Irkutsk logs 0 hot days a year to Kazan's 10 — Irkutsk wins by 10. Kazan also leads on frost days by 44.

Irkutsk runs about $1,267/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Kazan's $1,318/mo — Irkutsk comes in $51 cheaper each month, roughly 4% less.

On mobility, Kazan scores 2.6 vs Irkutsk's 1.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on walkability.

Irkutsk and Kazan score neck-and-neck on culture (2.2 vs 2.3, 0–5 scale).

Irkutsk's nature & outdoors score of 3.8 sits well above Kazan's 2.8, with the biggest gap on camping.

Kazan's safety score is ~1.4× Irkutsk's — in the middle of the scale, while Irkutsk lands below average, with the biggest gap on earthquake safety.

Kazan's career score of 2.4 sits well above Irkutsk's 1.9, with the biggest gap on startup ecosystem.

Kazan's social & community score is ~1.2× Irkutsk's — below average, while Irkutsk lands below average, with the biggest gap on multicultural mix. Irkutsk still holds an edge on street atmosphere.

On food & dining, Kazan scores 2.4 vs Irkutsk's 1.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on brunch availability.

On family, Kazan scores 2.5 vs Irkutsk's 1.7 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on universities.

On healthcare, Kazan scores 1.7 vs Irkutsk's 1.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality.

Irkutsk averages 12.2 µg/m³ (moderate) PM2.5 annually versus Kazan's 12.2 µg/m³ (moderate) — Kazan breathes ~0% cleaner air (0.0 µg/m³ lower).

Who Thrives Here