MBBS in Moscow, Russia: Universities, Cost of Living and Life for Indian Students
Moscow has four universities on this site that teach medicine to foreign students: Sechenov University, Pirogov University, RUDN University and the Russian University of Medicine. First-year tuition runs from about ₹11.3 lakh to ₹14.2 lakh where we have a figure, the highest of any Russian city, and the cost of living is the highest too. This page sets out what each university charges, how its graduates did in FMGE, what Moscow weather and prices mean for a student from Kerala, and what to ask before you pay.
In short: Moscow is the capital, with a population of 13,010,112 (2021 census), three working airports and the simplest route from Kerala, since there is nothing to change after landing. The price is high. Where a fee is published, first-year tuition is 1,000,000 to 1,250,000 roubles a year (about ₹11.3 to ₹14.2 lakh) at Pirogov and Sechenov and USD 12,000 (about ₹11.4 lakh) at RUDN. FMGE results of Moscow universities are mixed and based on small numbers of candidates. Moscow suits a family that can pay two to three times what the Volga cities cost and wants a large, well-connected city.
Medical universities in Moscow, Russia
Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University
MoscowPirogov Russian National Research Medical University
MoscowRUDN University
MoscowRussian University of Medicine
MoscowFour universities in the capital appear on this site. All four are in the table of cards above, and each has its own page with the full cost, hostel and FMGE tables. Here is what matters when you compare them. Fees are converted at the Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026; FMGE figures are from NBEMS reports for 2022 to December 2025.
Sechenov University (founded 1758) is the oldest and the most expensive. Its price order No. 0840/R of 30 May 2025 gives 1,250,000 roubles for the first year (about ₹14.2 lakh) for foreign citizens entering in 2025/26. The document does not itself say English or Russian, but the university's English-taught programmes page lists General Medicine, six years. The later-year prices on the list rise each year, and added up they come to about 9.4 million roubles, roughly ₹106 lakh for the course. One condition is easy to miss: the university says the entrance exam for undergraduate programmes is held in Russian even on the English route. FMGE: 21.5% passed over 2022 to 2025 (49 of 228), with 7.4% in June 2025 and 18.8% in December 2025.
Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (founded 1906) lists General Medicine twice in its 2025/26 fee table, in Russian and in English, at 1,000,000 roubles a year each (about ₹11.3 lakh). The page says the 2026/27 fees will be published later, so the number is last year's. Its hostel is a single high-rise building at 2,468 roubles a month (about ₹2,800), in blocks of two rooms for two or three students. FMGE: 41.9% in 2024, 38.5% in June 2025 and 41.2% in December 2025, but only 13 to 43 candidates sat in each session. Over 2022 to 2025, 30.4% passed (35 of 115).
RUDN University (founded 1960) publishes its price in dollars: order No. 33-r of 19 January 2026 gives USD 12,000 a year (about ₹11.4 lakh) for the English-language General Medicine line, valid from 1 January 2026 and quoted without VAT. A Russian-language preparatory year for medicine is priced separately at USD 4,900 a year. In December 2025, 13 of 19 RUDN candidates passed FMGE (68.4%), but in June 2025 only 1 of 6 did, so the sample is too small to judge. Over 2022 to 2025, 36.6% passed (30 of 82).
Russian University of Medicine (Rosunimed, founded 1922) is the one to be careful with. We found no official page that states an English-medium General Medicine track, and no foreigner price list. Treat it as Russian-medium until the university confirms English in writing. NBEMS shows only 2 candidates in its 2020 report.
All four are in Moscow, so all four share one advantage: your hospital training is in a city with some of the largest medical centres in the country. The cost is the price. Compare them with the cheaper cities on the MBBS in Russia fees page, and with FMGE results on the FMGE pass rate page.
Get the Moscow university fee comparison
Send your NEET score and budget; we tell you which Moscow universities are realistic and which cities cost less.
Moscow weather for Kerala students
The January mean in Moscow is −6.2 °C and the July mean is 19.6 °C (2014 to 2024 record). That is milder than Kazan, Ufa or Perm, but it is still a drop of more than 30 degrees from a Kerala winter. Snow lies on the ground through most of the winter and short, dark days make the cold feel longer. Moscow has heated metro stations, shopping centres and university buildings, so you spend little time outdoors in the cold, but the walk from the metro or hostel is where a thin jacket fails.
Buy the winter jacket, boots and thermal layers in Moscow after you arrive, or ask senior students which shops they use; a Kerala-bought jacket rated for a hill station is usually not enough. Our winter packing list shows what to carry in the first suitcase. Summer is pleasant, with a July mean under 20 °C, so you will not meet Kerala heat.
How to reach Moscow from Kerala
There is no direct flight from Kerala to Russia. From Kochi (COK), Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) or Kozhikode (CCJ) the usual route is a flight to Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi or Doha, or to Delhi, and then on to Moscow. Moscow has three airports: Sheremetyevo (SVO), Domodedovo (DME) and Vnukovo (VKO), all operating. Ask the university which one it uses for student pickup.
The new risk in 2026 is delay, not closure. Media reports describe repeated short suspensions at all four Moscow airports during drone alerts, including on 9 and 11 October 2026, with flights held or diverted. Do not book a tight connection and do not book a non-refundable onward ticket on the day you land. Moscow time is 2.5 hours behind India, so a call home after dinner falls in the Kerala night.
The student visa, MEA apostille and NORKA Roots steps are the same for every city; see admission and documents and NORKA attestation. The Embassy of India is in Moscow, so unlike students in the regions, you do not need to travel far to a consulate for document help. The nearest Russian consulate to Kerala, where you apply for the visa, is in Chennai.
Cost of living in Moscow
Moscow is the most expensive city on our list, and no university can change that. Numbeo, which collects user-submitted prices, showed on 14 October 2026 a one-way public transport ticket at about 80 roubles, a monthly pass at about 3,475 roubles (about ₹3,900) and a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at about 1,000 roubles (about ₹1,130). The same site shows a one-bedroom flat outside the centre at about 68,800 roubles a month, with answers ranging from 50,000 to 85,000. Treat these as estimates, not official statistics: they come from users, and a student in a university hostel does not pay market rent.
The gap between a hostel and a flat is the reason Moscow students fight for hostel places. Pirogov charges 2,468 roubles a month for its hostel, and Sechenov's published page for one dormitory gives 7,500 to 8,500 roubles a month plus a deposit of five months' rent. Ask each university how many places are kept for foreign students and what happens to students who do not get one. Add food, a mobile plan, study materials and the winter clothing in year one. We have no verified monthly budget for a student, so ask three senior students before you set the family budget. The cost of living in Russia page compares cities.
Indian students and food in Moscow
No Moscow university publishes a count of Indian students. QS lists 4,083 international students of 16,365 at Sechenov in its 2025 profile, and RUDN says it has more than 13,000 international students from 160 countries; neither figure is India-specific. In a city of 13 million people there are Indian restaurants and shops selling spices and rice, and a large international student community. We could not verify specific shops or prices, so ask the students you are put in touch with where they buy rice, dal and spices, and whether the hostel kitchen allows rice cookers.
For sightseeing, Red Square, the Kremlin and St Basil's Cathedral are in the centre. The Moscow Metro is the busiest metro system in Europe and is how almost every student travels. For more on student life see the Indian food in Russia page.
Is Moscow safe for Indian students?
Moscow is not a border region and it is not in the North Caucasus. We know of no published incident involving Indian students at a Moscow medical university. Drone alerts have affected Moscow airports and, from time to time, the city, so check the current advisory at mea.gov.in and on the Embassy of India website before each trip, and register with the Embassy after arrival.
- Keep copies of your passport, visa, admission letter and insurance with your parents.
- Ask the university about the hostel entrance guard, cameras and who to call at night.
- Never accept a job or contract offer that involves the Russian military.
Read the full is MBBS in Russia safe guide.
Talk to us about studying in Moscow
We tell you honestly whether the Moscow price is worth it for your NEET score and budget.
Who should choose Moscow
Choose Moscow if the budget allows ₹11 lakh or more a year in tuition alone, if the family wants the simplest route from Kerala and the Embassy on the same city, and if the student can handle a Russian entrance exam at Sechenov. If the budget is nearer ₹5 lakh a year, look at Kazan, Ufa or Orenburg first, where far larger groups of graduates have sat FMGE and the fee is about half. The comparison of all 43 cities puts them side by side.
MBBS in Moscow: Frequently Asked Questions
Which medical universities are there in Moscow for Indian students?
This site covers four: Sechenov University, Pirogov University, RUDN University and the Russian University of Medicine. The first three publish an English-language General Medicine line; we found no English-medium track at the Russian University of Medicine. Check each on its own page.
How much does MBBS in Moscow cost?
The first-year tuition is 1,000,000 roubles at Pirogov (about ₹11.3 lakh), 1,250,000 roubles at Sechenov (about ₹14.2 lakh) and USD 12,000 at RUDN (about ₹11.4 lakh). Hostel and living costs come on top. Fees can change every year, so ask for the current list.
Is Moscow a good city for MBBS compared with Kazan or Ufa?
Moscow is easier to reach and has the Embassy and large hospitals, but it costs about twice as much in tuition. FMGE results of Moscow universities have been mixed, while Kazan State Medical University passed 30.5% of 1,586 candidates in 2022 to 2025. Compare cities on budget first.
How cold does Moscow get?
The January mean is −6.2 °C and the July mean is 19.6 °C. Winter is cold but milder than in Kazan, Ufa or Siberia. Buy a proper winter jacket and boots in Moscow in the first week.
Can a student from Kerala fly directly to Moscow?
No. There is no direct flight from Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram or Kozhikode. Students fly through Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Doha or Delhi. Airport restrictions during drone alerts have caused delays in 2026, so keep a day's buffer.
Sources: city-level climate (Moscow 2014–2024) and population (2021 census) from Wikipedia; Sechenov price order No. 0840/R of 30 May 2025 and dormitory page; Pirogov University fee and accommodation pages (archived March 2026); RUDN order No. 33-r of 19 January 2026; QS profile of Sechenov University; Numbeo (user-submitted prices, 14 October 2026); media reports on Moscow airport restrictions, October 2026; NBEMS FMGE reports 2022–2025; Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026.