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Moscow is a great place to live/base, but $800/month for a comfortable middle-class life here is definitely an underestimate. I'm from the US - lived in NYC, Boston, and LA - and have been based in Moscow for the past year; it's hard to overstate what an amazing city this is, though it's important to note that there is a massive difference between Moscow (or St Petersburg) and the rest of Russia. I've traveled to many places within Russia and they might as well be different countries when compared to this mega-city. Speaking of Moscow specifically: it's incredibly beautiful, it has the best metro system I've seen in the world (to the point that some metro stations are actually tourist spots), world-class international food, plenty of museums, shows, theaters, active nightlife, plus all the conveniences you'd find in the West. And of course there's the comfort of a European feel to the city, with the excitement that comes with learning about the Russian/Soviet culture and mindset of some people (esp. the older crowd, whereas the younger educated muscovites are basically European). Flights to the main European, US, and Asian cities are cheap and frequent: a roundtrip nonstop flight Moscow-NY is usually ~$300, London can be as cheap as $15 (yes, that's fifteen dollars), and I've even booked a flight to Hong Kong the day before flying for like $200 direct. The people are super friendly, and although the majority do not speak English, it's fairly easy to find English-speaking Russians or expats if you hang out in the center or know the spots (I have many expats friends who've been here for 2-3 years and don't speak a word of Russian beyond saying "thank you", yet manage to live very active social lives). Having said all of this, however, I am also very aware that my experience here is very different from the average Russian. Being an expat, from the US, speaking English, and being able to afford a comfortable lifestyle in the center give me a much rosier perspective than if I were a low-income worker having to commute 1+ hours to get to work. I'm ethnically Latino and look obviously not-Russian, so people here are curious about me and act extra nice - especially when they find out I'm American. It's not uncommon for someone to approach me on the street, a park, or a bar just because they heard me speaking in English. On the other hand, however, immigrants from ex-Soviet countries (particularly Central Asia) face discrimination and racism, as do non-European Russians (eg: Russians from the Caucasus region, or the east of Russia), and it's not uncommon when looking to rent an apartment to see the words "FOR SLAVS [white Russians] OR FOREIGNERS ONLY", something that would be completely illegal in the US. Don't get me wrong, as an expat from the West I find Moscow to be just about the perfect place to live, but I totally understand the perspective of many Russians or some immigrants that criticize it harshly. I love this city, and I think loving it means also being aware of its shortcomings. |
Also interestingly she is half-Mexican and I speak Spanish fluently so we have some things in common with you.