Our respondents
Among the 13 participants of our survey, 12 were international students and 1 was a Russian student. 2 participants combined their studies with a job at ITMO. Thus, the results demonstrate predominantly an international student’s experience.
Expense categories
The key expense categories picked by our participants are groceries, transportation, mobile plan, eating out, clothing, and dormitory rent. A smaller share of participants opted to rent an apartment. A fourth of our respondents also pay for streaming services, entertainment in the city (theaters, museums), and sports.
Read also: ITMO Student’s Guide to Saving & Budgeting
Food
A little less than half of our respondents stated that they spend less than 10,000 rubles a month on groceries, while the range of 10,000-15,000 rubles was selected by 30.8% of participants. 2 participants spend between 15,000 and 20,000 rubles a month and 1 participant spends more than that. Most likely, you’ll spend under 15,000 rubles per month on your groceries.
Credit: ITMO University
For example, based on our experience and depending on your preferences, your weekly grocery haul may amount to 2,500-3,500 rubles, while a lunch at a fast-food chain can cost around 500 rubles.
As for eating out, there was a greater variability of answers, with 40% of respondents spending over 5,000 rubles a month on cafes and restaurants and 30% spending between 1,000 and 3,000 rubles. The conclusion? If you crave a meal out, you can find quite budget-friendly options in the city.
Credit: ITMO University
Read also: How to Shop Like a Local in St. Petersburg
Accommodation
Students residing at ITMO University dorms can expect to pay between 1,500 rubles and 3,000 rubles a month for their accommodation, as evidenced by our survey. The data also demonstrates that this option is much more popular than renting an apartment.
Credit: ITMO University
Read also: ITMO Student's Guide to Housing in St. Petersburg
However, if you do decide to rent, the prices vary depending on a whole list of factors, including:
- the season;
- whether you are renting an entire apartment or a single room;
- proximity to public transit;
- and included amenities.
Our respondents cited 28,000, 40,000, and 60,000 rubles as their accommodation expenses, which is the amount you may expect to pay for a single- or double-room apartment apartment in the city.
Transport
As a student in St. Petersburg, you get a discount on public transit. In 2026, a student travel card (a “BSK”) costs between 802 rubles and 1,599 rubles depending on your preferred mode of transport. This explains why over half of our respondents spend between 1,000 rubles and 2,000 rubles on public transport, while some manage to spend just under 1,000 rubles.
Credit: ITMO University
Mobile services
In recent years, mobile plans have become more pricey: more than half of our respondents spend over 550 rubles per month in this category, with a third spending between 300 rubles and 400 rubles. The prices may vary depending on what the plan includes and the operator.
Credit: ITMO University
Entertainment & miscellaneous
In this open category, nearly half of our respondents indicated that they don’t spend any money on leisure activities. Other responses stated expenses of around 1,000-3,000 rubles. In St. Petersburg, students can expect discounts at museums and some cultural events, with many major events happening at ITMO University are available for free.
Follow our weekly digest of interesting budget-friendly activities in St. Petersburg
Among the expenses not included in our survey, several respondents mentioned medical expenses.
Approximate monthly total
On average, if you are staying in a dormitory, using your student travel card, balancing between cooking at home and eating out, and going to a few cultural events a month, you can expect to spend around 23,000-26,000 rubles (including a mobile plan and some extra expenses).
If you are looking to rent a room or an apartment, this total can be increased by an additional 25,000+ rubles, making it about 50,000 rubles a month.
Read also: Essential Russian Vocabulary: Money
