Dang, a hotel would be way to expensive! I was planning on renting. Where I currently am, $500 a month for 1 room in a shared location (house or apartment) is pretty average. The prices I saw for places in Moscow seem to be the same. Plus, the $30 I see that people charge for teaching is much better than what I make currently. Which is unemployed lol. Hopefully I'll be able to find someone willing to provide those living papers though. How hard is it for someone to do so and what would be their incentive to provide/not provide it?

EDIT: I realize I'm not going to be making a lot of money, it's mostly for the cultural experience, the fact that I love travelling, and to learn Russian. Also, it is more money than I make here anyways, even if it's not much.