Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Cost of Living in Western Russia

  1. #1
    Новичок
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Виннипег, КАНАДА
    Posts
    7
    Rep Power
    15

    Cost of Living in Western Russia

    I'm curious as to what everyday items cost in Russia. I'm planning on how much money I should bring when I travel, and what ratio of US dollars and Russian Roubles I will take. (I hear that use of foriegn currency is illegal, but the US$ will pretty much get you anything across the globe.)

    Some particular things I'm curious about are:

    beer
    vodka
    meal
    cab
    bus
    lodging

    Some travel guides can be a little outdated, so I trust the word of someone living there right now. I'm looking at average prices, and if you have anything else to add, please feel free.

  2. #2
    Подающий надежды оратор
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    Moscow
    Posts
    36
    Rep Power
    15
    A pint of imported beer in Moscow’s bars costs about $5, and you can get some Russian beer there for $2-3.
    Russian vodka is cheap. I’d buy a bottle of «Гжелка», which price is about $5-6.
    Если мама сказала - ноу, то это значит - ноу!
    (с) Сергей Довлатов

  3. #3
    Завсегдатай Scorpio's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Moscow, Russia
    Posts
    1,505
    Rep Power
    16
    About foreign currency: yes, using it to purchase anything is NOT legal. Selling/buying any foreign currency in exchange booths is perfectly legal, and it's no problem finding one almost anywhere. Current exchange rate is: 1$ = 31 R, 1 Eu = 34 R

    And here are some typical prices in Moscow:

    beer:
    bottle of "Baltika" - 15-20 R;

    vodka:
    bottle of "Stolichnaya" - 50-55 R;

    meal:
    depends from where you came. 300-400 R dinner is quite cheap;

    cab:
    municipal taxi system is dead long ago; there is a lot of freelance cabbers, but prices vary much.

    bus:
    in Moscow one bus ride costs 7-10 R now (and metro ride the same).

    lodging:
    renting flat costs 150$-200$ monthly, if not higher.
    Кр. -- сестр. тал.

  4. #4
    mike
    Guest
    Christ, why is alcohol so cheap? Aren't there any negative externalities considered? I can't even buy 750mL of ginger ale for the equivalent of 55 rubles.

  5. #5
    z80
    z80 is offline
    Почтенный гражданин
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Австралия
    Posts
    293
    Rep Power
    15

    bad

    thats as bad as where I live!! Rent is almost double what you would pay in a morgage for the same house.
    I hate Signatures

  6. #6
    Новичок
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Бостон, Массачусетс
    Posts
    6
    Rep Power
    15
    Quote Originally Posted by mike
    Christ, why is alcohol so cheap? Aren't there any negative externalities considered?
    What about the possitive externalities? I have found in my travels that bottled water is more expensive than beer in most countries (maybe because of demand, since only Americans ask for tap water at a restaurant ). However, it doesn't seem too out of whack to me to get a pint for around $0.50 in Moscow when you consider that rent is only $150 to $200...

    Rent is around 350 beers a month in Moscow, and I'd say around 200 a month in New York and 175 in Boston .

    I think of when I was in Prague three years ago and beer cost $0.25 per pint, but that's not so cheap considering I got a room for $4 a night (granted they didn't say the room flooded, and I woke up in the morning with 2 inches of water in the room ).

  7. #7
    mike
    Guest
    What exactly are the positive externalities of liquor sales in a third world country? In an economic boom I could understand, but alcohol should be the last thing poor people are spending their money on.

  8. #8
    Подающий надежды оратор
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    Moscow
    Posts
    36
    Rep Power
    15
    Quote Originally Posted by Scorpio
    renting flat costs 150$-200$ monthly, if not higher.
    No, Scorpio!
    Even a decent two-room flat anywhere far from the city center with cheap old furniture can’t cost less than $400 a month. I think that a little but good flat near the city center costs at least $1000.
    Если мама сказала - ноу, то это значит - ноу!
    (с) Сергей Довлатов

  9. #9
    Завсегдатай Scorpio's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Moscow, Russia
    Posts
    1,505
    Rep Power
    16
    Quote Originally Posted by Veedey
    Quote Originally Posted by Scorpio
    renting flat costs 150$-200$ monthly, if not higher.
    No, Scorpio!
    Even a decent two-room flat anywhere far from the city center with cheap old furniture can’t cost less than $400 a month. I think that a little but good flat near the city center costs at least $1000.
    Agreed. I really meant the cheapest - renting one-room flat with minimal furnishing somewhere nearby MKAD. Anything larger or closer to center costs more, of cause.
    Кр. -- сестр. тал.

  10. #10
    Подающий надежды оратор
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Posts
    18
    Rep Power
    15
    Quote Originally Posted by Veedey
    A pint of imported beer in Moscow’s bars costs about $5, and you can get some Russian beer there for $2-3.
    Russian vodka is cheap. I’d buy a bottle of «Гжелка», which price is about $5-6.


    Ну и цены у вас!! Не в Москве пиво стоит 0.5$

  11. #11
    Почтенный гражданин
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    Россия, РТ
    Posts
    572
    Rep Power
    15
    Странно, а у нас, в Татарстане, все цены в рублях

  12. #12
    Подающий надежды оратор
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Posts
    18
    Rep Power
    15
    Quote Originally Posted by Tu-160
    Странно, а у нас, в Татарстане, все цены в рублях
    Тем более странно, что у нас в Украине в гривнах

Similar Threads

  1. Cost of Living in St. Petersburg
    By LawMonkey in forum Travel and Tourism
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: April 21st, 2009, 08:52 PM
  2. Russia calling, Russia calling - but what should it cost?
    By rainbowworrier in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 30
    Last Post: May 26th, 2007, 12:38 PM
  3. Cost of visiting and living in Moscow...
    By Dobry in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: October 4th, 2006, 04:41 PM
  4. Number of Ukrainians currently living in Russia...
    By real_cola in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 27
    Last Post: August 15th, 2005, 03:09 AM
  5. Living in Russia from the viewpoint of an American student
    By Zeus in forum Culture and History
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: June 2nd, 2004, 09:27 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


Russian Lessons                           

Russian Tests and Quizzes            

Russian Vocabulary