Subsistence minimum in Moscow and Moscow region in 2026: per adult, child and pensioner
The subsistence minimum in Moscow for 2026 is 25,342 rubles per month per capita. For a working‑age Muscovite the level is 28,940 rubles, for a pensioner 18,971, for a child 21,903. In the Moscow region the amounts are noticeably lower: 20,286 per capita, 22,112 for workers, 17,446 for pensioners and 19,677 for children. For a family this is the threshold from which benefits, pension supplements and the amount that cannot be seized from a debtor are calculated. Below are all four figures, the calculation for typical families and the history of the minimum since 2013. Rosstat figures, each chart has an interactive version on the website.
Subsistence minimum in Moscow in 2026: table
| Group | Moscow | Moscow region | Russia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per capita | 25,342 | 20,286 | 18,939 |
| Working‑age | 28,940 | 22,112 | 20,644 |
| Pensioners | 18,971 | 17,446 | 16,288 |
| Children | 21,903 | 19,677 | 18,371 |
Rubles per month, figures for 2026. Source: Rosstat.
Moscow exceeds the nationwide per‑capita minimum by 6,403 rubles, or by 33.8%. The Moscow region is higher than Russia by only 1,347 rubles. The difference between the city and the region is 5,056 rubles per person, and for workers 6,828.
The chart shows the main point: the capital’s minimum is higher primarily for working‑age people. For pensioners Moscow leads the region by only 1,525 rubles. The pensioner minimum in Moscow is 65.6% of the working‑age minimum, while in the region and across Russia it is 78.9%.
Open the subsistence minimum for all regions and groups since 2013 →
How much this is for a family: three examples
The minimum is calculated per person. To understand what it means for a family, the amounts are summed according to the composition.
A family with two working parents and two children in Moscow: 2 × 28,940 + 2 × 21,903 = 101,686 rubles per month. In the Moscow region 83,578, across Russia 78,030. The city‑region border changes the minimum amount for such a family by 18,108 rubles.
Mother with a child: in Moscow 28,940 + 21,903 = 50,843 rubles, in the region 22,112 + 19,677 = 41,789.
Two non‑working pensioners: in Moscow 37,942 rubles for both, in the region 34,892.
For the universal child benefit, the per‑capita family income is compared with the per‑capita minimum. A family of four in Moscow falls within this threshold if its total income is below 4 × 25,342 = 101,368 rubles per month. In the Moscow region the border is 81,144 rubles. In addition to income, property and adult employment are checked; that is a separate topic.
Data for each indicator are on separate pages: minimum per capita in Moscow and minimum for the able‑bodied in the Moscow region.
How the subsistence minimum in Moscow changed over the years
In 2013 the per‑capita minimum in Moscow was 10,580 rubles, in 2026 it was 25,342, 2.4 times higher. In the Moscow region over the same period the amount rose from 8,021 to 20,286 rubles (2.53 times), across Russia from 7,306 to 18,939 (2.59 times).
The Moscow minimum grew more slowly than the national one, and the gap is narrowing. In 2013 the Moscow minimum exceeded the national level by 44.8%, in 2026 by 33.8%.
There is a step on the lines for 2022. From 1 January the minimum in Moscow was 18,714 rubles, and from 1 June it was raised to 20,585. In the region it was 14,748 and became 16,223. This is the only time the amount was changed mid‑year. Until 2021 the minimum was revised each quarter; now it is set once for the whole year.
By 2026 the Moscow figures had increased by 6.0% across all four groups, the Moscow region by 5.1%. The national minimum grew more, 6.8%. You can recalculate past‑year minima in current money using the inflation calculator.
Minimum and actual incomes of Muscovites
The minimum is the lower bound, and on average Muscovites are far from it. The average accrued salary in Moscow in 2025 was 181,776.8 rubles, 6.7 times higher than the working-age minimum of that year (27,302). In the Moscow region the salary was 117,139.2 rubles, 5.6 times higher than the local minimum (21,039).
Rosstat also calculates the direct ratio: how many times the per‑capita monetary income exceeds the subsistence minimum. In 2025 in Moscow this was 693.8%, almost seven minima per person. In the region 472.7%, across Russia 422.6%.
In 2015–2017 the Moscow indicator fell to 405–410%, then rose: 479.5% in 2021, 631.8% in 2024. Fresh quarterly data show the same picture: in the second quarter of 2026 Moscow had 636.1%, the region 506.8%, the country 405.1%.
Open the income‑to‑minimum ratio by quarters →
Who earns less than the minimum
Workers with salaries below the subsistence minimum in Moscow in 2025 accounted for 2.1%, in the Moscow region 1.1%, across Russia 2.3%. Here Moscow's share is even higher than the region's: the high capital minimum itself raises the bar.
Share of residents with incomes below the poverty line in 2025: Moscow 3.8% (498.2 thousand people), Moscow region 4.3% (380.5 thousand), Russia 6.7%. Twenty years ago, in 2005, 13.3% of Moscow residents and 18.4% of the region's residents were below this line.
Open the number of people with incomes below the poverty line by region →
Pension and pensioner minimum in Moscow
The average assigned pension in 2025 in Moscow was 24,935.6 rubles, in the Moscow region 24,974.5, across Russia 23,424.8. Pensions in the city and region are almost identical, while the pensioner minimum differs. Therefore, a Muscovite's average pension exceeds the local minimum of the same year (17,897) by only 39%, and a resident of the region (16,600) by 50%.
If the pension together with other payments is lower than the pensioner minimum of their region, an unemployed pensioner receives a top‑up for the difference. For Moscow in 2026 this is 18,971 rubles, for the Moscow region 17,446. How the top‑up works and how many people receive it is examined in detail in the article about pensioner subsistence minimum.
Moscow among other regions
By per‑capita minimum, Moscow ranks ninth in 2026. Only Chukotka (49,431), Kamchatka Krai (33,333), Magadan Oblast (32,954), Nenets Autonomous Okrug (31,060), Yakutia (28,598), Murmansk Oblast (26,406), Yamalo‑Nenets Autonomous Okrug (25,946) and Sakhalin Oblast (25,757) are higher. This is the North and the Far East, where food, fuel and clothing are more expensive.
The Moscow region is in the upper third of the list, on par with St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast: in St. Petersburg the minimum is 20,644, in Leningrad Oblast 20,265. The full list is compiled in the regional subsistence minimum rating.
Questions and answers
What is the subsistence minimum in Moscow in 2026?
For the per‑capita population 25,342 rubles per month. For able‑bodied persons 28,940, for pensioners 18,971, for children 21,903.
What is the subsistence minimum in the Moscow region in 2026?
Per‑capita 20,286 rubles, for able‑bodied persons 22,112, for pensioners 17,446, for children 19,677.
By how much did the minimum increase in Moscow compared with 2025?
By 6.0% for all groups. Per‑capita it was 23,908 rubles, now 25,342. In the Moscow region the increase is 5.1%: from 19,302 to 20,286.
Why is the minimum in Moscow higher than the Russian average?
The region sets the minimum itself, based on local incomes and prices. In Moscow they are higher, and the per‑capita minimum is about one‑third larger than the nationwide figure. Since 2021 the amount is calculated from the median income rather than from the cost of a food basket.
Which minimum should be used for benefits if you live in the region but work in Moscow?
Usually the minimum of the region where the person lives and applies for the payment is used. For a resident of the Moscow region this is 20,286 rubles per capita, even if the salary is Moscow‑based.
In short
- Subsistence minimum for 2026 in Moscow: 25,342 rubles per capita, 28,940 for able‑bodied persons, 18,971 for pensioners, 21,903 for children.
- In the Moscow region: 20,286, 22,112, 17,446 and 19,677 rubles.
- A family of two working adults and two children needs 101,686 rubles per month in Moscow, 83,578 in the region.
- Moscow amounts grew by 6.0%, the Moscow region by 5.1%, nationwide by 6.8%.
- The average income of a Muscovite in 2025 is almost seven times the minimum, with 3.8% of residents below the poverty line.