Living Costs in Moscow

Food

20,000 RUB per month

At the HSE cafeteria, a hot meal with a drink costs around 350–400 RUB, and a set menu is approximately 230 RUB. Moscow offers a wide variety of restaurants and cafes to suit every taste. A typical dinner costs about 800–1,200 RUB per person. Fast food restaurants offer more affordable options: Rostics (formerly KFC) costs approximately 400 RUB per meal, and Vkusno I Tochka (formerly McDonald's) offers combo meals for about 300–500 RUB. Business lunches in restaurants are priced at 400–700 RUB per meal.

Purchasing groceries and cooking at home costs approximately 3,000–4,000 RUB per week, with prices for fruits and vegetables varying by season.

Medical Insurance

6,500–10,000 RUB per year

Annual medical insurance costs about 6,000 RUB. Private medical centres offer more expensive policies, ranging from 60,000 to 100,000 RUB per year for extended coverage. Find a list of recommended insurance programmes here.

Transportation

875 RUB per month with a student transport card or 3,070 RUB per month without one

The Student Social Card offers discounted fares: 595 RUB per month for the metro and Moscow Central Circle, and 380 RUB per month for ground transportation.

Additionally, the card provides a 50% discount on suburban trains. Information about transport fares is available here and here.

Mobile Services

500–1,000 RUB per month

The cost of mobile services depends on the selected package and operator.

Internet

500–1,000 RUB per month (or free)

There is free Wi-Fi available in every HSE University building. Depending on your role at the university, you can connect to either HSE.Student, HSE.Work, or HSE.Guest. To access the first two, use your login and password for your university email. For HSE.Guest, you need to authenticate via the website.

HSE dormitories also offer free internet, both wired connections and Wi-Fi. To access them, use the login and password listed on the information boards in the dormitories or contact the dormitory administrator.

Visa Registration, Visa Extension

1,920 RUB (once per stay)

A student visa is required to enter Russia for citizens of certain countries. Student entrance visas are initially valid for 90 days. Visa extension costs 1,920 RUB.

Medical examination, fingerprinting and photographs

Foreign students and employees arriving in Russia must undergo a medical examination, fingerprinting, and biometric photographing. These procedures are obligatory and cost upwards of 5,900 RUB, depending on the clinic and its location.

Visit the Visa and Registration Centre website to learn more about the procedure and view the list of approved medical institutions.

Leisure Activities

5,000 RUB per month or more

Tickets to the Bolshoi Theatre start at 3,500 RUB. Tickets to other theatres range between 1000 and 3,000 RUB. A movie ticket costs about 400 RUB. Museum and exhibition hall tickets start at 200 RUB. Many places offer student discounts, so don't forget to take your student ID with you!

Going to a club might cost between 1,000–4,000 RUB per night. Please note that these figures are approximate and can vary based on individual preferences and lifestyle.

The International Student Network (ISN) offers many different activities and trips to various destinations. Ticket prices can reach 700 RUB for weekly activities and 3,000 for major trips.

Subscribe to the HSE International Student Support Telegram channel to keep updated about exciting events for foreigners.

Accommodation in an HSE Student Dormitory

1,000–2,000 RUB per month (for a student dormitory)

around 35,000–45,000 RUB per month for a studio apartment in Moscow

If you would prefer to live in a separate room outside of a dormitory, the prices for renting a room are influenced by the market and such factors as proximity to metro stations, location, etc. The typical cost to rent a single room in an apartment is around 25,000 RUB per month, excluding utilities.

IMPORTANT: Starting from 2021, only full-scholarship students are eligible to have a room in HSE dormitories. Students who do not receive standard dormitory accommodation can arrange accommodation via the Student Housing Office.

Clothing and other purchases

Around 4,000 RUB a month (could be more or less depending on lifestyle)

Winter clothes and shoes vary in price too: from 4,000 to 20,000 RUB depending on your personal style and brand preferences. A good winter coat may cost about 10,000–15,000 RUB. Mid-level shops like Sportmaster usually have a good selection of casual-style clothing suitable for the Russian climate.

If you love cooking, then you’ll need all the right equipment for your dormitory kitchen: pots cost around 800 RUB, pans cost upwards of 1,000 RUB, and plates are 100 RUB or more. An electric kettle will cost around 2,000 RUB. Additionally, a good option for cooking in the dormitories is a rice cooker or an electric pan, which might cost from 2,500 to 5,000 RUB.

Books

Books typically cost 400 to 1,000 RUB. Bookshops usually have a section with books in languages other than Russian. You can also try to find the book you want in your dormitory chat—many students will be happy to lend you a book or two.

The HSE Library also has various printed and electronic materials. Learn more about HSE Library services here.

Learning the language

Private Russian lessons with a native tutor will cost around 1,500 RUB per hour. However, you can improve your language skills by yourself—just communicate with your Russian friends on a daily basis and don’t be afraid of making mistakes! You can also take Russian classes at HSE University at the School of Russian as a Foreign Language. For example, you can learn Russian through drama or mass media.

Housing

Private rented accommodation costs are likely to be the main expense and will vary considerably depending on the district and the type, size, and standard of accommodation. The city centre is generally more expensive in all respects, including apartments. Flats are usually leased fully furnished.

Average monthly rent for a furnished apartment is as follows:

One will normally have to pay a deposit of one month’s rent, which will be refunded at the end of the tenancy.

Utilities (water, electricity, gas, heating, etc.)

Payment for utilities may be included in the rental price, by agreement with the landlord. If you pay separately, the average cost of utilities per month is 5,000 RUB–10,000 RUB.

Internet

Almost all rental apartments have internet access and Wi-Fi. The average fee for an internet connection is 500 RUB–700 RUB per month.

Mobile tariffs

There are three nationwide mobile service providers in Russia: MTS Mobile, Beeline and MegaFon.

Their tariffs are pretty similar and cost about 500 to 1,000 RUB per month.

Food

More information here.

In addition to local stores, there are a few supermarket chains in Moscow, from low- and mid-budget—Pyaterochka (Пятерочка), Perekrestok (Перекресток), Magnolia (Магнолия), Lenta (Лента) and the international chain Auchan (Ашан)—to upscale Azbuka Vkusa (Азбука вкуса) and Globus Gourmet (Глобус Гурмэ) specialising in high-quality food and alcohol. Depending on the type of products, the price discrepancy may be considerable, however these supermarkets chains have many locations, so you can almost always find an affordable option.

Here is a price list of some common groceries.

There are also several online supermarkets that sell a wide range of products with varying terms of delivery and prices. Most supermarkets offer delivery options. Some of the most popular include Perekrestok, OZON, Yandex.Market and many others.

Food prices in Moscow are quite moderate, particularly for domestic products, whereas imported brands and organic produce are more expensive.

Transport

More information here.

You can get the most flexible tariffs if you buy a top-up Troika card for public transport. Travellers can also buy single-ride cards or pay with a MIR bank card, but these options are more expensive.

As of March 2025, the price for tickets in the Moscow Metro (also valid for ground transport):

Prices for overground transport:

You can buy unlimited rides on your Troika card for 1, 3, 30, 90, and 365 days.

Taxi

There are both registered and unlicensed taxis in Moscow. The average tariff for registered taxis is 500 RUB–1,000 RUB. The prices of unlicensed taxis may vary greatly, so it is highly recommended to avoid using their services. There are several taxi aggregator services, which you can use, for instance Yandex.Taxi and Gettaxi. You can download the necessary app for your smartphone in the App Store or Google Play.

Car-sharing

There are currently five car-sharing operators in Moscow. Typically, you have to be over 21 and have at least 2.5 years of driving experience to use them. Rates vary from 8 to 50 roubles / per minute (depending on the car). More information is available on the Moscow transport website (in Russian).

Clothing and footwear

Moscow has shops to suit every budget and taste. Shopping malls such as Mega, Evropeyskiy, Metropolis, and Atrium contain such popular mass-market international brands as Benetton, Colin’s, Gant, GAP, and JNS.

The average price in these shops:

• a pair of jeans—2,000–5,000 RUB
• a shirt—1,500–4,000 RUB
• a jumper—1,500–4,000 RUB
• a jacket—3,000–9,000 RUB
• a pair of shoes—2,500–8,000 RUB

Luxury and premium shops and boutiques such as D&G and Armani also have a presence in the Moscow retail market. They can be found in central locations and prestigious shopping centres (TSUM, Petrovsky Passage). However, the price in their Moscow stores may be higher than in most European countries. A pair of Armani jeans in Moscow TSUM is ~20,000 RUB, and a leather handbag is 170,000 RUB.

Leisure activities and entertainment

Moscow is the major cultural centre of Russia and offers a wide choice of places and events to attend.

Café and Restaurants

More information here.

The average cost of a business lunch in a café or a combo meal in a fast food restaurant is about 400 to 700 RUB.

The average total bill in a mid-range restaurant for one person is 1,500 RUB–2,500 RUB.

Motoring costs

Traffic jams are common in Moscow, so it is often faster to take the Metro. However, driving a car still has its benefits. Here is a typical list of car-related expenses (as of 2025):

• Average KASKO+OSAGO car insurance (per year)—65,000+5,000 RUB
• Planned maintenance—20,000–25,000 RUB
• Vehicle inspection—720 RUB
• Parking fees (per hour)—200–450 RUB (depending on the district)
• Petrol: 92 (per 1 litre) —60–65 RUB; 95 (per 1 litre)—65–70 RUB
• Taxes and duties—1,000–18,000 RUB (depending on engine power) and 2,850 RUB (applies to any car)

Childcare

Russian citizens mostly send their children to state nurseries and kindergartens, which charge fees of 3,200–4,000 RUB per month. Private day-care centres, including those with English speaking staff, are more expensive. The average monthly fee for a private kindergarten is 35,000–70,000 RUB.

Russian state comprehensive schools provide free of charge, high quality education, although the curriculum is different from the Western model. Also the language of instruction there is Russian.

Besides state schools, Moscow has a wide selection of private international schools offering British and American style education with a worldwide reputation for quality. The cost of education at other top international schools in Moscow, such as the International School of Moscow and the British International School, depends on the grade, time of enrolment, and whether or not a child requires any additional support programmes. The exact fees charged by these schools can be found out after filling out an online application form on the relevant websites.