Cost of living in Minsk

[Larry]

I was reading some posts by a Russian blogger talking about Russians exploring the option of moving to Ukraine or Belarus.  I really have no idea of the accuracy of his claims, so take it for what it's worth.  The prices he quotes for an evening out are somewhat less than I encountered in Minsk, but that was before the currency crisis.  Also, the apartment rents he quotes are less than my former girlfriend described in Minsk, but again, she left Minsk in January, before the currency crisis. 

Belarus is an ideal country if you want to move out of Russia and live more quietly. The only thing is that, especially now, after the crisis, it is incredibly hard to get yourself a decent living. Even the 200 Dollars needed to pay for a one-or two-room apartment in Minsk are hard to come by. But, as far as other factors are concerned, Belarus can indeed be described as the East-European Switzerland.

Living costs in Belarus are very low. You can buy a bottle of yogurt for 15 Russian rubles, Kefir costs 10 rubles per bottle, a kilo of cooked sausage 10 rubles per kilo and for bread you only pay 12 rubles. An evening in a café or bar in the centre of Minsk costs you about 300-600 Russian rubles (my note: last I checked 1 USD was worth 32 Russian rubles, so this is $10-20 USD).

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Real estate is very cheap in Belarus. You can get a studio apartment in Minsk for $150 per month, or $200 for a renovated one. Buying a standard one-bedroom apartment will cost you $50,000-$60,000. This is expensive for the locals but not for you Russians, accustomed as you are to “Moscow prices”. Minsk itself is a nice place to live in: it’s full of trees and relatively clean air. Also, Minsk is ideal for couples with children: if you want to send your children to kindergarten it will only cost you 2000 rubles per month.

He also writes more about Belarus (especially what he considers a horrendous business climate where the government can confiscate your property for minor errors) and also a bit about Ukraine.

http://www.sublimeoblivion.com/2011/10/02/translation-shove-off-to-belarus/

[mendeleyev]

Moscow Times today says that Belarus devalued its ruble by 36 percent in May, pushing consumer prices up and prompting thousands of Belarussians to protest.

Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/belarus-outlaws-silent-rallies/444898.html#ixzz1ZxD1bFDd
The Moscow Times