Job Discussion Forums

[bennybunny]

Thinking about teaching in Russia and trying to work out the money situation. Looking at a job for $800/month in Siberia. Could anyone tell me how much I'd be looking to pay for these items just to give me some idea of the cost of living:
a beer
20 cigarettes
a sandwich (quite a big one)
a decent meal in a restaurant (nothing over the top)
taxi fares
etc

[waxwing]

All IMHO -->

Well, firstly, I have found that a lot of schools considerately give you some kind of price list. They know that you want to know this kind of stuff. But it's not terrible if they haven't.

Secondly, price varies with location. You're not in Moscow or St Pete's, so that's one point. I was in European Russia in a small town (left 2 or 3 months ago), and I don't know if the prices in Siberia are drastically different. I suspect not drastically, except maybe for specific items. My figures come from that position, those of you in Moscow please remember this!

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1USD approx. 29RR,
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Beer: at a kiosk, can go as low as 10R or less. Generally a good bottle of Russian beer might cost you 20R in a supermarket, foreign beer will cost you about 30R. Prices can go very high in nightclubs and cafe-bars.

Cigarettes: 20 cigarettes, similar to the above I think (I'm already forgetting..)

Sandwich: you won't find sandwiches generally. Certainly nothing like in London. 'Buterbrod' (from the German) will often be served at parties and in cafes, restaurants. Like an open sandwich, i.e. one slice of bread missing. You will have to find other kinds of convenience foods for a quick lunch. e.g. pirozhki etc.

Restaurant meals: decent would go from 50-400R according to me. 400 would be a fancy restaurant, 50R would be a basic canteen which you might not count as 'decent'. In provincial towns (at least the three I spent time in) you won't find fast food as we know it, at least not often. 80R will usually get you a good solid meal somewhere, including a drink and maybe two dishes/courses or something like that. If you have friends that can show you the right place, you can find a good meal for 30R. But that won't be an ordinary restaurant, and don't count on it.

Taxi fares: sorry that's too difficult. I have no idea of the per-km rate. Getting across Stavropol used to cost me 100R but that was a small town, like 500K people.

Last point: $800. Even if they don't give you accommodation, I think you won't have any trouble living on that, but that just comes down to lifestyle and expectations. If they do, I'd say that's a pretty good deal by Russian standards, but then again what level of experience do you have, how many hours do you have to work, what are the visa arrangements, what is your accommodation like, what is the town (and weather) like... etc. The bare salary figure is only a piece of the puzzle.