Before the start of the new academic year, rental prices in Moscow showed notable movement in districts housing major university campuses. In the Basmanny district, which hosts a significant portion of the Moscow State Technical University Higher School of Economics and nearby institutions such as NE Bauman, Financial University, Moscow State Law University, and the Moscow Aviation Institute, the weekly average rent for a one-bedroom apartment rose sharply. In August, the typical price climbed by 21 percent compared with July, reaching 69,000 rubles per month. This shift is reflected in data from the Yandex Arena service and was shared with editors of socialbites.ca for analysis.
In the Prospekt Vernadsky district, adjacent to the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, the same August period recorded an 11 percent increase, with average rents around 50,000 rubles. Close to the main campus of Moscow State University in Ramenki, prices rose by 8 percent, settling near 65,000 rubles. These changes indicate the continued premium associated with premier university neighborhoods, where demand is driven by students, faculty, and staff seeking convenient access to campuses and amenities.
Yakimanka, an area hosting the University of Science and Technology MISIS and the National Research University School of Economics, remains among the higher-cost zones for student housing. The average price for a standard one-room unit, including studios, exceeded 80,000 rubles, marking a 7 percent rise. The neighborhood’s proximity to research institutes, cultural sites, and university facilities helps sustain higher rental levels even as markets adjust for the start of a new term.
Zamoskvorechye, where the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, and the Higher School of Economics have campus footprints, is among the few districts where the cost of studios and one-bedroom apartments held steady up to September. By contrast, Troparevo-Nikулino—home to many students from the Russian Academy of National Economy and Russian Technological University—saw rental prices dip before September, contributing to a broader regional divergence in pricing.
In Zamoskvorechye, the average rent level remained near July figures, staying around 70,000 rubles, while in Troparevo-Nikулino the typical rent dropped to about 47,000 rubles. These movements illustrate how price stability in some university clusters contrasts with more dynamic shifts in others, reflecting factors such as campus openings, apartment supply, and seasonal demand.
The analysis captures data gathered at the end of August 2023. Analysts evaluated the flow of rental offers and the cost of studio and one-bedroom accommodations across Moscow regions that concentrate the campuses of leading national and city universities. The study emphasizes how shifts in supply, student enrollment, and neighborhood desirability collectively influence rental pricing patterns in the months surrounding a new academic year.
Overall, the data points to a persistent housing shortage in the rental market within Russia, as reflected by Moscow’s university districts. The combination of limited inventory, high demand from students and university staff, and ongoing development in the city’s educational corridors appears to sustain elevated rents in several prominent campuses while contributing to more modest changes in others. The study highlights how a few districts maintain price resilience, whereas others experience more pronounced fluctuations as families and students plan their housing for the upcoming term.