I have seen several similar videos about Moscow living and your was the most realistic and engaging. I am an American who has lived in St Petersburg 21 years and love it. Moscow was always considered expensive but your apartment is very reasonable but if closer to the center it would be much more. I live in the city center in the historic area written about in the novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky and have a 82 sq meter 3 bedroom apartment for 30-38k($400-500) rubles a month including utilities except for fiber-optic high-speed internet which is about $6/month. Western fast food places are more expensive than most cafes or business lunches. Every cafe or restaurant seems to have a low-cost limited selection Business Lunch, for example, a popular Italian chain can provide a white table cloth sit down lunch for 300 rubles with 3 coursed including drink, about $4. Of the fast food, I like the Russian chain of Teramuck which features Blinnies (Russian crape with many choices of filling cooked to order.) and they have favorite Russian traditional drinks of Morse and Kvas. Kvas is made from slightly fermented Russian black bread, slightly naturally carbonated and if you make it at home, slightly alcoholic 0.2%. It is about 1/2 the price of a Coke or Pepsi and about 4 times better and not overly sweet. 2 liters of it in shops is about 80 rubles which is $1.10. I chill it to the point ice crystals form for the most refreshing drink for summer or winter. I do not eat western fast food, because here, every cuisine one can imaging is reasonable in price and much better. For example the Turkish cafeterias, Georgian restaurants, English pubs, the many Japanese restaurants and Sushi bars, more and more Vietnamese and Korean, Italian, Texas-style Smoked meat restaurants, and very creative fine dining restaurants. I dine out every day, and spend a lot of time in the center with cultural and social activities. I lived 6 miles from San Francisco and that was the most cultured city outside of NYC but St Petersburg and all larger Russian cities put to shame in access to culture and social activities. There is so much to do, it is hard to plan one thing so I head off on foot and find what I stumble upon and always have a lot of fun because people are so friendly, there is never any violence or fights in clubs or bars, great live music, dancing, opera, ballet, symphonies, English style pubs by the hundreds, jazz clubs, rock, hundreds of museums, 330 drama theaters and 13,000 restaurants rated 4 or 5 on Trip Advisor. I stopped going out in California because it was becoming so divided and angry due to stress that there were fights and hassles everywhere and whole sections of cities that were no-go-zones. Here, a woman, alone, could be perfectly safe walking through any neighborhood in the city...at 3,am. That can't be said about any large European or US city. For large cities, it is amazing how easy it is to find fresh fruits and vegetable directly from the farms, in every neighborhood or those with cars go to large western style supermarkets which have better food than we had in supermarkets in the US because everything came from far away food distribution centers and seeds were developed for endurance instead of taste. So we shop almost every day if cooking at home getting foods picked the day before with no chemicals of GMO so tomatoes taste like they used to when I was a kid and the produce came from farms 10 miles away instead of large central food distribution centers 1500 miles away when the farms are just outside of California cities. Traveling by truck or train 1500 miles then sold and transport back to within 10 miles from where they were picked seems silly but they make more profits that way. Russia has become the largest exporter and producer of organic foods. Overall, I find Russia now, easier to live in, friendlier and least stressful with more culture and access to a good life than any place I have spent time, in 91 countries. I do not have a car here, public transportation is so good and cheap, clean and safe that a car would cause a drop in personal freedom. I spend about $50 a month on transportation which include Uber at $0.45 mile which I use after public transport end at 00:30 if I am too far to walk.
heya Stan, wow you're a virtual wikipedia entry on the pros n cons of living in US vs Ru! I agree w a lot of your points, esp the one about how fresh the produce available in Moscow n St P is. It's stunning. N the proof is in the taste. n i'll take ur tip about the kvas n try the chilling point out!
Great info Stan! I am 62 and have been thinking of moving to Russia for about a decade. I have lived outside the US for eight years of my life and I prefer being abroad though it’s not for everyone. May I ask what you do for a living, Stan?
I would like to live in moscow. The states are crazy. In CA currently but I’m tired of living in USA. On a trip to Thailand I felt my eyes open up to the possibilities of living elsewhere and having a better standard of living just because how much tension exist in this place. Informative video. Love it 👍🏼
Great video , Prices are very similar to Thailand and that is one reason that so many families from Russia come here on vacation an also living here full time. We live 1,5 h south east of Bangkok. Nice to see this video one even if you are in Bali right now , And the snowy part reminds me of my home country Sweden. Love the channel.❤️🇸🇪🇹🇭🙏🏻
Hi Stefan thanks for the feedback 😄👏🏻 good to know Thailand is on par w Moscow prices! N yeah it was super snowy I’m so happy to be back in the tropics lol
Great vid, very informative for someone looking to move to Russia. Living cost in Russian seems to be cheaper than here in Los Angeles California. Now of course everything also depends on the lifestyle someone chooses, but overall i like the prices they have over there. Thanks for the video.
Glad it was helpful! yes of course your lifestyle choices matter, but there are some basic essentials everyone needs... like groceries... & in my opinion McDonald's! lol. Yeah I bet LA is more ex but it looks nice over there too!
Wow! Such an informative video, I like it. Keep going guys, I would like to know about other cities in Russia. You have a talent for presenting a topic in a concise and interesting way. Thanks.
It definitely seems much cheaper than any large city in the U.S. It is even cheaper then the very small town I live in. Very informative video. Thanks for sharing your lifestyle and costs.
hi robert, thank u for this lovely comment. We really appreciate it! Hope the video was helpful n relevant! We're coming up with a Best of Moscow on a Budget Guide soon so stay tuned!
It really does! actually im so impressed by Moscow esp compared to the other western european capitals. it's the unpublicised treasure of eastern europe maybe lol
Very good video, and very informative, I intend to visit Moscow either this year or next, I would be very interested in hotel locations and prices and things to do and places to visit
Moscow, Petersburg and Sochi are too much expensive cities comparing with other smaller cities. As i heard, Kazan is very good city to live. And no need to worry about cold - we have good and cheap heating and you can take hot bath everyday 😎👍 Hello from Yakutia
Very nice video showing things you wonder about living in a country. I live in Norway half and Tanzania in East Africa half of the year. Just as you say comparing Vietnam and Russia, there is such a difference in culture that you can't really compare. Of cause, the social life in Tanzania is much better than in Norway, but some infrastructure things and hospitals are much better in Norway. Western food is difficult to find and is expensive in Tanzania, but everything else is much cheaper there. I think going back and forth is the best option to get the best of two worlds.
thanks Fred so kind of u to leave this comment. Sounds like u have half a life in Tanzania and half the other in Norway like how we used to between Vietnam and Russia! Best of both worlds is the right way to describe how we felt too, except due to pandemia now we are only in Russia for a long time now.... we miss asia!
So our monthly living expenses in Moscow, Russia is roughly about twice that of what we spend per month living in Vietnam! However, life across the 2 countries isn't really comparable. For one, the access to art & culture, social activities & a European lifestyle is of course much higher in Moscow. How much do you value that though? Tell us what you think! Vietnam, or Moscow?
I find your accent quite interesting. Its like a mix of British accent and something else. Where did you leaned English? UPD: Just ended up watching the video. Im not from Moscow, but i spent plenty of time there during my life. And Moscow aint cheap. Here, in my region (Far North, almost Murmansk), prices of essential things are noticebly lower, but you must consider winters with -25 to -30 degrees celsius that leads to significant expences for whatever kind of house heating you use. I spend 14000 rubles monthly just for central heating durind cold seasons (some people uses electric heaters or wood-fed stoves). And my salary is roughly 40000 rubles. I also use stationary internet, ~500 rubles/mo, mobile plan with tons of stuff and unlimited traffic for 450 rub/mo, electricity is around 6-7k rubles/mo. Prices for food differ even inside same region, but i guess, for stores like Magnit or Lenta, its fair to say that prices are roughly the same.
1 dollar in Russia is like 5 to 10 dollars in the US. In other words, you have to earn 5 to 10 times as much to buy yourself the same living standards in America.
@@johnmolinari2384 VN is our preference too, but only because we cannot give up surfing in warm tropical waters. If there was such an option in Ru we might stay here!
@@angeltensey hullo there! tx for sharing its interesting to learn more about different regions in RU n the prices. English is actually my native language cos I'm from Singapore :) I think you're right about having to factor in the extreme weather. For us, we live predominantly in warm Asia so coming here this past year I've had to spend extra to acquire clothes n shoes suitable for Moscow winter.... which was also an additional expense. but wow u spend a large proportion of your salary just on heating!!!
Dang as a Canadian (from another snow country) I'd say I won't mind going to Russia for an extended vacation just to play the snow sports! I own my gears but pretty sure snow rentals cost at least 10x more than Russia.
In my city, you can rent an apartment per month for 20,000 rubles and spend somewhere around 5,000 rubles transport per month about 500 rubles entertainment somewhere around 3,000-5,000 rubles
We have been thinking about visiting Russia and St Petersburg. I did not realize that Russia is a cheap and affordable place compared to the United States. Can’t handle the cold and long winter months though! Thanks for your info. Russia is our next destination when this pandemic over.
Jean, you looks so cute in your hat, almost like a real Russian. As for the cost of living, we find that food is a little cheaper here in Iowa than in Moscow (with the exception of meat). Cinema tickets are more expensive in Russia. Bus fare is $1 per ride here. You can rent a 2 bedroom apartment for an average of $850, utility bills are not included. It was interesting to see how much things cost in Russia. I think quite a bit in relation to an average salary. Thanks for the video )))))
@Bistro Cooking oh that's interesting info about Iowa. Guess that's where you guys are based now? it actually sounds generally cheaper than life in Moscow based on what you said (like, 2BR vs 1BR apartment). But i think average salaries in Iowa/US might be higher as well, perhaps. There does seem to be a very big wage gap here amongst the general population.
Moscow is the eq of NYC and Washington DC combined but larger so getting away from the money and power of Moscow living is a lot cheaper. For example, I live in the cultural capital of the world St Petersburg, a stunning city of art and beauty, and have a 3 bedroom in the center of 7 million people and pay $400-500 per month depending on the exchange rate, including all utilities. I am the only person I know who does not own their home without a mortgage so cost of living is Much lower than the US. Very accessible health care including house calls is free. University is free. But the main reason to live here is so much more personal freedom and access to culture and very friendly safe environment. Crime is very low. vacations are long with a minimum 56 workdays off the first year fully paid, between vacation and paid holidays 10 days of which is for New Years So the cost of actually living with so few expenses if far less than any place in the US. For those who like culture, it Mecca. In this one city are 330 drama theaters, more workd class museums than the entire US combined, more access to world-class art, ballet, opera and symphonies than any 15 US states combined....in one city. There are 600 parks, all well maintained and safe. For young people starting a family, there is up to 3 paid years off for family leave.
Considering this is the capital, the food market costs are not outrageous but much higher than Ukraine or Romania as a comparison. Interesting that convenience and fast food were noticeably less. Overall costs of living of $1500 a month for a couple who are enjoying a nice lifestyle seems very reasonable as many people are now paying $1500 or more for a 2 bedroom apartment rent close to the downtown of Boise, Idaho. In Washington, DC you would pay$3000 to $5000 for anything within 30 minutes of capital hill.
can't speak for the russian community in general about aussies but lots of live music in moscow! n its good stuff! they're so musically inclined n gifted.
I have seen other blogs and the average salary in Moscow is equivalent of 1k to 1.2k USD. This video was awesome, then I subscribed to it. I think people from Moscow can live a very decent life with their salaries. Salary and what you get according to prices seem neither very expensive nor very cheaper. Of course, we are in the capital of the biggest country on earth. Cheapers prices will be then in other Russian cities.
heya you, thanks for sayin hi & sharing your opinion :) We didn't comment on the salaries because neither of us were working normal jobs in Moscow during this period. I asked the same question on Reddit (about salaries) and i was told maybe around somewhere US$800-1.2k yeah. But the magic of russians is that they seem super inventive and creative and they make the most out of what they have & max out their money value :) Of course i think most of them are working hard too, and Moscow seems like a city with endless possibilities.
Я всю жизнь прожил в Москве. Город дорогой. В Турции квартиру на берегу Средиземного моря можно снять за 15-20 тысяч рублей. Овощи супер дешёвые. Мясо, рыба как везде. Лайк за видос, друзья!!
привет! да уж) не дешево тут, я прожил во Вьетнаме 12 лет, и хочу сказать когда доллар стоил 28р тогда там все было очень дешево) но сейчас сравниваем цены, продукты дешевле в Москве)) не все но большенство)) квартиру мы во Вьетнаме тоже снимаем за 21тр)
This Canadian says Russia is cheap, we pay considerably more for all those things in Toronto. It probably works out in the end as we earn more as well.
yeah but i think Toronto is a really high end city! Closer to the scandinavian end of things. Moscow is a wonderful city but i think still far from Toronto standards....
Wah this is a difficult topic (for me at least!) haha lemme ask Vitaliy maybe he has better knowledge about the Russian cars! We do car sharing here a lot but it’s all foreign cars now come to think about it. A lot of Hyundai n Kias
I live in California where an apt like yours would run between $1500.00 -$2200.00 one McDonald combo will run $12-$15 for one person not cheap 2 to 3 timed more expensive than where your at in Moscow
Old saying amongst us farmers Living in America. Home is where you hang your hat. So I guess you could say that means , anywhere you live on this planet, As Long As You Are happy there, home can be anywhere. I'm definitely not into culture bashing, or racist remarks. We all deserve the dignity and respect from one another in benevolence. I spent many years in the military, all through Europe and over into the Black Sea. No matter what country you are in people basically just want to be happy. sometimes in my travels, I met people who what were hate-filled towards Americans without any real basis other than what they seen coming out of Hollywood movies. Enjoy your lives no matter where you live, treat each other with respect and decency and be happy. The world is a beautiful place, be a part of that beauty wherever you go
The rent just makes life in Russia more difficult (for native Russian of course). Children tend to live in with parents till they get married. Most can't afford to move to other cities for a better career as it's so expensive. From my experience, it's heaven for veggies because vegetables are cheap comparing to my home country. If you're good at cooking that's one way to save money.
If you are alone or student you may rent a room. Or you can find cheaper apartment for 25000-30000 in Moscow suburbs no problem. You do not have jacuzzi. But all other staff .
Prices seem ok, but it all depends on what you earn, like everywhere else. I am from US, and right now rents are going up, and we also have inflation. But, of course, our incomes are higher, so for most people it is an annoyance, but for poor Americans it is a BIG problem.
Omg. That is considered very cheap compared to living in the U.S. For example, to rent a 3bed 2bath apartment per month in San Jose, California is about $4000 USD. It gets even worse when you want to buy a house in San Jose, California. The average price to buy a 3bed 2bth 1300 square foot house in San Jose is $1.5 million USD!! Also you are not getting new house for that price. It is very old house built in 1960s -1980s.
Wow... nice to know Moscow is quite affordable to live in... for all that McD stuff you guys got here in Canada, that would cost at least CAD$20+.... and we never have wings here! :( Is it quite difficult living with some language barrier there as a visitor? Are the locals pretty friendly in general?
It is surprising isn't it? The wings r delish btw :) and sometimes yes it can be quite difficult when one doesn't speak Russian well. But on the other hand u can also get a bit of "yay! rare foreigner" treatment so i think that evens it out. The young people esp are very very nice to foreigners n curious! n I never had an issue finding people who spoke English who cd help me out of a spot. if u hv a chance, a visit to Moscow is a very interesting opportunity of a lifetime i feel.
I lived in St. Petersburg in the 1980s and 1990s and if that is any indication, you CANNOT live in Russia without knowing the language. Sure, you can get a job teaching English some place and there will be people at work that know the language and can help you out, but outside of the workplace, forget it. If you don't know Russian or don't have a Russian spouse, you will have difficulties every day. Also, keep in mind that Russian is not an easy language to learn. It's not like French or Spanish. In fact, it's significantly more difficult than German. Keep that in mind if you are thinking of moving there.
Hi William, thanks for leaving us a comment! Actually the best search engine for Russia and related things is Yandex, not google. And the best way to get accurate results is to search in Russian, not in English. So I would recommend you to open Google Translate, translate the words "amplifier vacuums tubes" (sorry i completely hv no idea what that is!) from English to Russian, open the site yandex.ru, copy paste the Russian there, and click the search button. Separately for your web browser u can install the Google Translate widget which automatically translates Russian text into English - if u have that, when u use Yandex.ru to search for stuff, the results will appear in English so you can navigate it yourself! Hope this helps!
You spend about US$1300 per couple per month.. that is what I am spending as an foreigner in many countries too.. But in Singapore, its scary expensive
Damn one week of my WFH pay before taxes covers an entire month's rent, bills, and food and stuff in Russia. So slightly over a week of work and I'm good crazy no more living pay check to pay check there lol.
How much it cost to live in Russia means NOTHING. This has to be put in relation how much money you make to pay for. There is a lady in Saint Petersburg who compared the buying power of her salary on groceries with the buying power of her friends in Virginia, USA. The difference was times 19. I did read some time ago that in Moscow even med. doctors drive taxi after their regular work in hospital. Regular weekly working times are in Belarus and Ukraine 50 hours. My dentist in Gomel, Belarus makes in a 50 hr. work week about 800 US $.
I agree, but everyone’s earning power is also very different depending on one’s choices in life and how far along they got educated in, or even just one’s abilities in business. We got to know many people here in Moscow during our time here and some work long hours n make not a lot but surprisingly some others r in business and do very well for themselves even if they didn’t do well in school. So we chose to present the costs as they are because at least there’s a consistency factor there. Ultimately whether life there is cheap or expensive depends on the individual considering the costs presented in our video based on his/her earning power in life. We do not seek to answer that question universally on behalf of everyone.
It looked freezing on your trip to the city. How did you get the bed home? Russia really likes those green fences at the edge of the sidewalk, I see them in other videos. I love the train system. Please don't become to American. A big Mac meal cost around $12 dollars here. , as far as I know, free dips.
Where is here? yes this past winter in moscow was freeeeeeezing!!! n we paid some ad hoc freelance dlivery van to bring our bed home for us, n then we stretched our backs ourselves to carry the bed upstairs (but in the lift, so not so bad haha). Oh we hv a video dedicated to the amazing Moscow Metro coming up! watch out for it!
The video was really informative and entertaining to me. I have a couple of questions (1) where did Jean learn English so excellently and are you from the Yakutia region of the country? Your English is just like a native English speaking person without the common slangs that American likes to use. The living expenses are quite reasonable, but one must factor in the Russian salaries as well. The monthly expenses are in line with the average wages for the region. I look forward to more videos from both of you about life there.
Heya Jerry! LOL actually I'm from Singapore, so English is my native language... can't claim any credit there! Yes i am actually so impressed with life in Moscow (as a foreigner experiencing life here for the first time). Of course the expensive factor is relative to one's earning power, but comparing prices of life essentials across countries Moscow still packs a real punch, esp the price of fresh produce that's so amazing. It's strawberries season now and I've never tasted better! n so cheap!
Amazing video. So how about location of your apartment. Apartment looks really nice, and price is fair enough but how about location. How far is your apartment from the city center
Thanks Uros appreciate the feedback! Yes location wise the apartment we showed is in the district called Kurkino. Driving wise, its only 25-30 min from moscow centre without traffic jams on the roads so its very convenient and we usually do car sharing so that's how we roll. On public transport it wd be about 1.5 hrs between the metro and 1 bus ride.
Expensive or not expensive depends on the (mode) average income of the common person. Compared to cost of living in Canadian dollars it is almost 2/3 cheaper.
True dat, since expensive is a concept relative to income. But for the common basic stuff for life across different countries we can still somewhat do an objective comparison! But yes, for sure Canada is way more expensive! lol. but it also looks really nice there (from other youtube videos we watched haha)
hello Jean from a fellow Singaporean! I was hoping to do a Beijing- Moscow trip just before Covid hit and now we kena lockdown. Damn sian. (These Sporean lingo i trust understand). I hv a few questions abt Moscow. Hope u can help answer pls: 1) is it safe and easy to do free and easy travel in Moscow? 2) Is it easy to navigate if we dont understand the language? Like MRT stations, do they have English names? 3) From Sporean perspective, any tips or important stuff we need to know? Xie xie nie and kum seah very much. I really do hope to do the trip once Covid is over. Doing research now is my only motivation. :)
I haven't been to Russia since 1998, but at that time absolutely NO stations were written in Latin letters. Knowing the alphabet (not all that hard) was the bare minimum to get around. Please note: the alphabet might not be that difficult to master, but the rest of the language is a long, uphill climb.
that's not true! Macs is super tasty here at most outlets i find! better than Singapore and Vietnam in fact. although i suppose on average the US might be better
wow, very interesting. it seems like it's extremely affordable but what about the other side of the equation? Income. What is the average monthly income for someone living in Moscow?
hi hossein, thanks for saying hi! we wouldn't be able to give u accurate info about your question by any means , but perhaps u can try checkin out some job websites to find an indication?
heya there! Actually we both were not working normal jobs in Moscow during this period whilst we are here so we didn't comment on salaries because we dn't hv first hand knowledge. But I did ask around on Reddit online and i was told that in Moscow, the average salaries range from US$800-1,200 and for St P its lower, perhaps US$600-900 thereabouts. I think it really depends on your skillset if u r interested in living in Moscow because salaries for skills in demand can be quite high!
but the skiing has been fun! although i've also surprised myself. I thought i wd absolutely die in anything under 0 degrees previously. But turns out, furry shoes and really warm clothes solve every problem 🤣
Did you know that Moscow gets all the new things first + St Petersburg. Ex, nizhny novgorod get all the old stuff from Moscow or St Petersburg after they been used for some time and Moscow wants a update. My love is in nizhny novgorod and their public transport isnt as updated as the bigger city's. Which is really sad that the rest of Russia doesn't get the good and updated as the capital. But nevertheless, I love Russia. 🌸🌸🌸
ooh i didn't know specifically that but i did know that apparently Moscow and ST P are quite different to life in other parts of Russia. Like their govt resources are mostly concentrated in these 2 cities. But Russia is such a huge sprawling country it also boggles the mind to think of the scale of it all. N for the gigantic-ness of Moscow I actually think its amazingly well-oiled n generally works well to serve the people living there
@@JeanVoronkova Yes. Moscow and St P is more taken care of. But I do enjoy NN too. It has its charm. Just wish they could get things new too Sometimes. 🤭🤭 Hope you have a great weekend ☺️
Hello, I am interested to know, do you like living in Russia in general, would you stay there, I ask because I want to live in Russia and I am gathering opinions about the country.
well i enjoyed my time there to be honest. it was far more comfortable than i expected. But that was also pre-war and now things may be different i'm not sure
Ok, I know Jean worked as a lawyer for 6 years, I don't know what Vitaly did for a living. I'm puzzled how you guy's sustain the lifestyle? I know you saved when you worked, but you bought an apartment and to live still costs money. And I don't think you're Surf School would sustain that lifestyle. So the question is how do you guy's do it?
@@JeanVoronkova Hi Jean, thank you for the replies 👍 Btw even though i haven't know you yet but i am sure that you are a nice person 👍 i 💙 the way you talk 👍 wish you & your husband all the best 👍 Gbu
honestly i don't think its a problem generally! there are a number of people of african descent (many students I think) here and they look to be doing fine!
Russians tend to judge people by their character and not by race, color, religion, politics or class. I have talked to many black skinned and Asian visitors and some residents and all said the same, they never felt more welcomed and locals did not seem to notice differences in appearance. That comes from a history of having a common language for the 182 different cultures that made up the USSR and now the Russian federation. I did not realize my own country was so divided by race until I moved to Russia and noticed when those with different colors got no reaction. I see Americans are so conscious of race that someone of a different race approaches and local's eye dilates and their posture changes. I only noticed that after being away from the US for a few years. Years ago I asked a Russian friend just after moving to Russia, what the relations between Africans and Russian, was there any discrimination. I was told they liked Africans because the ones they see are students and vert smart. Being Educated, cultured and intelligent is highly valued in Russia. So in my 21 years living here I never saw any evidence that was not true.
a lot of them will change it at a shitty rate (for u) and then take the rouble price... so it ends up being more expensive for u. So better to just do your own exchange n deal in rouble!
No place legally. Some street vendors will but you are not going to get good deals. Exchange banks are very competitive so now most of them have a tight range of rates so 1 dollar gets 75.5 rubles. Why use dollars when it is so easy to exchange in exchange banks. Retail banks usually give worse rates and the airport gives terrible rates. You can also use a foreign credit or debit card to get Rubles, dollars or Europe. Exchange banks will exchange a wide range of currencies. I keep my money in my Russian bank in dollars and when I take money out from the ATM in Dollars and walk a block to exchange into rubles for the best rate for my spending cash. Russia is fast becoming a cashless society, everywhere takes cards even street vendors quite often. I can go weeks without having rubles in my pocket except for tips.
Just go to the bank and change money for the week. Really, if any place does take dollars, they will give you a much worse rate, so spend a half-hour (if that) at the bank and save yourself some money.
in some respects, arguably. But I would say overall Moscow would still be more expensive in our direct experience! However we've only ever been on holiday in Sochi... not living there..
@@JeanVoronkova Vacations will be higher than living in Sochi. But off-season there are tremendous deals on packages. A few times I have had package deals where airfare, transfers, hotels, and 3 meals a day in cafeteria buffets in the hotel for a week for around 5000 rubles per person, at that time that was about $100. They build 500 or more hotels before and after the 2014 Winter Olympics near the Olympic village in Adler just a few miles from the city of Sochi. I went both times in the spring when the high mountains still had a lot of snow but it was just warm enough to swim on the beaches at sea level. Summer and peak winter rates will be higher. It is a nice area if one likes the mountains and sea coat on the same day by bus for an hour. I prefer spending vacations in Crimea however with its historic cities and vast beaches. Sevastapol is my second favorite Russian city where I just rent an apartment. My GF spends every summer swimming long distances in the Black Sea, ,3-4 months. of swimming 5-10km a day. She had done that every year I have known her, 14 years. She prefers swimming east of Yalta but away from the summer crowds. She usually rents a room for $35 a month from a Babushka. 80% of my income is in the summer in St Petersburg but if the border is still closed this summer so no tourists come, I will spend the summer there with her.
@Steve Thornton hey Steve, thanks for saying hi. We love our life back in VN too and just waiting to go back once the pandemic blows over. We'll post more vids on VN life as soon as we are back there I promise. And yeah I know AU is expensive. Isn't Sydney or Melbourne (can't rem which) one of the most expensive cities in the world? I remember reading about price of cheese there being astronomical lol.
Thanks for sharing!!! Strange question....I’m currently working on a surprise anniversary gift for my partner, I’m trying to get little love notes from all over the world and I still need one from Russia. It would just entail writing out a little note in marker and then taking/sending a pic of it. If you can’t help, no worries. Thank you for your time, be well🤍
The places that you live in Russia is expensive but almost everything else is cheap than the US I really want to go to Russia but I can't speak Russian and it's going to be hard for me
true dat. But Moscow though expensive is also super dynamic. Many russki friends call it a different country within Russia 😁 and actually in my own experience I get around in Moscow using English just fine. All the young people speak it to various extents now and they r very happy to help. Don't be afraid!
Moscow is a bit faster-paced than Russia, and often an English-speaking tourist will ask a local and get a reply they do not speak English when they do but are in too much of a hurry to stop and talk. St Petersburg is very different that way. It is probably the most educated city in the world and anyone, approached by a lost stranger will not only get help but an offer to escort them to their destination and a description of the building they pass. Everyone seems to have time, and is eager to show off their city. Mocovites know they live in the best city of the world so have no need to explain it to anyone. Moscow has changed a lot in the last 10 years. The new Mayor has transformed the city into being a very livable beautiful city with lovely pedestrian streets, outdoor cafes vista points to view the city from different points. Even the traffic is better. It has always been very clean but it sparkles now. St Petersburg is beautiful and highly cultured with the city center having the largest restored original city center with much of it being original 1700s buildings with restored palaces and grand cathedrals, 600 parks and 44 islands. It is a Unesco World Heritage Site and the first city to be designated such. I fell in love with it when it as called Leningrad in 1976 and it has only gotten better. It is like a large relaxed human scale Fairytale kingdom but all authentic. Art and the arts are part of daily life. In the city center about 1/2 the people you meet speak English and all the signs are in both Cyrillic and Latin alphabet, bus stops and subway stops are all in Russian and English, menus are in both so. Finding people to talk with will be very easy
I have seen several similar videos about Moscow living and your was the most realistic and engaging. I am an American who has lived in St Petersburg 21 years and love it. Moscow was always considered expensive but your apartment is very reasonable but if closer to the center it would be much more. I live in the city center in the historic area written about in the novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky and have a 82 sq meter 3 bedroom apartment for 30-38k($400-500) rubles a month including utilities except for fiber-optic high-speed internet which is about $6/month.
Western fast food places are more expensive than most cafes or business lunches. Every cafe or restaurant seems to have a low-cost limited selection Business Lunch, for example, a popular Italian chain can provide a white table cloth sit down lunch for 300 rubles with 3 coursed including drink, about $4. Of the fast food, I like the Russian chain of Teramuck which features Blinnies (Russian crape with many choices of filling cooked to order.) and they have favorite Russian traditional drinks of Morse and Kvas. Kvas is made from slightly fermented Russian black bread, slightly naturally carbonated and if you make it at home, slightly alcoholic 0.2%. It is about 1/2 the price of a Coke or Pepsi and about 4 times better and not overly sweet. 2 liters of it in shops is about 80 rubles which is $1.10. I chill it to the point ice crystals form for the most refreshing drink for summer or winter. I do not eat western fast food, because here, every cuisine one can imaging is reasonable in price and much better. For example the Turkish cafeterias, Georgian restaurants, English pubs, the many Japanese restaurants and Sushi bars, more and more Vietnamese and Korean, Italian, Texas-style Smoked meat restaurants, and very creative fine dining restaurants. I dine out every day, and spend a lot of time in the center with cultural and social activities. I lived 6 miles from San Francisco and that was the most cultured city outside of NYC but St Petersburg and all larger Russian cities put to shame in access to culture and social activities. There is so much to do, it is hard to plan one thing so I head off on foot and find what I stumble upon and always have a lot of fun because people are so friendly, there is never any violence or fights in clubs or bars, great live music, dancing, opera, ballet, symphonies, English style pubs by the hundreds, jazz clubs, rock, hundreds of museums, 330 drama theaters and 13,000 restaurants rated 4 or 5 on Trip Advisor. I stopped going out in California because it was becoming so divided and angry due to stress that there were fights and hassles everywhere and whole sections of cities that were no-go-zones. Here, a woman, alone, could be perfectly safe walking through any neighborhood in the city...at 3,am. That can't be said about any large European or US city.
For large cities, it is amazing how easy it is to find fresh fruits and vegetable directly from the farms, in every neighborhood or those with cars go to large western style supermarkets which have better food than we had in supermarkets in the US because everything came from far away food distribution centers and seeds were developed for endurance instead of taste. So we shop almost every day if cooking at home getting foods picked the day before with no chemicals of GMO so tomatoes taste like they used to when I was a kid and the produce came from farms 10 miles away instead of large central food distribution centers 1500 miles away when the farms are just outside of California cities. Traveling by truck or train 1500 miles then sold and transport back to within 10 miles from where they were picked seems silly but they make more profits that way. Russia has become the largest exporter and producer of organic foods.
Overall, I find Russia now, easier to live in, friendlier and least stressful with more culture and access to a good life than any place I have spent time, in 91 countries.
I do not have a car here, public transportation is so good and cheap, clean and safe that a car would cause a drop in personal freedom. I spend about $50 a month on transportation which include Uber at $0.45 mile which I use after public transport end at 00:30 if I am too far to walk.
heya Stan, wow you're a virtual wikipedia entry on the pros n cons of living in US vs Ru! I agree w a lot of your points, esp the one about how fresh the produce available in Moscow n St P is. It's stunning. N the proof is in the taste. n i'll take ur tip about the kvas n try the chilling point out!
Very interesting. Thank you for sharing about your experience!
Hi Stan.
may I ask! Have you been to Perm?
Great info Stan! I am 62 and have been thinking of moving to Russia for about a decade. I have lived outside the US for eight years of my life and I prefer being abroad though it’s not for everyone. May I ask what you do for a living, Stan?
@@JeanVoronkova lol this the long long paragraph from ur subscriber
I would like to live in moscow. The states are crazy. In CA currently but I’m tired of living in USA. On a trip to Thailand I felt my eyes open up to the possibilities of living elsewhere and having a better standard of living just because how much tension exist in this place. Informative video. Love it 👍🏼
This is amazing... everything is so cheap ..
Thanks for sharing Jean
Very welcome!
I wouldn't say this was cheap.
Great video , Prices are very similar to Thailand and that is one reason that so many families from Russia come here on vacation an also living here full time. We live 1,5 h south east of Bangkok. Nice to see this video one even if you are in Bali right now , And the snowy part reminds me of my home country Sweden. Love the channel.❤️🇸🇪🇹🇭🙏🏻
Hi Stefan thanks for the feedback 😄👏🏻 good to know Thailand is on par w Moscow prices! N yeah it was super snowy I’m so happy to be back in the tropics lol
Great vid, very informative for someone looking to move to Russia. Living cost in Russian seems to be cheaper than here in Los Angeles California. Now of course everything also depends on the lifestyle someone chooses, but overall i like the prices they have over there. Thanks for the video.
Glad it was helpful! yes of course your lifestyle choices matter, but there are some basic essentials everyone needs... like groceries... & in my opinion McDonald's! lol. Yeah I bet LA is more ex but it looks nice over there too!
It is cheaper when you make American money, not so much Russian. I am Russian citizen myself, so everything is relevant.
Wow! Such an informative video, I like it. Keep going guys, I would like to know about other cities in Russia. You have a talent for presenting a topic in a concise and interesting way. Thanks.
Thanks! 😃
It definitely seems much cheaper than any large city in the U.S. It is even cheaper then the very small town I live in. Very informative video. Thanks for sharing your lifestyle and costs.
thanks James, glad you liked the video and it was helpful!
You're such a nice couple. Thanks for the info. Take care.
hi robert, thank u for this lovely comment. We really appreciate it! Hope the video was helpful n relevant! We're coming up with a Best of Moscow on a Budget Guide soon so stay tuned!
Yes it's freezing in Moscow..but what a beautiful city..the trains are amazing in Russia..Just loved Russia what a beautiful country..
Truly gorgeous
This video really inspired me to live in Russia for 1 month!!
It’s fun! U shd!
Thanks for making this video. And hello from Singapore 🇸🇬
Hello there! thanks for leaving a note to say hi!
Great! Moscow seems to be quite affordable! Not to mention it offers so much activity.
It really does! actually im so impressed by Moscow esp compared to the other western european capitals. it's the unpublicised treasure of eastern europe maybe lol
Great channel guys! I am excited to watch more. Thanks for the content.
Cheers mate!!
great share ..a big thumbs up and thanks for showing ..have a wonderful new week ..lovly greetings ann sander
Thanks for visiting Ann!
great video thank you for sharing the cost of living in russia
our pleasure sunshine :)
Very good video, and very informative,
I intend to visit Moscow either this year or next,
I would be very interested in hotel locations and prices and things to do and places to visit
I just found your channel . Your videos are great = Я только нашел ваш канал, Ваши видео великолепны
Very informative - thank you! Definitely more economical than Texas, Kansas, Missouri and Colorado - USA
Moscow, Petersburg and Sochi are too much expensive cities comparing with other smaller cities. As i heard, Kazan is very good city to live. And no need to worry about cold - we have good and cheap heating and you can take hot bath everyday 😎👍 Hello from Yakutia
I’m thinking of living in Russia thank you so much would I be able to find a job as a fashion designer and sewing
Moscow is big on fashion, but if you're good at what you do I'm sure you'll find a good job anywhere! good luck!!!
Прикольные ребята ) Покататься зимой на лыжах в парке - зарядиться здоровьем на неделю!
Спасибо большое ) ✌🏼😁👍🏻
@@JeanVoronkovaтвои видео такие хорошие!! 👍
Jean, I do not think I could live anywhere which is so cold in the Wintertime. Yes, in Seattle, Washington it snows but it is not so cold for so long.
Very informative. Thanks so much.
Cheers!!
Watch ing. Nice video. Love it
thank u! so kind of u!
Very nice video showing things you wonder about living in a country. I live in Norway half and Tanzania in East Africa half of the year. Just as you say comparing Vietnam and Russia, there is such a difference in culture that you can't really compare. Of cause, the social life in Tanzania is much better than in Norway, but some infrastructure things and hospitals are much better in Norway. Western food is difficult to find and is expensive in Tanzania, but everything else is much cheaper there. I think going back and forth is the best option to get the best of two worlds.
thanks Fred so kind of u to leave this comment. Sounds like u have half a life in Tanzania and half the other in Norway like how we used to between Vietnam and Russia! Best of both worlds is the right way to describe how we felt too, except due to pandemia now we are only in Russia for a long time now.... we miss asia!
So our monthly living expenses in Moscow, Russia is roughly about twice that of what we spend per month living in Vietnam! However, life across the 2 countries isn't really comparable. For one, the access to art & culture, social activities & a European lifestyle is of course much higher in Moscow. How much do you value that though? Tell us what you think! Vietnam, or Moscow?
No brainer , Vietnam.
I find your accent quite interesting. Its like a mix of British accent and something else. Where did you leaned English? UPD: Just ended up watching the video. Im not from Moscow, but i spent plenty of time there during my life. And Moscow aint cheap. Here, in my region (Far North, almost Murmansk), prices of essential things are noticebly lower, but you must consider winters with -25 to -30 degrees celsius that leads to significant expences for whatever kind of house heating you use. I spend 14000 rubles monthly just for central heating durind cold seasons (some people uses electric heaters or wood-fed stoves). And my salary is roughly 40000 rubles. I also use stationary internet, ~500 rubles/mo, mobile plan with tons of stuff and unlimited traffic for 450 rub/mo, electricity is around 6-7k rubles/mo. Prices for food differ even inside same region, but i guess, for stores like Magnit or Lenta, its fair to say that prices are roughly the same.
1 dollar in Russia is like 5 to 10 dollars in the US. In other words, you have to earn 5 to 10 times as much to buy yourself the same living standards in America.
@@johnmolinari2384 VN is our preference too, but only because we cannot give up surfing in warm tropical waters. If there was such an option in Ru we might stay here!
@@angeltensey hullo there! tx for sharing its interesting to learn more about different regions in RU n the prices. English is actually my native language cos I'm from Singapore :) I think you're right about having to factor in the extreme weather. For us, we live predominantly in warm Asia so coming here this past year I've had to spend extra to acquire clothes n shoes suitable for Moscow winter.... which was also an additional expense. but wow u spend a large proportion of your salary just on heating!!!
Dang as a Canadian (from another snow country) I'd say I won't mind going to Russia for an extended vacation just to play the snow sports! I own my gears but pretty sure snow rentals cost at least 10x more than Russia.
Cross-country skiing is much cheaper than downhill.
great video thanks for your hard work
cheers Micky!
Классный видос! Like it!
😁
Well done!!
thank you Gavin. Much appreciated!
Really nice efforts & beautiful presentation
Thanks a lot! hope it gave u some helpful info
In my city, you can rent an apartment per month for 20,000 rubles and spend somewhere around 5,000 rubles transport per month about 500 rubles entertainment somewhere around 3,000-5,000 rubles
Спасибо за хорошее видео.
Привет) большое спасибо) ✌🏼😁👍🏻
Привет 👋. ее видео действительно хороши
Moscow a very beautiful city
I love Russia and Russia and Russian people - I'm really quite in love!
me too! Maybe cos i'm asian but i connect quite easily with the mentality for most part.
Nice vlog
We have been thinking about visiting Russia and St Petersburg. I did not realize that Russia is a cheap and affordable place compared to the United States. Can’t handle the cold and long winter months though! Thanks for your info. Russia is our next destination when this pandemic over.
yup def compared to the US life in Moscow/St P is quite a lot more affordable for the same budget generally i wd say! def give it a go to explore!
As someone commented above, Moscow is about as cheap as Boise, Idaho, which is hardly a bargain compared to most places in the world.
Jean, you looks so cute in your hat, almost like a real Russian. As for the cost of living, we find that food is a little cheaper here in Iowa than in Moscow (with the exception of meat). Cinema tickets are more expensive in Russia. Bus fare is $1 per ride here. You can rent a 2 bedroom apartment for an average of $850, utility bills are not included. It was interesting to see how much things cost in Russia. I think quite a bit in relation to an average salary. Thanks for the video )))))
@Bistro Cooking oh that's interesting info about Iowa. Guess that's where you guys are based now? it actually sounds generally cheaper than life in Moscow based on what you said (like, 2BR vs 1BR apartment). But i think average salaries in Iowa/US might be higher as well, perhaps. There does seem to be a very big wage gap here amongst the general population.
Moscow is the eq of NYC and Washington DC combined but larger so getting away from the money and power of Moscow living is a lot cheaper. For example, I live in the cultural capital of the world St Petersburg, a stunning city of art and beauty, and have a 3 bedroom in the center of 7 million people and pay $400-500 per month depending on the exchange rate, including all utilities. I am the only person I know who does not own their home without a mortgage so cost of living is Much lower than the US. Very accessible health care including house calls is free. University is free. But the main reason to live here is so much more personal freedom and access to culture and very friendly safe environment. Crime is very low. vacations are long with a minimum 56 workdays off the first year fully paid, between vacation and paid holidays 10 days of which is for New Years So the cost of actually living with so few expenses if far less than any place in the US. For those who like culture, it Mecca. In this one city are 330 drama theaters, more workd class museums than the entire US combined, more access to world-class art, ballet, opera and symphonies than any 15 US states combined....in one city. There are 600 parks, all well maintained and safe. For young people starting a family, there is up to 3 paid years off for family leave.
Considering this is the capital, the food market costs are not outrageous but much higher than Ukraine or Romania as a comparison. Interesting that convenience and fast food were noticeably less. Overall costs of living of $1500 a month for a couple who are enjoying a nice lifestyle seems very reasonable as many people are now paying $1500 or more for a 2 bedroom apartment rent close to the downtown of Boise, Idaho. In Washington, DC you would pay$3000 to $5000 for anything within 30 minutes of capital hill.
ouch! DC sounds expensive! but i guess wages are also going to be higher comparatively and commensurately!
If Moscow is as expensive as Boise, it's not that cheap. Most of the world is less expensive.
Subway is so beautiful and clean.
yeah its unbelievable! big surprise!
Great video guys thanks👍
Questions what is the live music seen like? And are Aussies well liked by the Russian community?
can't speak for the russian community in general about aussies but lots of live music in moscow! n its good stuff! they're so musically inclined n gifted.
How did you find your apartment? What's the best way to find apartments in Moscow? Is there websites?
yes Rusty there are websites!!! The best and most prolific is Avito.ru I believe! good luck!
I have seen other blogs and the average salary in Moscow is equivalent of 1k to 1.2k USD. This video was awesome, then I subscribed to it. I think people from Moscow can live a very decent life with their salaries. Salary and what you get according to prices seem neither very expensive nor very cheaper. Of course, we are in the capital of the biggest country on earth. Cheapers prices will be then in other Russian cities.
heya you, thanks for sayin hi & sharing your opinion :) We didn't comment on the salaries because neither of us were working normal jobs in Moscow during this period. I asked the same question on Reddit (about salaries) and i was told maybe around somewhere US$800-1.2k yeah. But the magic of russians is that they seem super inventive and creative and they make the most out of what they have & max out their money value :) Of course i think most of them are working hard too, and Moscow seems like a city with endless possibilities.
@@JeanVoronkova try philipines wage from 250 USD too 800 avg . way cheaper buy and rent.
I think you should talk Moore indoors. It's very cold.
haha omg the memories of the winter!
Я всю жизнь прожил в Москве. Город дорогой.
В Турции квартиру на берегу Средиземного моря можно снять за 15-20 тысяч рублей. Овощи супер дешёвые. Мясо, рыба как везде. Лайк за видос, друзья!!
привет! да уж) не дешево тут, я прожил во Вьетнаме 12 лет, и хочу сказать когда доллар стоил 28р тогда там все было очень дешево) но сейчас сравниваем цены, продукты дешевле в Москве)) не все но большенство)) квартиру мы во Вьетнаме тоже снимаем за 21тр)
@@JeanVoronkova наверное классно во Вьетнаме. А вы в каком городе там жили?
@@JeanVoronkova и почему обратно в Москву🙄
But Turkey is in economic freefall and the Lira has dropped in value by 80% in the last few years.
@@stanspb763 То же можно сказать и об экономике рф
This Canadian says Russia is cheap, we pay considerably more for all those things in Toronto. It probably works out in the end as we earn more as well.
yeah but i think Toronto is a really high end city! Closer to the scandinavian end of things. Moscow is a wonderful city but i think still far from Toronto standards....
Russia has many modern cars. Can you review generality of Makes manufactures how many ? Standard safety features. Quirky accessories lol
Wah this is a difficult topic (for me at least!) haha lemme ask Vitaliy maybe he has better knowledge about the Russian cars! We do car sharing here a lot but it’s all foreign cars now come to think about it. A lot of Hyundai n Kias
I live in California where an apt like yours would run between $1500.00 -$2200.00 one McDonald combo will run $12-$15 for one person not cheap 2 to 3 timed more expensive than where your at in Moscow
Old saying amongst us farmers Living in America. Home is where you hang your hat. So I guess you could say that means , anywhere you live on this planet, As Long As You Are happy there, home can be anywhere. I'm definitely not into culture bashing, or racist remarks. We all deserve the dignity and respect from one another in benevolence. I spent many years in the military, all through Europe and over into the Black Sea. No matter what country you are in people basically just want to be happy. sometimes in my travels, I met people who what were hate-filled towards Americans without any real basis other than what they seen coming out of Hollywood movies. Enjoy your lives no matter where you live, treat each other with respect and decency and be happy. The world is a beautiful place, be a part of that beauty wherever you go
very true this. Fully agree
The rent just makes life in Russia more difficult (for native Russian of course). Children tend to live in with parents till they get married. Most can't afford to move to other cities for a better career as it's so expensive. From my experience, it's heaven for veggies because vegetables are cheap comparing to my home country. If you're good at cooking that's one way to save money.
If you are alone or student you may rent a room. Or you can find cheaper apartment for 25000-30000 in Moscow suburbs no problem. You do not have jacuzzi. But all other staff .
Prices seem ok, but it all depends on what you earn, like everywhere else. I am from US, and right now rents are going up, and we also have inflation.
But, of course, our incomes are higher, so for most people it is an annoyance, but for poor Americans it is a BIG problem.
Omg. That is considered very cheap compared to living in the U.S. For example, to rent a 3bed 2bath apartment per month in San Jose, California is about $4000 USD. It gets even worse when you want to buy a house in San Jose, California. The average price to buy a 3bed 2bth 1300 square foot house in San Jose is $1.5 million USD!! Also you are not getting new house for that price. It is very old house built in 1960s -1980s.
San Jose is in the Silicon Valley---that is hardly typical for America---I am posting this right now from San Jose, living in an airbnb.
Wow... nice to know Moscow is quite affordable to live in... for all that McD stuff you guys got here in Canada, that would cost at least CAD$20+.... and we never have wings here! :( Is it quite difficult living with some language barrier there as a visitor? Are the locals pretty friendly in general?
It is surprising isn't it? The wings r delish btw :) and sometimes yes it can be quite difficult when one doesn't speak Russian well. But on the other hand u can also get a bit of "yay! rare foreigner" treatment so i think that evens it out. The young people esp are very very nice to foreigners n curious! n I never had an issue finding people who spoke English who cd help me out of a spot. if u hv a chance, a visit to Moscow is a very interesting opportunity of a lifetime i feel.
I lived in St. Petersburg in the 1980s and 1990s and if that is any indication, you CANNOT live in Russia without knowing the language. Sure, you can get a job teaching English some place and there will be people at work that know the language and can help you out, but outside of the workplace, forget it. If you don't know Russian or don't have a Russian spouse, you will have difficulties every day. Also, keep in mind that Russian is not an easy language to learn. It's not like French or Spanish. In fact, it's significantly more difficult than German. Keep that in mind if you are thinking of moving there.
For sure expensive from India. Although comming this month for studying masters. Any video for student expenses?
Hi I am from Singapore, I like to find out some website in Russia selling Amplifier Vacuums Tubes can you help? Thanks.
Hi William, thanks for leaving us a comment! Actually the best search engine for Russia and related things is Yandex, not google. And the best way to get accurate results is to search in Russian, not in English. So I would recommend you to open Google Translate, translate the words "amplifier vacuums tubes" (sorry i completely hv no idea what that is!) from English to Russian, open the site yandex.ru, copy paste the Russian there, and click the search button. Separately for your web browser u can install the Google Translate widget which automatically translates Russian text into English - if u have that, when u use Yandex.ru to search for stuff, the results will appear in English so you can navigate it yourself! Hope this helps!
@@JeanVoronkova Thanks for your pointer, praying you get out safely and surely. I was in Romania and I face the same issue always......stay cool.
Wah Romania …. Another country that’s not so easy in terms of system I expect!
You spend about US$1300 per couple per month.. that is what I am spending as an foreigner in many countries too.. But in Singapore, its scary expensive
it is isn't it!?! But i guess salaries in Singapore mostly keep pace as well. Moscow was surprisingly affordable in comparison. N great metro!
Well Russia and Moscow (and even Saint-Petersburg) are pretty different.
привет) Это точно, все разное)
Damn one week of my WFH pay before taxes covers an entire month's rent, bills, and food and stuff in Russia. So slightly over a week of work and I'm good crazy no more living pay check to pay check there lol.
Haa a tad dicey to head over there now as a foreigner tho!
Why is "McDonalds", the trade name, spelled out in Cyrillic? No other companies trade name is done like this?
Why not? It’s macs in Russia 😏
How much it cost to live in Russia means NOTHING. This has to be put in relation how much money you make to pay for. There is a lady in Saint Petersburg who compared the buying power of her salary on groceries with the buying power of her friends in Virginia, USA. The difference was times 19. I did read some time ago that in Moscow even med. doctors drive taxi after their regular work in hospital. Regular weekly working times are in Belarus and Ukraine 50 hours. My dentist in Gomel, Belarus makes in a 50 hr. work week about 800 US $.
I agree, but everyone’s earning power is also very different depending on one’s choices in life and how far along they got educated in, or even just one’s abilities in business. We got to know many people here in Moscow during our time here and some work long hours n make not a lot but surprisingly some others r in business and do very well for themselves even if they didn’t do well in school. So we chose to present the costs as they are because at least there’s a consistency factor there. Ultimately whether life there is cheap or expensive depends on the individual considering the costs presented in our video based on his/her earning power in life. We do not seek to answer that question universally on behalf of everyone.
😅
It looked freezing on your trip to the city. How did you get the bed home? Russia really likes those green fences at the edge of the sidewalk, I see them in other videos. I love the train system. Please don't become to American. A big Mac meal cost around $12 dollars here. , as far as I know, free dips.
Where is here? yes this past winter in moscow was freeeeeeezing!!! n we paid some ad hoc freelance dlivery van to bring our bed home for us, n then we stretched our backs ourselves to carry the bed upstairs (but in the lift, so not so bad haha). Oh we hv a video dedicated to the amazing Moscow Metro coming up! watch out for it!
@@JeanVoronkova Here is 24 miles outside of Boston Massachusetts. Looking forward to the Metro video!
The video was really informative and entertaining to me. I have a couple of questions (1) where did Jean learn English so excellently and are you from the Yakutia region of the country? Your English is just like a native English speaking person without the common slangs that American likes to use. The living expenses are quite reasonable, but one must factor in the Russian salaries as well. The monthly expenses are in line with the average wages for the region. I look forward to more videos from both of you about life there.
Heya Jerry! LOL actually I'm from Singapore, so English is my native language... can't claim any credit there! Yes i am actually so impressed with life in Moscow (as a foreigner experiencing life here for the first time). Of course the expensive factor is relative to one's earning power, but comparing prices of life essentials across countries Moscow still packs a real punch, esp the price of fresh produce that's so amazing. It's strawberries season now and I've never tasted better! n so cheap!
Amazing video. So how about location of your apartment. Apartment looks really nice, and price is fair enough but how about location. How far is your apartment from the city center
Thanks Uros appreciate the feedback! Yes location wise the apartment we showed is in the district called Kurkino. Driving wise, its only 25-30 min from moscow centre without traffic jams on the roads so its very convenient and we usually do car sharing so that's how we roll. On public transport it wd be about 1.5 hrs between the metro and 1 bus ride.
excellent public transport in Moscow
Expensive or not expensive depends on the (mode) average income of the common person. Compared to cost of living in Canadian dollars it is almost 2/3 cheaper.
True dat, since expensive is a concept relative to income. But for the common basic stuff for life across different countries we can still somewhat do an objective comparison! But yes, for sure Canada is way more expensive! lol. but it also looks really nice there (from other youtube videos we watched haha)
The costs do seem pretty low, but it makes me wonder how much people get paid compared to it?
average wages are also pretty low for the everyday man i gather.... but expats w in demand skill sets live it quite good here.
hello Jean from a fellow Singaporean! I was hoping to do a Beijing- Moscow trip just before Covid hit and now we kena lockdown. Damn sian. (These Sporean lingo i trust understand). I hv a few questions abt Moscow. Hope u can help answer pls:
1) is it safe and easy to do free and easy travel in Moscow?
2) Is it easy to navigate if we dont understand the language? Like MRT stations, do they have English names?
3) From Sporean perspective, any tips or important stuff we need to know? Xie xie nie and kum seah very much.
I really do hope to do the trip once Covid is over. Doing research now is my only motivation. :)
I haven't been to Russia since 1998, but at that time absolutely NO stations were written in Latin letters. Knowing the alphabet (not all that hard) was the bare minimum to get around. Please note: the alphabet might not be that difficult to master, but the rest of the language is a long, uphill climb.
If someone could please help me give me a helping hand 🖐️ where to find the song in it's original, that they are playing from the 2:57 min please 😊 😊
daaamn its so cold there
It is aye it is
You would pay that much for 1 value meal here in the U.S, but I’ve heard McDonalds are much better in other countries.
that's not true! Macs is super tasty here at most outlets i find! better than Singapore and Vietnam in fact. although i suppose on average the US might be better
wow, very interesting. it seems like it's extremely affordable but what about the other side of the equation? Income. What is the average monthly income for someone living in Moscow?
Depends on what u do, but I was tutoring english and it was a plenty awesome gig w generous pay but then I have very good credentials
Great 👍 vdo. And you’re beautiful Jean🌹😃
thank u very much Kathie :)
great content, thank you. as a Game Developer(android & iOS) how much you think I can earn in Russia per month?
hi hossein, thanks for saying hi! we wouldn't be able to give u accurate info about your question by any means , but perhaps u can try checkin out some job websites to find an indication?
Android game developer in Moscow - average salary is 91.2 K roubles /month as per May/21.
Nice nice. Thanks for sharing the info about salaries very useful
Good
Thanks
thank u the video is gorgeous but what about salaries¿
heya there! Actually we both were not working normal jobs in Moscow during this period whilst we are here so we didn't comment on salaries because we dn't hv first hand knowledge. But I did ask around on Reddit online and i was told that in Moscow, the average salaries range from US$800-1,200 and for St P its lower, perhaps US$600-900 thereabouts. I think it really depends on your skillset if u r interested in living in Moscow because salaries for skills in demand can be quite high!
to be more specific, i've a friend who is a british and she works as governess here n her monthly salary is more than US$6000 - that's amazing!
@@JeanVoronkova thank u 🤍🤍🤍
all the snow and coldness!!! :p
but the skiing has been fun! although i've also surprised myself. I thought i wd absolutely die in anything under 0 degrees previously. But turns out, furry shoes and really warm clothes solve every problem 🤣
Much easier to keep warm in the cold than to get cool in the heat, when it comes to clothing.
@@steveth1000 the exact opposite of this 👆👆👆
28 bucks for meal?! I get the same thing in silicon valley
but that meal in Silicon Valley doesn't have the whole soviet grandness ambience!
Did you know that Moscow gets all the new things first + St Petersburg. Ex, nizhny novgorod get all the old stuff from Moscow or St Petersburg after they been used for some time and Moscow wants a update. My love is in nizhny novgorod and their public transport isnt as updated as the bigger city's. Which is really sad that the rest of Russia doesn't get the good and updated as the capital. But nevertheless, I love Russia. 🌸🌸🌸
ooh i didn't know specifically that but i did know that apparently Moscow and ST P are quite different to life in other parts of Russia. Like their govt resources are mostly concentrated in these 2 cities. But Russia is such a huge sprawling country it also boggles the mind to think of the scale of it all. N for the gigantic-ness of Moscow I actually think its amazingly well-oiled n generally works well to serve the people living there
@@JeanVoronkova Yes. Moscow and St P is more taken care of. But I do enjoy NN too. It has its charm. Just wish they could get things new too Sometimes. 🤭🤭 Hope you have a great weekend ☺️
Дорого или нет зависит от твоих доходов! Как говорят кому то жемчуг мелкий....
совершенно верно! 😁💪😍
What about vegan foods?
there are definitely some options around but its not mainstream of course
Hello, I am interested to know, do you like living in Russia in general, would you stay there, I ask because I want to live in Russia and I am gathering opinions about the country.
well i enjoyed my time there to be honest. it was far more comfortable than i expected. But that was also pre-war and now things may be different i'm not sure
@@JeanVoronkova I see, so you don't live in Russia anymore, do you?
Ok, I know Jean worked as a lawyer for 6 years, I don't know what Vitaly did for a living. I'm puzzled how you guy's sustain the lifestyle? I know you saved when you worked, but you bought an apartment and to live still costs money. And I don't think you're Surf School would sustain that lifestyle. So the question is how do you guy's do it?
McDonald's is expensive in Russia. It was when it was open.
i liked the quality though. Good burgers and fries were always piping hot
Nice in the USA for 3 would be around $200. Plus
Hello! Sorry which 3 r u referring to? 😁
👍
wow Enny thank u so much for your support i'm very appreciative!
@@JeanVoronkova Hi Jean, thank you for the replies 👍 Btw even though i haven't know you yet but i am sure that you are a nice person 👍 i 💙 the way you talk 👍 wish you & your husband all the best 👍 Gbu
Is cosher or halal food available in Russia
yes of course, 30% of russians are muslims
Yes. Halal food is almost in every city. However it doesn't stop migrant workers from slaughtering sheeps right in the middle of the city.
Hello, where are you from?
hi i'm from singapore
jean what is local salary thanks
Depends on what u do!
Hey guys, I do have a light dark skin. Is it okay to travel to Russia with color or rather not? Honest opinion appreciated :) Thanks!
honestly i don't think its a problem generally! there are a number of people of african descent (many students I think) here and they look to be doing fine!
Russians tend to judge people by their character and not by race, color, religion, politics or class. I have talked to many black skinned and Asian visitors and some residents and all said the same, they never felt more welcomed and locals did not seem to notice differences in appearance. That comes from a history of having a common language for the 182 different cultures that made up the USSR and now the Russian federation. I did not realize my own country was so divided by race until I moved to Russia and noticed when those with different colors got no reaction. I see Americans are so conscious of race that someone of a different race approaches and local's eye dilates and their posture changes. I only noticed that after being away from the US for a few years. Years ago I asked a Russian friend just after moving to Russia, what the relations between Africans and Russian, was there any discrimination. I was told they liked Africans because the ones they see are students and vert smart. Being Educated, cultured and intelligent is highly valued in Russia. So in my 21 years living here I never saw any evidence that was not true.
Will places of business accept US dollars?
a lot of them will change it at a shitty rate (for u) and then take the rouble price... so it ends up being more expensive for u. So better to just do your own exchange n deal in rouble!
No place legally. Some street vendors will but you are not going to get good deals. Exchange banks are very competitive so now most of them have a tight range of rates so 1 dollar gets 75.5 rubles. Why use dollars when it is so easy to exchange in exchange banks. Retail banks usually give worse rates and the airport gives terrible rates. You can also use a foreign credit or debit card to get Rubles, dollars or Europe. Exchange banks will exchange a wide range of currencies. I keep my money in my Russian bank in dollars and when I take money out from the ATM in Dollars and walk a block to exchange into rubles for the best rate for my spending cash. Russia is fast becoming a cashless society, everywhere takes cards even street vendors quite often. I can go weeks without having rubles in my pocket except for tips.
Just go to the bank and change money for the week. Really, if any place does take dollars, they will give you a much worse rate, so spend a half-hour (if that) at the bank and save yourself some money.
I really wanna move to Russia!
Moscow was a great living experience!
Isn't Sochi more expensive than Moscow?
in some respects, arguably. But I would say overall Moscow would still be more expensive in our direct experience! However we've only ever been on holiday in Sochi... not living there..
@@JeanVoronkova Vacations will be higher than living in Sochi. But off-season there are tremendous deals on packages. A few times I have had package deals where airfare, transfers, hotels, and 3 meals a day in cafeteria buffets in the hotel for a week for around 5000 rubles per person, at that time that was about $100. They build 500 or more hotels before and after the 2014 Winter Olympics near the Olympic village in Adler just a few miles from the city of Sochi. I went both times in the spring when the high mountains still had a lot of snow but it was just warm enough to swim on the beaches at sea level. Summer and peak winter rates will be higher. It is a nice area if one likes the mountains and sea coat on the same day by bus for an hour. I prefer spending vacations in Crimea however with its historic cities and vast beaches. Sevastapol is my second favorite Russian city where I just rent an apartment. My GF spends every summer swimming long distances in the Black Sea, ,3-4 months. of swimming 5-10km a day. She had done that every year I have known her, 14 years. She prefers swimming east of Yalta but away from the summer crowds. She usually rents a room for $35 a month from a Babushka. 80% of my income is in the summer in St Petersburg but if the border is still closed this summer so no tourists come, I will spend the summer there with her.
Wonder after Singapore sanctions against Russia, will Singaporean be welcome or offered Visa to visit Russia😭😭😭
Sigh I’m also wondering, in case we need to go back there for family reasons 🙄
What is the average monthly pay in Russia?
moscou is about 500$ per month, other cities can be twice lower 🤷
@@vasilisa7066 *other cities 500$, moscow 900$
Damn, and i was thinking Brazil is expensive......😥😥😥
ha! I have no idea what Brazil costs of living is like but I was thinkingit would be cheap....!? Im guessing not from ur comment 😂
$1,000 POR MES POR PERSONA TODO PAGADO Y CON CALIDAD NO ES CARO.
yes it's true... 1k$ per month per pax isn't asking for much.
Interesting but love your life in Danang much more. Russia is much cheaper than my country Australia. We are biased though as we love Vietnam.
@Steve Thornton hey Steve, thanks for saying hi. We love our life back in VN too and just waiting to go back once the pandemic blows over. We'll post more vids on VN life as soon as we are back there I promise. And yeah I know AU is expensive. Isn't Sydney or Melbourne (can't rem which) one of the most expensive cities in the world? I remember reading about price of cheese there being astronomical lol.
This woman from Kazakhstan
Uh nope
Вы выбрали это - молодцы. Другие это не выбрали - тоже молодцы. Мы всем рады, но нам никто не нужен. поймёте ли?
uhm i really dont get what you're driving at tbh....
Thanks for sharing!!!
Strange question....I’m currently working on a surprise anniversary gift for my partner, I’m trying to get little love notes from all over the world and I still need one from Russia.
It would just entail writing out a little note in marker and then taking/sending a pic of it.
If you can’t help, no worries.
Thank you for your time, be well🤍
😁
Thanks
The places that you live in Russia is expensive but almost everything else is cheap than the US I really want to go to Russia but I can't speak Russian and it's going to be hard for me
true dat. But Moscow though expensive is also super dynamic. Many russki friends call it a different country within Russia 😁 and actually in my own experience I get around in Moscow using English just fine. All the young people speak it to various extents now and they r very happy to help. Don't be afraid!
Moscow is a bit faster-paced than Russia, and often an English-speaking tourist will ask a local and get a reply they do not speak English when they do but are in too much of a hurry to stop and talk. St Petersburg is very different that way. It is probably the most educated city in the world and anyone, approached by a lost stranger will not only get help but an offer to escort them to their destination and a description of the building they pass. Everyone seems to have time, and is eager to show off their city. Mocovites know they live in the best city of the world so have no need to explain it to anyone. Moscow has changed a lot in the last 10 years. The new Mayor has transformed the city into being a very livable beautiful city with lovely pedestrian streets, outdoor cafes vista points to view the city from different points. Even the traffic is better. It has always been very clean but it sparkles now. St Petersburg is beautiful and highly cultured with the city center having the largest restored original city center with much of it being original 1700s buildings with restored palaces and grand cathedrals, 600 parks and 44 islands. It is a Unesco World Heritage Site and the first city to be designated such. I fell in love with it when it as called Leningrad in 1976 and it has only gotten better. It is like a large relaxed human scale Fairytale kingdom but all authentic. Art and the arts are part of daily life.
In the city center about 1/2 the people you meet speak English and all the signs are in both Cyrillic and Latin alphabet, bus stops and subway stops are all in Russian and English, menus are in both so. Finding people to talk with will be very easy
Google Translate will help you!