The average cost of living in Russia for families can be anywhere from 30,000 rubles to 35,000 rubles per month, excluding utilities. While Moscow and Saint Petersburg are relatively expensive to live in, Novosibirsk is one of the cities in Russia with low cost of living.
According to Russian law, foreigners are usually allowed to purchase or rent property in Russia, but certain exceptions apply. Also, in order to be allowed to buy a property, the foreign citizen must hold a valid Russian resident permit.
Expats in Russia will find the cost of living to be reasonable. Although Russia cannot be regarded as a cheap country to live in, as a whole, it is more affordable than many Western countries. An expat's cost of living in Russia, however, will highly depend on their lifestyle.
Russia is 48% cheaper than United Kingdom. May 2023 Cost of Living.
The Russian parliament is considering draft Bill No. 307392-8, which provides for an increase in the minimum wage from RUB 15,279 per month to RUB 19,242 per month with effect from 1 January 2024.
What is average wage in Russia? Average Wages in Russia increased to 65094 RUB/Month (811.331 USD/Month) in February 2023. The maximum rate of average wage for employees was 69278 RUB/Month and minimum was 0 RUB/Month. Data published Monthly by Ministry for Economic Development.
Rental costs in Russia
According to Numbeo, a one-bedroom flat in the center of Moscow costs 50,000 p. to 100,000 p. Meanwhile, outside the city center, prices are, on average, 40,000 p. For a three-bedroom apartment in Moscow city center, you can expect to pay about 145,000 or 75,000 on the outskirts.
A 100 ruble bill, which equals about 1.5 USD or 1.3 Euro today, probably won't buy you a decent cup of coffee in St. Petersburg, but it can go surprisingly a long way. The easiest place to get the most bang for your ruble is the grocery store.
The share of Russians who own an apartment or a house is relatively high and amounts to about 54 percent. About 11 percent reside in a rented apartment or house. The rest live with their relatives or friends. There are several major types of apartment blocks common in Russia.
Home Ownership Rate in Russia averaged 83.94 percent from 2000 until 2021, reaching an all time high of 92.50 percent in 2020 and a record low of 58.20 percent in 2000.
Foreign citizens wanting to live in Russia are required to apply for a Russian residence permit. The Russian authorities issue two types of residence permits for foreign citizens: temporary residence permits and permanent residence permits.
The price is 0.70 USD. The average price for all countries is 0.93 USD. The database includes 91 countries.
Lifestyle and culture in Russia
Locals in Russia are actually warm, friendly and helpful people. Whether new arrivals enjoy nature or prefer the perks of city living, Russia has a lot to offer. There are lots of social activities and sports facilities in Russia, especially in big cities.
Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and London
You would need around 548,242.7руб (5,709.2£) in London to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 240,000.0руб in Moscow (assuming you rent in both cities). This calculation uses our Cost of Living Plus Rent Index to compare cost of living.
Alcohol: Alcohol is relatively cheap in Russia - a pint of beer can be purchased for around 250 roubles ($4) and a glass of decent wine for 300 roubles ($5). Avoid the cheapest alcohol at shops, as counterfeit alcohol is not unheard of.
Prices in Russia have been rising since 2015 due to low prices of oil and Western sanctions over Russia's annexation of Crimea, and the pandemic further pushed up prices. More than six in 10 Russians were spending around half of their monthly income on food, according to a survey in July 2021.
So, according to Sberindex in 2020, the median salary for all industries in Russia amounted to 31540 rubles in January and 38278 rubles in December. In January 2021, it amounted to 33549 rubles, in December 2021 - 42,801 rubles.
The average hourly wage in Russia is 600 RUB or USD 8.09 (US Dollars), and the hourly minimum wage is 150 RUB (USD 2.01). Russia has a median salary of 110,000 RUB per month (USD 1,472.90). This means that half of the population earns less than 110,000 RUB while the other half earns more than 110,000 RUB.
As of 2021, Hungary had the lowest average monthly salary of employees in the world in terms of Purchasing Power Parities (PPP), which takes the average cost of living in a country into account. Zimbabwe had the second lowest average wages, with Ethiopia in third.
In 2022, the average monthly salary of higher education teachers in Russia was measured at roughly 111.4 thousand Russian rubles. To compare, preschool teachers received around 43.1 thousand Russian rubles per month, which was below the average nominal wage in the country.