Daily Economy in the FSU - a breakdown

[Shostakovich]

Here is a curiosity that has arisen of late - what sort of economic burdens are the residents of the FSU under to keep their households going?  Of course this varies quite a bit from region to region and according to the station that one finds oneself in.  But I suppose some of you have a sense about the ranges for various things.

In a city like Kharkov what would be the monthly cost for things like:

Internet?
Electricity?
Gas?
Rent in an average 1 bed room Soviet era apartment?
Do they pay separate bills for garbage, water?
Food?
And what is the pump price for Gasoline these days in the FSU?


And how does it work with the taxes over there?  The government undoubtedly deducts their portion.  Do they also have city and sales tax?  Do they file a tax statement as we do also?

Gratis?  Part of this is curiosity but also I could find myself in a position to finance a household in the FSU for a time and wonder what sort of obligation that typically entails.   

[Anotherkiwi]

...Part of this is curiosity but also I could find myself in a position to finance a household in the FSU for a time and wonder what sort of obligation that typically entails.

Very good question - I'm sure that Dave Neeley and others can answer.  It's not just you, Shostakovich - it's a potential scenario for many of us who are still looking.

[Jumper]

I think if you are shooting for the average situation ,they are  of course good basic questions.

Members like Dneeley, Nat, Possum , etc  can give a good monthly average guesstimate.

Some points to consider are it is a very different culture,
so some of the questions need revised slightly.

Some flats are rented outright.

but likely a more common sceneario:
If the flat has been in the family awhile, it can be inexpensive,
its rather sort of *owned* than rented,
when the family had it in soviet times then handed down thru..

and there is typically  a small monthly  maintence fee for each resident to a building management /hiousing management scenario.
(similar to a condo in the west)

So many families do not have a rent,per say,  but rather a maintenence fee
, and then utilities ,can be seperate or combined billing to any given flat or building?

(for my Ex MIL , it was maybe $100 USD  for  that,
so food was the more the economic burden, not *rent/utilities*)
She typically spent  $250 to $300 per month total, all expenses,2 people, 1 dog, 2 cats, but i do not know with the high food prices there how exactly she managed that. Still i think far more do so, than is recognized here.
  I also know plenty of people making a good salary there, living in much nicer areas and monthly expendatures would be much the  same as the west.

  
Also public transportation is far more the average persons mode
of travel than in the west,.
While price of petro may raise mashrutkas rates a bit,
 it is  likely more relevant to the cost of products in the market place and store than to their daily commute.

[Phil dAmore]

Back when I lived in St. Pete my expenses were very low.

Rent: zero, owned the apartment outright.

Annual owners tax:  About 150 rubles per year.

Income tax: Zero.  But for Russians the income tax was a flat 13%. 

Community services:  Part of a monthly bill that included gas, water, stairwell cleaning, trash pickup and a few other things.  By the time I left it had risen to 780 rubles per month - the default amount.  The fee varied depending on how many people were registered as living in the flat.

Electric: Not once in seven years did I ever receive an electric bill.  Once a year or so I would go to the local office, give them 500 rubles and they left me alone.

Landline phone:  150 rubles a month as long as I didn't make international calls - then it got very expensive very quickly

Public transit:  I probably spent close to 2,000 rubles a month on buses, metro, marshrutki and gypsy cabs

Food:  For two people (plus frequent guests who had a habit of showing up at dinnertime) the average monthly food bill was about 1,500 rubles.

Vodka: This could range anywhere from 200 to 2,000 rubles a month depending on how depressed I was.

Of course things cost more now. 

[Jumper]

Phil-good info from someone who lived there long term... thanks!

 just curious,  what was the exchange rate then?

And how do you feel your St Pete figures ,
compared to  more provincial cities..  like a average citizens life in Orel or Novgorod?

[JR]

It will be interesting to follow this tread as there is a possibility I may try to live there for a year or so.

[Gator]

Phil-good info from someone who lived there long term... thanks!

 just curious,  what was the exchange rate then?

Phil's food budget absolutely stuns me.  I spent more as a penniless student in my youth. 

Phil was in St. Piter when it was 30 rubles per US$.  During my first trip to Moscow in 1987, the official Soviet exchange rate was 1 ruble = 1.5 US$.  Of course the black market paid 10 times better or more, if one wanted to take the about risk.   

If you live in the same style as the locals, one does not need much money.  It requires some sacrifice such as forgoing toilet paper when I lived in the Mideast. In 2002 I dated a medical physician in Ukraine who was paid about $30/month.  However, for a patient to be seen by her, she required a gift  (e. g. jar of jam) in a bartering system.


Just this past January, I became ill with flu while  in Mexico.  I needed a prescription to buy some antibiotics.  A local physician was next door to the pharmacy.  I saw him and he wrote a prescription.  He charged me $2.50.  It took about two minutes.  The physician kept his distance and made his diagnosis based on my description of symptoms.     

[Shostakovich]

Back when I lived in St. Pete my expenses were very low.

...

Of course things cost more now. 

Thank you for the historical perspective.  When my time machine is complete I will know what to do.  How far in the past must I go?  Eh, never mind -- Peter the Great and I would make great buddies.  Just think what you could do with a bit of pre-tensioned concrete and a nation of slaves at your call when building a city.  If he got out of line I'd be certain to cattle-prod him along, and give him a bit of Acai berry sorbet if he's in a mind to make me drink some of his dreadful spirits.  Then I'd give him a taste of the 8th string quartet by yours truly to show him where it's going, so that he steps a little more carefully.  Of course I'd bring an M1-Abrams tank along for the ride if things really got rough.  Take that Potemkin.

Current costs please?

[acctBill]

Shostakovich there are so many variables in your question I don't know where to begin.  Rent on an average 1 bed room Soviet era apartment could be anywhere from free if you are teaching English in the countryside in one of the 'stans to $1,000 USD in the outskirts of Moscow.  If you could provide more information as to where you household in the FSU might be the answers could be more precise.  

I'm most familiar with Moscow so I'll give you some examples for that city.  It's important to realize that in general Moscow is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live, yet many Russians live quite comfortably in nice areas of Moscow on under 1,000 USD/month.  

Assuming you don't know any locals in Moscow who can act as an intermediary to rent the apartment for you, you are going to pay several hundred dollars a month extra because you're a foreigner.  It's also important to make sure you understand what your rent includes.  How long is the lease for?  Does it include all utility bills, Internet, 24/7 heat and hot water, furnished, unfurnished etc? If you don't speak/read Russian and don't have any local contacts you're probably going to have to use an agency and with everything included you can expect to pay $1,000/month.  

For $1,000/month you'll get a 1 or 2 room flat in a Soviet era building that has been renovated with some western comforts, plus all utility bills, Internet, 24/7 heat and hot water and most importantly it's furnished.  I personally would recommend this option for a westerner.  After you've been in the city for a couple of months and gotten comfortable and made some connections then you can look around and see if there is something cheaper or better.  

As for groceries, food prices are rising in Russia and Phil's example isn't possible in Moscow or probably anywhere in the FSU. If you're good at maintaining a budget and look for bargains $100/month for food, much more if you end up eating out.  Milk is currently close to $2.00/quart, eggs $3.25/dozen, potatoes over $4.00/pound, pasta $2.00/pound, bread $.80/loaf, rice $1.00/pound, Big Mac meal $8.00, 2 litre Coke $1.90, 1/2 litre of beer $1.00, chicken $3.50/pound.  Prices are from summer 2010 so ymmv.

Gas is cheap at about $2.25/gallon but gas requires a car and no sane westerner who isn't use to driving in a constant rush hour would drive in Moscow without at least a few months of observation.  Tram/metro ticket is about $.40 for anywhere in Moscow.    

[dbneeley]

Obviously, the range of possibilities is a large one.

Some of the quotes for prices in Moscow are rather incredible--such as $1.90 for a two-liter Coke. In our local supermarkets in Donetsk, a two liter Coke runs about 80 cents--a bit over 6 and a half griven...to give just one small example.

If you will be "supporting a family" that may imply they already own a flat here. (I was also bemused by the idea that people "sort of own" flats here, whatever that may mean).

Unmetered utilities often would include water, gas, and trash disposal. The amount paid for these depends upon how many residents are registered at the address--and all residents must be registered somewhere. Since natural gas and electricity have both risen rapidly in the last several years--and are expected to go on rising--prices for utilities have nearly doubled in that time. If you can get by for under $100 per month for these, you are fortunate. (In most areas, electricity is indeed metered and the meters are read fairly regularly).

Food prices here, like everywhere else, are also rising. Also, weather-related shortages in some crops have exacerbated that problem. For example, buckwheat harvest was seriously low this year--and Ukrainians love their "kasha". We had to look long and hard to find the last package we bought.

Also, food prices vary greatly depending upon what you eat. For instance, we don't eat beef simply because it is so expensive here--far higher than in the U.S.,for example. Pork here is excellent, but by far the most common meat is chicken simply because of cost--and it is about the same as in the U.S.

Someone mentioned that "living like a local" means you do without toilet paper. That was a considerable surprise to me, for I have never heard of that here in the last few years at least.

I was also curious about a statement in this thread about renting a flat. Renting is not so common  here, as the majority of dwellings are owned. Obviously, that is not feasible for everyone but it is something that nearly everyone is trying to attain who does not already own a place. If you maintain a car, living in one of the suburban towns twenty to forty minutes drive from a major population center can be very cheap. In our area, for instance, it is quite feasible to get buy a flat in Donskoe or Gorlovka (each about thirty kilometers away but in opposite directions) for about $8,000 or thereabouts that would be very similar to ones that would cost $40,00 or more in Donetsk. Rental rates should be similarly affected by location, too. Thus, the cost of living varies greatly from one place to another.

If the family situation you would be planning on supporting is fairly typical, costs could range easily enough in the $400 to $600 range--but that would not necessarily include many, if any, luxuries. If they don't own their flat, of course, it could easily be more.

David

[Gator]

Someone mentioned that "living like a local" means you do without toilet paper. That was a considerable surprise to me, for I have never heard of that here in the last few years at least.

I said that happened to me when in the Mideast, not Russia.   If TP were available, I would have purchased it.  After a point, you go native (and become more careful about touching door knobs)

[Shostakovich]

Thanks the responses.  Of course I do understand that, as anywhere, that there are quite some variances in living expenses.  If a mistress of one of the pretty-girl questing bad-boys, like the ones we have here at RWD, for example, one can probably live very well for quite cheap. 

But no, I was hoping for average numbers, which of course can be interpreted in many ways.  Mostly, the responses gave me what I was looking for.  Utilities are more expensive than I expected and gas quite a bit cheaper.  A few Q's remain.

I understand that most flats are owned outright, but if one was to rent a Soviet style 2-bedroom flat, in a middling district - what would it cost in Kiev, in Kharkov, Donetsk?

I assume internet is not bundled in with the other utilities?  How much is it?

What do they do for taxes there?  Are there city/sales tax?  Do they file a tax return as we do?

Thanks.

[SFandEE]

The other side of the equation is income. 

I have become more curious about this consideration.  As probably been discussed in the past.  Families share housing over generations and contain expenses by living within means.

What is the income of a 28 year-old bank teller in Odessa or a 25 year-old office manager in Kyiv?  I have heard such ridiculously low numbers that it is impossible to imagine and reconcile with what I see.

What would be the maximum income of a college graduate/Master's in the business world working at a Ukrainian based business?  I realize this might not have an answer, but it speaks to the breakdown of the daily economy of women in the FSU.

[dbneeley]

The other side of the equation is income. 

I have become more curious about this consideration.  As probably been discussed in the past.  Families share housing over generations and contain expenses by living within means.

What is the income of a 28 year-old bank teller in Odessa or a 25 year-old office manager in Kyiv?  I have heard such ridiculously low numbers that it is impossible to imagine and reconcile with what I see.

What would be the maximum income of a college graduate/Master's in the business world working at a Ukrainian based business?  I realize this might not have an answer, but it speaks to the breakdown of the daily economy of women in the FSU.

You're right--it doesn't have an answer since you are speaking of a "maximum." To find a college grad here is simple--you can often find people working as cashiers or sales attendants in shops here with college degrees. I met a young lady recently who is a college business graduate who works as an assistant to the director of a business in this area. Her salary is about $600 per month--which, by the way, is more than that of most if not all local physicians.

I have no idea what a bank teller might make, but I seriously doubt it is that much or even very close to it.

David

[SFandEE]

Sincerely, shame on me for framing the question in such a way that it cannot be answered, although I appreciate your insight.

As to the daily economy of Ukraine--income is an important part of the discussion in which I am still trying to better understand.  I have heard that there exists in Ukraine (as I imagine anywhere) a grey economy that uses cash to keep things off the books.  I imagine the expertise in this room has a sense of what a job in Ukraine pays for an accomplished woman coming out of college and what that can become with experience.

I have been impressed with the women that I have met and their ability to create a nice life for themselves with such limited income.  I think they remain very close to their family and pool their resources in mutual support.  I also think they live within their means for the most part.  Curious about the exceptions too though--perhaps that is some of what we see when we are over there.  Clearly a  lot of these women who meet and socialize with WM are outside of the norm.  Especially those with well developed English skills.

[dbneeley]

I have been impressed with the women that I have met and their ability to create a nice life for themselves with such limited income.  I think they remain very close to their family and pool their resources in mutual support.  I also think they live within their means for the most part.  Curious about the exceptions too though--perhaps that is some of what we see when we are over there.  Clearly a  lot of these women who meet and socialize with WM are outside of the norm.  Especially those with well developed English skills.

As with any large population, exceptions are all over the map.

One factor that you may not be considering is that most people here tend to live much more simply than is the norm in the West. Those who own their apartment would have a very low cost of living, in the main, leaving a larger percentage of income for discretionary spending. If you don't have mortgage, car payments and expenses, and health insurance to pay, that leaves much more for the costs of daily life. Of course, some savings is required since the government-provided healthcare is not comprehensive, for example, so should something befall you in the way of accident or illness it will often cost you for medicines, supplies, etc.

Although utilities have gone up a good bit in recent years, they are still cheap by Western standards. People here also often eat at home far more than in the West--which is obviously less expensive than eating in restaurants. Public transit is cheap and relatively abundant, too, so that also doesn't take a huge part of the income.

As far as ladies "not living beyond their means"--unless they have an outside source of cash, they have little choice. Credit is not as abundant as in the West, by far, so there is much less temptation to try to spend what you cannot repay.


David

[Nat]

In a city like Kharkov what would be the monthly cost for things like:

Internet?
Electricity?
Gas?
Rent in an average 1 bed room Soviet era apartment?
Do they pay separate bills for garbage, water?
Food?
And what is the pump price for Gasoline these days in the FSU?


And how does it work with the taxes over there?  The government undoubtedly deducts their portion.  Do they also have city and sales tax?  Do they file a tax statement as we do also?

Well, I can tell you about Donetsk, but it's a city with the highest prices around the country (well, second after Kiev). Besides, it depends on the area of the city. And all the payments are going up and up since Yanukovich was elected. But speaking about current situation, it'll be something like that:

Internet?
Depends on the speed and availability, 10-12$ in average for 1 mbps.

Electricity?
It depends on how much you've consumed. Usually around 10-15$.

Gas?
Less than 10 bucks, depends on the amount of people living in the apartment. But, your list is missing on central heating payments - they are rather high - something around 35-40$, depending on the size of a flat.

Rent in an average 1 bed room Soviet era apartment?
Well, it doesn't matter if it's a soviet era one or a modern one - the difference in prices isn't that big. Usually people who rent their apartments out make them at least look modern, and you'll pay something like 250$ a month for a flat in the city center. If you're looking hard, you can possibly find something cheaper.

Do they pay separate bills for garbage, water?
Yes. But they are very low and depend on the amount of people living in the flat. Together they make about 10-15$.

Food?
It depends.

And what is the pump price for Gasoline these days in the FSU?
Now they're going up, the last time I checked it was more than 1,25$ per litre.

And how does it work with the taxes over there?
When you're paid your salary or other wages, the tax is automatically taken from it, so you don't have to pay anything extra. If you get money not from your employers, you should fill out a declaration at the end of the year.

Do they also have city and sales tax?  
Tax is taken automatically when you buy something and pay almost any bills - for your phone, mobile, etc. You also pay "kvartplata" - payment for the flat, and it doesn't matter if it's your own or rented - the payment depends on the size of a flat, but usually it's 10-15$.

[dbneeley]

Internet?
Depends on the speed and availability, 10-12$ in average for 1 mbps.

As I think you know, I live in Donetsk also. We pay 99 griven per month for 30 mbps. We could upgrade that to double the speed for 129 griven, but haven't seen a need to do so as yet. The service we use has fiber optic cable to the building, then it breaks out to standard Ethernet to the flat. http://www.matrixhome.net/price/

There are others around who also provide high-speed connections for little money--including Stels Internet and one I believe called West Net.

Prices have stayed about the same over the last two and a half years here, but the speeds offered have increased rapidly. When we first signed up with Matrix Home, the connection was rated at 5 mbps; now it's 30 for the same money...about $12 per month.

David

[acctBill]

Shostakovich depending on your salary in Ukraine it might be useful for you to look at the tax treaty between the US and Ukraine. 

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-trty/ukrain.pdf

[Shostakovich]

Well, I can tell you about Donetsk, but it's a city with the highest prices around the country (well, second after Kiev). Besides, it depends on the area of the city. And all the payments are going up and up since Yanukovich was elected. But speaking about current situation, it'll be something like that:

Internet?
Depends on the speed and availability, 10-12$ in average for 1 mbps.

Electricity?
It depends on how much you've consumed. Usually around 10-15$.

Gas?
Less than 10 bucks, depends on the amount of people living in the apartment. But, your list is missing on central heating payments - they are rather high - something around 35-40$, depending on the size of a flat.

Rent in an average 1 bed room Soviet era apartment?
Well, it doesn't matter if it's a soviet era one or a modern one - the difference in prices isn't that big. Usually people who rent their apartments out make them at least look modern, and you'll pay something like 250$ a month for a flat in the city center. If you're looking hard, you can possibly find something cheaper.

Do they pay separate bills for garbage, water?
Yes. But they are very low and depend on the amount of people living in the flat. Together they make about 10-15$.

Food?
It depends.

And what is the pump price for Gasoline these days in the FSU?
Now they're going up, the last time I checked it was more than 1,25$ per litre.

And how does it work with the taxes over there?
When you're paid your salary or other wages, the tax is automatically taken from it, so you don't have to pay anything extra. If you get money not from your employers, you should fill out a declaration at the end of the year.

Do they also have city and sales tax?  
Tax is taken automatically when you buy something and pay almost any bills - for your phone, mobile, etc. You also pay "kvartplata" - payment for the flat, and it doesn't matter if it's your own or rented - the payment depends on the size of a flat, but usually it's 10-15$.

Very good information! Thank you!

On the high side, therefore, you'd pay about $90 for all items.  I suppose also that you must pay for building maintainence, to keep hallways swept, elevators running and other items - I suppose that is kvartplata.  Brings the total to $105.  What else am I missing?

I suppose Food/clothing/vacations and are quite variable from person to person as they are always.  It seems these items are very much on par with what one pays in the west, i.e. for brand items and meals in good restaurants.  At least that was my finding from my recent trip to Kharkov.  For the average, without alcohol, what is a grocery bill/person-month?

To put your cost for gas in Western terms it is $5/gallon - we'll get there too.

School/dental/medical is all paid by the state, is that correct?

This does bring up the question of income, as already raised.  It's the area that holds some surprises for a Westerner.  I have the impression that $200/mo is average income around Ukraine.  Surprising too that a Dr. makes $400/mo - probably because they are paid out of the public coffer.  It is odd, I've been in contact with some ladies who cut hair or run shaping classes who claim as much, not to diminish those roles, however.

[Jumper]

David -
*sort of own* ..sorry, poor choice of words, not well thought out lol


My thoughts were of course that they either rent, or own.
 
Yet many people i know that own,  inherited them.
And often if from family , the family had them from soviet times ,
which can seem to be a little cloudy as to when they actually *bought* the place.
My ex owned a flat there , in Dneper,  inherited from her mother , whose grandmother had it after her husband died, when was it actually purchased? The grandfather bought it ..or it as assigned when he was given a relocation and job from russia?

Answering the OPs *average* question, i thought it relevent he understand that it is different
 than the west.. certainly in more provincial cities..?
and the soviet influence still exists in how the flats were often handed down.
While many do rent, and the rent is roughly $250 as Nat mentioned..
many own..and have no mortgage, from either buying outright or inheriting which seems far more common than the west.
For a large amount of people , they pay the monthly mainetence fees ,utilities etc as mentioned 
to the buildings owner or group..and that is their housing costs.

I was mostly pointing out a great many people in provincial cities, still, even with the changing economy, live monthly on  what a westerner would find hard to comprehend ,
and some of the reasons it's possible for them.Which isn't likely to be the same for anyone moving there from the west. I don't think i mislead him.
He seems to be contemplating helping a possible future  extended family , the variances are great.
  I know my ex's mother still manages on the budget i described , i mentioned it certainly wasn't easy life, but it is also likely common. She has a $20 or up to $50 overhead when it comes to  a roof over her head, from the flat being inherited by her daughter,ad being in the family.


I know you've lived there long term and hoped you and Nat , as well as others, would chime in.

[dbneeley]

School/dental/medical is all paid by the state, is that correct?

Not completely correct, no.

For university-level study, there is a limited "budget" (their term) for scholarships. When my stepson entered Donetsk National Technical University last year, all the scholarship places were taken by kids whose fathers had been killed in mine accidents here. Obviously, that is quite understandable. His tuition and fees for an engineering program were about a thousand dollars for the first year, and they increase each year of his 5-year program due to increasing numbers of labs and more expensive equipment and such needed along with the correspondingly smaller class sizes for the more advanced courses. At the present projection, his final year will run about $3,000 if memory serves.

Medical and dental services are another issue. The medical care for citizens is extremely basic and quite limited. For example, the hospitals and clinics have no money for medicines or for many supplies; thus, patients must buy them at need. The food in the hospitals is incredibly bad in both quality and quantity, so nearly everyone has family or friends bring food for them to eat. Also, people here understand that doctors, nurses, and other medical people are very poorly paid, so it is often customary to give some cash to those taking care of them. My wife, for example, *never* asks for such a payment but is obviously happy to accept one when offered. In her hospital, at least, that seems to be a common pattern.

When I was in a local hospital myself two years ago next month, we made sure that everyone involved in my care received something--from the surgeon and anesthesiologist to the various nurses and even the orderly who did basic cleaning and carrying bedpans. I chose to be in a ward instead of a private room, as I thought it would be more interesting than to be isolated for the week I was there (and it was, by the way). My wife gave me all my IVs, and most of those for the other men in the ward of six beds. Needless to say, she was quite popular with the other gentlemen there.

Dental care here is another matter. Because it obviously requires many kinds of materials, again this is something people pay for individually. I simply do not know if any of the dental clinics are government-owned, for I have only seen private ones personally. As with the hospitals, often you have a choice of items--ranging from locally made ones that may not be the best to those imported from Europe or the U.S. Needless to say, those that are brought in from the West are typically more expensive than the local ones. Dental care is often neglected simply because of the costs involved. This is why many men find out that the ladies they meet may need extensive treatment for dental problems once arriving in the West--although this seems to have diminished somewhat in recent years from what it was eight or ten years ago...at least, I don't hear of it nearly as much now as back then.

In addition to the government-owned clinics, there are some private ones here--especially in Kyiv. Some of these are quite expensive but they seem somewhat popular among the well heeled and the expatriates.

By Western standards, however, the costs involved with nearly all medical and dental care here are extremely low.

David

[chivo]

Maybe some of you would like a perspective from a major FSU city. I'm not sure if the OP is looking primarily in Ukraine, but it seems that way for some reason.

Anyone who is familiar with me through RWD knows I live in Moscow. While some will say Moscow is one of the most expensive cities in the world, I don't completely agree with this. As I'm from Los Angeles, I usually base my comparisons on this.

I moved here on my own and not by relocating with a western company who would have paid for most housing expenses, utilities, etc. Here is my breakdown:

Housing: 2-room European renovated flat less than a 10 minute drive from the Kremlin, $1100. Now, because of contacts I was able to get a deal on this flat as other similar flats in the area go for about $2-300 more. As most of you know the closer you live to the center of a city in the FSU the more prestigious it's considered. Also prices vary on the distance one's flat is to the metro, although not by much. I live less than a 5 minute walk to the metro for what it's worth.

I have mentioned elsewhere (another forum that I no longer frequent) to someone who was specifically thinking of moving here that a nice 1-room flat (studio) similar to mine could be had for around $8-900. Unfortunately that thread was derailed by a fungus called Andrewfi. But I digress...

Food: If I factor in restaurants, fast food and basic shopping, I usually come in under $500 per month. $300 is quite normal when I stick close to home and primarily eat there. I want for nothing and eat very well. This would include Ribeye and salmon steaks, all fruits and veggies, expensive juices as such. FYI, sorry not to be contrary but, 2 liter coke goes for about 40ru where I shop although I never buy it.

Transportation: Between the metro, gypsy cabs, regular taxi's and walking of course , I spend no more than $100, usually averaging about $50. A 3 month metro pass which I usually buy costs just under 3500 ru and pays for itself after 1 month. Normal fare is 22 ru for a single ticket or about $.70-75.

Utilities: I pay for electricity and a basic landline phone. Total cost on average 500 ru. In all the places I have stayed since I moved here this has been the case. The landlord will cover all other costs minus any out of area calls or calls to a mobile phone from the house.

Gasoline: Price for a litre of regular is about $.75, so you're looking at about $3 a gallon, hey it's Russia . I have no need for a car, and when I do I just ask a friend or hire a driver.

Medical: All I can say is stay healthy , but you can get insurance that will run you $80-90 a month last time I checked with a good western style hospital/clinic.

Dental: While cheaper than its western counterparts, finding a good dentist is not so easy.

Taxes on income: Unless you are relocated by a western company you shouldn't worry about taxes. You do still have to file, but income for a foreigner is exempt up to somewhere in the neighborhood of $92000.

Of course everything is relative when we talk about expenses. The average monthly salary in Moscow is around $1500. As I mentioned in another thread, one could work at McDonald's full time here and make about $700 a month. As for me in case you're interested in budgeting the variables, I have made well above the average consistently without going into details on a forum (for obvious reasons), even through the crisis since 2006. I live very well here.

Also, something I think most if not all people don't think about when moving here is the high probability of finding a woman who has her own flat, car, decent job, etc. I have met many such women here in Moscow, and that can surely affect your bottom line.

[chivo]

Forgot one thing, high speed internet with WiFi and cable TV for my flat with about 75 Russian and 25 English channels runs me about $40 a month. I could pirate the cable TV, but I choose not to.

[Nat]

As I think you know, I live in Donetsk also. We pay 99 griven per month for 30 mbps. We could upgrade that to double the speed for 129 griven, but haven't seen a need to do so as yet.

Yes, true, but it's because you live far away from the center - the matter is that in the center the situation with the ISPs is much worse than around the rest of the city. It's because of the density of population. Besides, our ISPs like claiming they will give you 30 mbps, but in fact you usually don't get such speed. Have you checked it - is it really 30 mbps when you download something?

On the high side, therefore, you'd pay about $90 for all items.  I suppose also that you must pay for building maintainence, to keep hallways swept, elevators running and other items - I suppose that is kvartplata.  Brings the total to $105.  What else am I missing?

Well, these are obligatory state payments. You're right - kvartplata is building maintenance. You pay it to the state, but you don't get anything in return. Nobody cleans hallways, takes care of light bulbs, hallway doors, etc. So people who live in the building usually  pay extra to cleaning ladies they find themselves, have hallways doors and door intercoms installed and pay monthly for the maintenance to private companies, etc. It's hard to say how much extra you will pay monthly. It depends on the neighbourhood. If it's decent and people who live in your hallways want to have a clean and nice surrounding, it can cost approximately 12$ a month plus unexpected payments like for a new hallways door lock.
What else... If you have a car, you'll have to pay various annual taxes and of course pay for the parking lot. The price is going up all the time, but now it's about 2$ a day.
 

I suppose Food/clothing/vacations and are quite variable from person to person as they are always.  It seems these items are very much on par with what one pays in the west, i.e. for brand items and meals in good restaurants.  At least that was my finding from my recent trip to Kharkov.  For the average, without alcohol, what is a grocery bill/person-month?

I can't answer this question, because it can be very different. You can economise or you can buy Italian olive oil to cook on. It's individual for everybody, but food is very expensive, more expensive than in Czech Republic, for example, and even than in Germany.

This does bring up the question of income, as already raised.  It's the area that holds some surprises for a Westerner.  I have the impression that $200/mo is average income around Ukraine.  Surprising too that a Dr. makes $400/mo - probably because they are paid out of the public coffer.

If by Dr. you mean MD, those who work in state hospitals get up to 200 bucks on average, usually 170$.

It is odd, I've been in contact with some ladies who cut hair or run shaping classes who claim as much, not to diminish those roles, however.

Monthly income depends on the occupation, if the employer is state or private, and how hard the person works. Men usually get more than women. 200$ is an average income - that's true, but most people have side jobs which allow them to work and earn extra. Accountants always have some private entrepreneurs as clients, some doctors sell medical supplements (but it's considered to be wrong so not everybody does that), hairdressers have their private clients when they're having their days off, teachers give private lessons. Besides, 200$ is an average income for women, men make around 400$, which makes total family budget 600$. Actually, for many girls that's a huge reason to get married.
Btw, all these 200 bucks, 400 bucks - these are average salaries, but a lot of people make much more. Good specialists in industrial fields in Donetsk make 1000$ easily. On the other hand, Donetsk is not like other cities in Ukraine, I doubt it's possible in Kharkov, for example.