Teach English in Russia (Cost of Living)

The Russian capital, Moscow, is the world’s most expensive city. Expect the cost of living in Russia to be very expensive. In recent years, prices have increased for everything from commodities to groceries. Public transportation however, has remained relatively cheap.
The average monthly salary of a teacher in Russia mostly depends on experience and qualifications. For a teacher with a CELTA or TESOL certification and no experience, salary would be around RUB 23,000-29,000 (US$900-1100). For those with both certifications and teaching experience, expect to earn about RUB 35,000 (US$1300) or more.
The rates for private lessons are RUB 700-800 (US$27-31) per hour. Companies pay even a higher rate of RUB 1000-1,600 (US$40-60) per hour to teach groups of employees.
Accommodations within the city limits are quite expensive. Most apartments cost around RUB 16,000 (US$615) per month plus utilities. Rooms in central Moscow cost RUB 18,000-28,500 (US$690-1000). It is advisable to share a room or rent a room in smaller, less expensive towns. The fee for getting a room through an agency is equal to a months rent.
Public transportation in the country is efficient and reasonably priced. Buses, trams and trolley rides cost an average of RUB 8-20 (US$0.30-0.80) on journeys within the city. You can also get monthly passes for all kinds of transportations to save money, especially if you have to take a number of rides to and from your workplace.
Food is quite pricey. A quality two or three course meal in a nice restaurant costs around US$57-115 per person. Meals in schools where you will be assigned to teach are quite cheap and are priced at RUB 30-100 (US$1-4) for a salad, drinks, soup, noodles and bread.
A 2 litre Coca-Cola bottle is RUB 35 (US$1.30), a half-liter of beer is RUB 25-70 (US$1-3.00), a half liter of milk costs RUB 23 (US$.90), a loaf of bread costs RUB 15-20 (US$.60), a pack of cigarettes is RUB 20-100 (US$.60-4.00) Leisure activities in Russia are also reasonably priced. If you want to visit pubs, local vodkas cost RUB 74 (US$2.80) per bottle. Movie tickets cost RUB 264 (US$10).
More Links

Information on visa requirements to teach English in Russia
More Information
Russia Official Website
Russia (Tourism Page)
Russia (Tourism Information Page)
Russia (More Tourism Information)
Russia News (Pravda)
Russia News (Rian)
Russia News (Moscow Times)
Russia News (Itar-Tass)
Russia News (Russian News Room)
Russia News (St. Petersburg Times with small classifieds section)
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Teach English in Russia ( General Information )

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