In case Dmitri doesn't want to respond to this question, I'll tell you about another example.
I met a woman from Minsk who had a job as a chief accountant at a small state run enterprise. She told me that she made $800 and felt that this was rather crap - she had had a better paid job previously but she was due to retire, so she had to settle for this other job instead (she needed to continue working).

I might remember wrongly but I think this is what it was - Dmitri, please correct me if this sounds totally off the mark.

Anyway Eric, a lot of things are very cheap in Belarus - the salaries are only a problem with foreign-produced goods and for going abroad. They make some really nice products in Belarus that are amazingly cheap. I bought some childrens clothes for my niece that were funky, cute and stylish, very cheap. I bought a jacket for USD 25 which I had lots of compliments for in Sweden. Made in .by! Another thing is, people get a lot of things for free that they would pay for in other countries. It's quite common that they get a 2-3 week holiday practically for free from their work. That is the positive side of Belarus. Again, Dmitri, please correct me if I am wrong, this is my impression after spending a bit of time there.

But remember, this thread is suposed to be about flats!