Western analysts assessed the standard of living of Muscovites: everything is not easy

According to their statistics, the minimum level of expenses in the city is 50 thousand rubles

At the end of 2023, specialists from the international website Numbeo, which analyzes the standard of living in different cities and countries, updated the data. The trick of the site is that it is filled with messages from real people – users simply share prices for various goods and services in their countries and cities, and based on this information, the administration compiles indices.

It is clarified that in 2023, information on prices in Moscow came from 10,328 applications from 877 different participants. Therefore, there is no reason not to believe them: if you look at the statistics for Moscow, everything looks plausible, but sad.

According to Numbeo statistics, the minimum level of expenses in Moscow is 50 thousand rubles: these are expenses for transport, food, clothing and some kind of entertainment. This is how much a person who lives alone but lives in their own apartment will spend (rent or mortgage costs are not included). The average cost of renting a one-room apartment outside the center of Moscow is estimated at 42 thousand rubles – also plausible. It turns out that a single person who does not have his own home must earn at least 90 thousand rubles in Moscow – otherwise his standard of living will be lower than even the minimum (according to Western experts).

True, some expenses can be considered excessive, due to the fact that foreign analysts are not very well versed in Moscow realities. So, for example, among the basic expenses the purchase of Levi’s jeans for 7,000 rubles is mentioned – not only did this brand leave Russia in 2022, but jeans for seven thousand hardly seem like a “basic” to the average Muscovite. It’s quite expensive for us. The same can be said about Nike sneakers for 10 thousand rubles – it is unlikely that a person with an income of 50 thousand rubles will throw away a fifth of his salary on sneakers (these are not even winter boots!), rather he will find a simpler option. However, these are all minor things.

Couples find themselves in an advantageous position: they have two salaries, two eaters, but housing costs can be divided. An enviable situation! When children come along, things get more interesting. The monthly expenses of a family of four are estimated at 175 thousand rubles – this assumes that such a family has children (most likely two). Then there is simple arithmetic: if the children are already grown up and both parents work in the family, then each of them should earn at least 90 thousand. If the mother remains on maternity leave, then all 175 thousand should be the father’s income. How realistic is this?

Again, excluding housing costs. If such a family pays a mortgage or rents an apartment (a rarer option if there are two children, but still), this amount automatically increases. Experts estimate the rent of a three-room apartment in Moscow at 80 thousand rubles – and the mortgage payment will be approximately the same. This means that we need at least 250 thousand.

Is it realistic to expect an income of 175–250 thousand from a man who is a father? Theoretically, yes: if you look at a popular job search site, you will see that even drivers in Moscow are promised salaries of “up to 300 thousand,” and programmers are invited to vacancies with a salary cap of up to 500 thousand. There are many tempting offers, but there is a nuance: if the offer states “income up to 300,000 rubles,” no one promises that you will be able to reach this height. It is likely that none of the employees have ever achieved it – simply because they sometimes want to eat and sleep (and spend time with the children for whom all this is being started).

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 29177 dated December 13, 2023

Newspaper headline:
From 50 thousand life just begins