Cost of living
All prices mentioned in the text are as of 2024
Here’s everything you need to know about tuition, scholarships, and living expenses in St. Petersburg.
Contents
• Study costs
• Accommodation
• Food
• Transport
• Services
• Entertainment
• Miscellaneous
Study costs
ITMO University offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD programs, as well as a preparatory course and winter/summer schools. Fees vary by program, so please check the individual course page for the most accurate information.
A Bachelor’s degree takes four years to complete, while Master’s and PhD degrees – two and about three (with possible extensions) years, respectively. As of the 2024-2025 academic year, tuition fees for Bachelor’s programs vary between 329,000 and 449,000 rubles per year; whereas Master’s programs fees range from 429,000 to 680,000 rubles per year.
Apart from fee-based options, prospective students can apply for a variety of scholarships to study for free at ITMO University. Regardless of their form of study, students can also receive monthly or one-time stipends for their varied achievements.
Cost of living
Before or upon your arrival to Russia, you’ll need to change your money to local currency, which is rubles in Russia. The top bank choices among locals are Sberbank and Bank Saint Petersburg (partners of ITMO University), as well as Alfabank, VTB Bank, Tinkoff, and some others.
Starting-out guides:
Naturally, living expenses vary widely from student to student, but the information below will give you a rough estimate of what you might expect to spend while living in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Accommodation
There are three main types of accommodation available to ITMO students: university dormitories, aparthotels, and off-campus housing. Each option comes with varying benefits and drawbacks owing to prices, proximity to the university and downtown, additional facilities, and more.
More on housing:
Most students, especially international ones, opt for dormitories. University dorms cost 1,200-6,600 rubles a month while off-campus accommodation costs range from 12,000 rubles a month for residing at ITMO.Aparts and anything from 10,000 rubles for a room (w/o utilities) or from 30,000 rubles a month for a one-room apartment (w/o utilities) if you’re looking for living on your own or sharing an apartment with other students or friends.
Food
Food is one of the main spending categories that may account for around or upwards from 10,000 rubles a month, as evidenced by our survey.
St. Petersburg offers unlimited access to varied convenience stores and supermarkets (with some open 24/7), starting from budget-friendly options (Magnit, Pyaterochka, and Dixy) to those at a pricier end of the spectrum (Perekrestok and Vkusvill) – and also chains like Karusel, Auchan, O’Key, and Lenta that sit in-between offering a larger selection of products and rather keen prices.
Apart from the stores, delivery services are popular in the city, too; they offer the ease of having your favorite groceries and meals delivered right to your dorm or apartment. These are Samokat and Yandex Lavka (for groceries), Yandex Eda, Delivery Club, and Kuper (for groceries and delivery from stores, restaurants, etc.), as well as those of particular stores, restaurants, and so on.
More on food delivery:
In terms of in-town spots, the city has a rich, diverse food and dining scene with plenty of options for all budgets and tastes – including for vegans, vegetarians, and even lovers of spicy food!
More on food:
Transport
St. Petersburg can boast a vast network of public transport that is equally convenient and nicely-priced, especially if you’re a student. As of 2024, a single ride on the local metro costs 70 rubles, while a one-way bus, tram, or trolleybus ticket is 65 rubles.
Students can purchase a special student travel card, or BSK (БСК), that covers both metro and ground transport: the monthly fees are 740 rubles (metro only, 100 rides), 655 rubles (ground transport, unlimited), and 1,305 rubles (metro, 100 rides + ground transport, unlimited).
An alternative can be a Podorozhnik – a card that can almost halve your transport-related spendings: 49 rubles for metro and 44 rubles for a tram, bus, or trolleybus. If you opt for a Podorozhnik, there are also time-based tariffs (for a sequence of rides up to 60 or 90 minutes apart) that will help you keep your transport costs even lower.
Services
Even though Wi-Fi hotspots are plentiful around the city and the university in particular, it’s advisable to invest in a local SIM card and internet plan to stay connected wherever you are. The choice for mobile and internet operators in St. Petersburg is aplenty. Among the most common ones are MTS, MegaFon, Beeline, t2, Rostelecom, and Yota. On average, the monthly fees for mobile services start from 400-500 rubles and 300-400 rubles – for the internet.
More on the topic:
Entertainment
The city bustles with life, with its countless museums, pop-up events and festivals, scenic locations, and an active nightlife. St. Petersburg can offer a wide range of activities to fit all lifestyles – and budgets.
Apart from free events, students can benefit from various perks; with your student ID, you can receive a discount or even free admission to the city’s museums, theaters, parks, and so on. In addition, you can also avail yourself of numerous discounts offered by the university’s partners.
More on going out:
Miscellaneous
Among other spending categories are healthcare, shopping, electronics, household items, personal care, etc. Below are some articles that might be helpful.
More on shopping:
For more information about the university, student life, living in Russia, and other exciting topics, visit our news portal ITMO.NEWS available in both Russian and English.