 | $0.03 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.00 | $0.60 | 1.65× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $43.40 | $35.82 | $7.58 |
| Taxi start | $3.76 | $2.57 | 1.46× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.63 | $0.56 | $0.07 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.89 | $0.85 | $0.04 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $184.26 | $132.30 | 1.39× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $9.79 | $8.79 | $1.00 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $8.88 | $7.25 | $1.64 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $40.80 | $42.35 | $1.55 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $8.78 | $6.90 | 1.27× as much |
Dating-age sex ratio
Moscow has 97.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (federal subject level). That is the 5th-highest of 10 Russia cities we track. Russia's national figure is 101.9, so Moscow runs 4 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Moscow ranks against every city we track
Moscow sits ahead of 67% of the 892 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On local salary it is ahead of 59% of 545. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 11% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Moscow sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Need the full Russia model?
Open the gated deep-dive for city shortlist, cost detail, weather, visa, tax, dating-market signals, and subregion rankings.
Unlock Russia deep-dive
Photo: U.S. Department of State, Public domain.
