The cost of studying in Russia in 2026/27 is about 270,000 to 1,200,000 RUB a year in tuition, plus 15,000 to 30,000 RUB a month to live, depending on the city. A realistic first year at a regional medical university costs about 580,000 RUB, and in Moscow about 1.6 million RUB.
The cost of studying in Russia for one year is usually 450,000–1,600,000 RUB (≈ $5,580–$19,800) once you add tuition, a hostel, food, insurance and visa paperwork. Tuition is the biggest and most variable part; living costs stay low if you live in a university hostel and cook.
Two realistic examples for 2026/27, counting 12 months of living costs:
These are first-year figures. Russian universities set fees each year by internal order, and later years can cost more: Samara State Technical University (SamGTU) publishes separate fee orders for first-year and for second- to sixth-year students.
Tuition for foreign students in 2026/27 ranges from about 270,000 RUB a year (≈ $3,350) for engineering in a regional city to 1,200,000 RUB (≈ $14,900) for medicine in Moscow. The table uses only fees published by the universities themselves, for full-time study by foreign citizens paying their own tuition.
| University (city) | Programme | Fee a year | Academic year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (Moscow) | General Medicine, English as intermediary language | 1,200,000 RUB (≈ $14,900) | 2026/27 |
| Saint Petersburg State University, SPbU (St Petersburg) | General Medicine in English | 588,600 RUB (≈ $7,300) | 2026/27 |
| Saint Petersburg State University, SPbU (St Petersburg) | Economics | 574,500 RUB (≈ $7,130) | 2026/27 |
| Saint Petersburg State University, SPbU (St Petersburg) | Petroleum Engineering (petroleum geology) | 548,700 RUB (≈ $6,810) | 2026/27 |
| HSE University (Nizhny Novgorod campus) | International Bachelor's in Business and Economics | 420,000 RUB (≈ $5,210) | 2026/27 |
| Rostov State Medical University (Rostov-on-Don) | General Medicine in English | 373,900 RUB (≈ $4,640) | 2026/27 |
| Samara State Technical University, SamGTU (Samara) | Petroleum Engineering | 345,000 RUB (≈ $4,280) | 2026/27, first year |
| Samara State Technical University, SamGTU (Samara) | Civil Engineering | 270,000 RUB (≈ $3,350) | 2026/27, first year |
Medicine costs more than engineering, Moscow and St Petersburg cost more than regional cities, and English-taught medicine usually costs more than the Russian-taught version. At RostSMU, General Medicine in Russian costs 257,900 RUB a year (≈ $3,200) against 373,900 RUB (≈ $4,640) in English.
A student in a university hostel needs about 15,000–18,000 RUB a month (≈ $186–$223) in a regional city and about 30,000 RUB a month (≈ $372) in Moscow. Rent is cheap if you get a hostel place. Food is the largest monthly cost almost everywhere.
| Item per month | Moscow | Regional city | Where the figure comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| University hostel | 1,000–3,800 RUB (≈ $12–$47) | 800–1,500 RUB (≈ $10–$19) | HSE, NUST MISIS; Ural State University of Economics (18,000 RUB a year (≈ $223)) |
| Food (cooking at home, some canteen meals) | about 20,000 RUB (≈ $248) | 10,000–12,000 RUB (≈ $124–$149) | NUST MISIS (August 2026); student videos |
| Transport | 985 RUB (≈ $12) (30-day student pass) | about 1,000 RUB (≈ $12) | NUST MISIS; regional figure is an estimate |
| Phone and mobile internet | 500–1,000 RUB (≈ $6–$12) | about 500 RUB (≈ $6) | HSE University, NUST MISIS |
| Health insurance (yearly policy divided by 12) | 350–700 RUB (≈ $4–$9) | about 350 RUB (≈ $4) | HSE University; Kazan Federal University |
| Household items and free time | about 4,000 RUB (≈ $50) | about 2,000 RUB (≈ $25) | NUST MISIS; regional figure is an estimate |
| Total | about 30,000 RUB (≈ $372) | about 15,000–18,000 RUB (≈ $186–$223) |
Hostel prices on university pages often apply to state-funded students, and fee-paying foreign students can be charged more, so ask the international office. A private room in Moscow costs about 25,000 RUB a month (≈ $310) without utilities, according to HSE University.
A one-year preparatory faculty costs about 130,000–320,000 RUB (≈ $1,610–$3,970) in 2026/27. You need it if your programme is taught in Russian and you do not speak the language yet. Published 2026/27 prices:
The preparatory year also adds a full year of living costs, about 190,000 RUB (≈ $2,360) in a regional city. English-taught programmes usually skip it, though Russian is still taught as a subject.
Expect about 15,000–20,000 RUB a year (≈ $186–$248) in paperwork, and more in the first year. State duties for foreigners rose sharply on 26 July 2026 under Federal Law No. 190-FZ of 26 June 2026:
Migration registration is done by the receiving side: the university for students in its hostel, the owner for a private flat. Students in the videos report that some landlords refuse to register a tenant, which is one more reason to secure a hostel place.
The deadline for the medical examination has changed. Older university instructions give 90 days after entry. Federal Law No. 162-FZ of 10 June 2026 sets a single 30-day deadline from entry, repeated every year, from 1 September 2026. Follow the deadline your international office gives you, because missing it can lead to fines or problems with your visa.
No. Visa and Mastercard cards issued by banks outside Russia do not work for payments or cash withdrawals in Russia, as of November 2026. This has been the case since both card networks suspended their Russian operations in March 2022. University international offices, such as HSE University and Vladivostok State University, give the same warning to new students.
What students do instead:
Not reliably. Part-time work can help with pocket money, but it will not pay tuition, so you must have the full budget before you leave home. Official jobs in shops and fast-food chains usually require Russian, a medical book, a tax number (INN) and a pension insurance number (SNILS). Informal factory shifts exist, but they are seasonal, tiring and risky under migration law.
For ordinary monthly spending on groceries, bus rides and a mobile plan she needs about 10,000–12,000 RUB (≈ $124–$149). She advises bringing US dollars in cash from India because Indian cards may not work, and not changing money at the airport.
— An Indian medical student at Privolzhsky Research Medical University in Nizhny Novgorod (video)
His university hostel costs about 5,000 RUB (≈ $62) for six months. For that price he gets a shared room for two, a bed, desk, wardrobe and small fridge, kitchens and laundry on each floor, and hot water around the clock.
— A Pakistani student living in a Russian university hostel (video)
Students arrive believing they can earn 1,00,000–1,50,000 INR a month (≈ $1,050–$1,580) part-time. In reality she found factory shifts paying 1,500–1,700 RUB (≈ $19–$21) for twelve hours, work that stops in winter and goes to local workers first.
— An Indian medical student at Ulyanovsk State University (video)
Cooking at home with friends keeps groceries at about 10,000 INR a month (≈ $105). A lunch in a café costs about 1,000 INR (≈ $11), so eating out every day quickly doubles the budget.
— An Indian MBBS student vlogging his daily student budget in Russia (video)
One student figure differs from university pages. The Pakistani student's 5,000 RUB a semester (≈ $62) is lower than the 13,920 RUB a year (≈ $173) at Kazan State Medical University (2024/25) or 18,000 RUB a year (≈ $223) at Ural State University of Economics (2026/27). Hostel prices differ by university and building, so use the price in your own contract.
For medicine it often is. A Russian medical degree costs from about 2,200,000 RUB (≈ $27,300) in tuition for six years at a regional university. Students in the videos compare this with private medical colleges in India, which they say cost several times more. For other subjects, compare the full cost including living expenses and the preparatory year.
Some Russian universities allow payment per semester rather than for the whole year. The schedule is written in your contract, so check it before you sign and keep every payment receipt.
Students selected under the Russian government quota study without tuition fees. You still pay for the hostel, food, insurance, the medical examination and the visa, so you need a living budget either way.
Bring enough for at least two months of living plus your first paperwork, about 50,000–80,000 RUB (≈ $620–$992) depending on the city. Carry it as cash in dollars or roubles, because your foreign card will not work.
Last updated: 1 November 2026. Fees and regulations change; check the official sources above before you apply.
The Russian government scholarship is a state quota of 30,000 free study places a year: it pays your tuition and a preparatory Russian year, plus a small stipend, but not flights, food or insurance. For 2027/28 you apply on education-in-russia.com by 15 January 2027 (15 December 2026 for CIS countries), pass selection at your Russian House, then get placed in one of up to six universities you ranked.
Kursk State Medical University (KSMU) is a state medical university in Kursk, Russia, that has taught General Medicine (MBBS) to international students in English since 1994 through its International Medical Institute. The course lasts 6 years; fees are set in roubles each year, so get the 2026/27 price list in writing and read the current travel advice for Kursk Oblast before you apply.
Kazan State Medical University (KSMU) is a state medical university in Kazan, Russia, dating from 1814 and teaching more than 2,200 international students. For 2026/27 General Medicine costs 636,000 RUB a year in English or Russian. You apply between 20 June and 15 July and pass online tests in Chemistry and English or Russian, with at least 65 points in each.
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