does anyone know how life in Moscow, RU is?

Question

What is minimum wage rate in Moscow?? How much to rent an apt/flat? How hard would is be to make a living in Moscow, if i speak english only.. I may move there with my boyfriend who is Russian and i want to know how difficult it would be for me to survive there, since i only know basic russian words and can understand little.. Is it possible for me to find any work there?? any advise would help.. Any Russian poeple who read this, i would definatly like to hear how life in Moscow is for a foreigner? Do you see many Americans in Moscow who live?? Thanks

Answer 1

There many Americans that live in Moscow and they love it. They love it because they earn very good money there working for the American based companies. I think it will be not easy for you to find a decent job there. Most local companies hire only those with a Russian Citizenship; in any case, you have to have at least a Moscow registration to work there. It is hard to get registered in Moscow. Even if your boyfriend does have a registration, it doesn't mean that you are going to get one because he is still your boyfriend, not a husband. My bet would be for you to look for a job within the American companies based there. Most those companies require advanced degrees though.
Moscow is a very expensive place to live. The cheapest rent is over $1000/month. Most people that I know there earn over $5,000/month on average, and it is still not really enough to live on.
The best thing for you to do is to first go and stay there for about a month and see if you can get employed. I hope your boyfriend already has a decent job there.

Answer 2

There is no minimum wage rate system. Everything depends on what you do but if you mean working as a labour then you will live in pain, also foreigners are generally banned from working legally unless you obtain the proper paperwork.
You cannot rely on a job and the best way of survival is to be self employed or open a business there perhaps with your friend. It does require you though a pretty capital for the start and there is always a risk of losing everything.
You cannot do a lot with English and you will find yourself reliant on your local friend for a while until you learn the language and adapt to the environment.

Life for a foreigner can be extremely hard especially if you have a dark skin, some people may be unfriendly or even agressive but most are lovely.

Your best chance for a job is if you get one in an American or foreign based company, they will still pay you much less than in you would earn in the states and they may prefer the cheaper local labour. You cannot work in local companies without a citizenship and a residence in Moscow.
Finding a flat can be a pain in the back side. Prices can be anything from a 400$ for a single bedroom to 1500$+ (for a month). People are reluctant in renting the flat for foreigners Beware estate agents many may either rob your money or in the best case offer you very expensive flat and charge a high commssion in hundreds. Although local currency is Rouble you may find people prefer dollars and rates for rent are in dollars. probably the best way to find accommodation is through your bf.
If you live outside Moscow you may find it much cheaper.

You may find life in Moscow much harder than if you were to be in other european city but if you have to go for it.

Good luck in your adventure

Answer 3

Moscow is different. Apartments and flats in prestigious areas of the center cost a lot. Outskirts cost less but all the same more than they should. I think that the minimum wage rate is around 5000 rubles, This is very little.
About working in Moscow. Why not? Depends on your profession.
Moscow as any large city is a hard place to live. Too chaotic, too egoistical, too heartless. At the same time common people are very friendly to their guests. The only wish is that visitors should at least try to understand and respect our customs and traditions. Your boyfriend will agree with me. Anyway if you manage to understand Russia, you’ll love her.

Answer 4

Well, there is a large number of rich people in Moscow and a lot of poor ones.
Pros: interesting experience, easy money, dynamic environment, cultural life.
Cons: Terrible traffic jams, poor ecology, expensive city, the climate leaves much to be desired, some people are pretty rude, not many people speak English, not very good attitude towards Americans
Renting decent apartment (1 bedroom) would cost you about $1000 /month
There is a lot of expats from USA who are happy about living in Russia but they receive huge compensation from their employees.
So, it is up to you to decide, but before moving there I would recommend one-week trip...

Answer 5

It's pretty shweet to live there, but only if you like big cities like NYC...otherwise don't live there.