MBBS in Kazan, Russia: Universities, Cost of Living and Life for Indian Students

Prepared by the Edumapple admissions team, Kakkanad, Kerala· Updated 15 October 2026· How we check facts

Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan on the Volga, has two universities on this site that teach medicine to foreign students: Kazan State Medical University and Kazan Federal University. Tuition is about ₹5.4 lakh a year at the first and ₹7.4 lakh at the second. Kazan State Medical University has passed FMGE above the Russian average in every report since 2020, which few cities can say. This page gives fees, FMGE numbers, winter weather, the route from Kerala, prices and safety.

Medical universities in Kazan, Russia

Two universities in Kazan appear on this site. One is a dedicated medical university, the other a large classical university with a medical institute. Fees are converted at the Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026.

Kazan State Medical University (KSMU, founded 1814) is a public university under the Ministry of Health. Its English fee page lists General Medicine (English Medium) at 475,000 roubles a year, about ₹5.4 lakh, and a hostel at 13,920 roubles a year, about ₹15,800. The only page we could read is labelled 2023/24; a search excerpt of the live page shows the same figure for 2024/25, so confirm the current fee. Its graduates passed FMGE above the Russian average in all seven NBEMS reports since 2020. In 2022 41.0% passed, in 2023 23.3%, in 2024 30.7%, in June 2025 21.4% and in December 2025 32.0%. Over 2022 to 2025, 484 of 1,586 passed (30.5%), fifth among the 24 universities with at least 300 candidates in our ranking by FMGE results. The fee page does not state that all six years are in English, so ask for that in writing.

Kazan Federal University (KFU, founded 1804) teaches General Medicine in English through its Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology: six years, full-time, 160 contract places, admission by exams in biology and English. Its 2026/27 fee table gives 653,400 roubles for the first course (about ₹7.4 lakh). Its hostel page publishes no price. FMGE numbers are small: 5 to 24 candidates a session. 45 of 70 passed over 2022 to 2025 (64.3%), with 21 of 24 in December 2025, but a group this size can swing widely from one session to the next. Do not read it as a promise of your result.

The choice in Kazan is therefore between a lower fee with a long FMGE record and a higher fee with a clearly English programme and a thin record. Ask each university for the number of Indian graduates who sat FMGE last year and how many passed. The fees page compares both with other cities.

Kazan weather for Kerala students

The January mean in Kazan is −10.0 °C and the July mean is 20.5 °C (1991 to 2020). That is colder than Moscow by almost four degrees in January. The Volga plain is open, so wind adds to the cold. Winter lasts from November to March.

The first-year clothing budget matters more here than in Moscow: a proper down jacket, insulated boots with grip, thermal layers, gloves and a hat. Buy them in Kazan after arrival, with advice from senior students, rather than at home. The winter packing list lists what to carry in the first suitcase. Summers are warm and short, with a July mean of 20.5 °C, so you will not need to deal with Kerala-style heat.

How to reach Kazan from Kerala

Kazan International Airport (KZN) is operating. It is about 1.4 hours by air from Moscow, and an overnight train takes about 11 to 11.5 hours; there is no high-speed service yet. From Kerala there is no direct flight to Russia: students fly from Kochi (COK), Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) or Kozhikode (CCJ) to Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Doha or Delhi, then to Moscow, and then on to Kazan. Ask KSMU or KFU which airport and train it uses to meet the first-year group.

Kazan keeps Moscow time, 2.5 hours behind India. Kazan is 720 km from Moscow in a straight line and is not in a border region. The nearest Russian consulate for the student visa is in Chennai, and document steps through the MEA and NORKA Roots are the same as for any city: see admission.

Cost of living in Kazan

Kazan is cheaper than Moscow or Saint Petersburg. Numbeo, which collects user-submitted prices, showed on 2 October 2026 (336 entries from 49 contributors) a one-way public transport ticket at 46 roubles, a monthly pass at about 1,600 roubles (about ₹1,800), a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at about 1,100 roubles (about ₹1,250) and a one-bedroom flat outside the centre at about 35,600 roubles a month (about ₹40,300). These are user estimates, not official statistics, and a hostel student pays far less than the flat rent.

KSMU's hostel fee of 13,920 roubles a year is among the lowest we have seen, but ask whether it covers twelve months, which room type it is for, and whether the university says it rises 5 to 7% a year. The real cost for a student who cooks in the hostel kitchen is groceries and winter clothing. Ask three senior Indian students for their monthly spending before you fix the budget. For city-by-city figures see cost of living in Russia.

Indian students and food in Kazan

No Kazan university publishes a count of Indian students. The FMGE reports show 1,586 KSMU graduates sat the exam in 2022 to 2025, so Indian students are a large, regular group at that university, much larger than at any other university in the city. We found no verified information on Malayali student groups or Indian restaurants. Tatars make up 48.8% of the population and Russians 46.9% (2021 census), and the Kul Sharif mosque stands in the Kazan Kremlin; a large Muslim population usually means halal shops are easy to find, which helps with meat, but vegetarian students should ask what to buy and where.

Ask the university to connect you with current students from Kerala and ask where they buy rice, spices and vegetables. Our Indian food in Russia page covers what we could verify. The city has a single-line metro that opened in 2005.

Is Kazan safe for Indian students?

Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan, on the Volga. It is not a border region and not in the North Caucasus. We know of no published incident involving Indian students at either university. As with any large city, check the advisory at mea.gov.in before each trip, register with the Indian Embassy in Moscow after arrival and keep copies of your documents with your parents. Ask the university what security the hostel has: entrance guard, entry control, cameras. Never accept a job or contract offer connected with the military. See is MBBS in Russia safe.

Kazan compared with nearby cities

Kazan is the middle choice in the Volga belt. It costs about the same in tuition as Ufa and Orenburg, which are 1,160 and 1,230 km from Moscow, and far less than Moscow. It is warmer than Ufa and Perm in January. Its advantage is the combination of a long FMGE record, a large airport and a big city with a university of classical standing. Its disadvantage is that both fees we have are not confirmed for your intake year, so ask for the current list.

MBBS in Kazan: Frequently Asked Questions

Which universities in Kazan teach MBBS to Indian students?

Kazan State Medical University and Kazan Federal University (Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology). KFU's page states English for General Medicine; KSMU lists an English Medium line but does not say all six years are in English, so get it in writing.

What is the MBBS fee in Kazan in INR?

KSMU charges 475,000 roubles a year (about ₹5.4 lakh, on a page labelled 2023/24) and KFU 653,400 roubles for the first course in 2026/27 (about ₹7.4 lakh). Hostel and living costs come on top. Confirm both fees before you pay.

Is Kazan State Medical University good for FMGE?

Its graduates passed above the Russian average in every NBEMS report since 2020, and 30.5% of 1,586 passed over 2022 to 2025. The margin has narrowed, and about two in three candidates still failed in December 2025.

How cold is Kazan in winter?

The January mean is −10.0 °C and the July mean is 20.5 °C. Winter is long and windy, so a proper down jacket, boots and thermal wear are needed from the first year.

How far is Kazan from Moscow and how do I get there from Kerala?

Kazan is 720 km from Moscow in a straight line, about 1.4 hours by air or 11 to 11.5 hours by overnight train. From Kerala, fly through a Gulf hub or Delhi to Moscow and continue to Kazan; the airport is operating.

Sources: climate (Kazan 1991–2020), population and ethnic composition (2021 census) from Wikipedia; KSMU English fee page (archived September 2024, labelled 2023/24); KFU admission and 2026/27 fee tables (archived June 2026); Numbeo (user-submitted prices, 2 October 2026); NBEMS FMGE reports 2022–2025; Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026.