[tattiemasher]

I have some sympathies for my Russian friends here, but when I talk to a foreign exchange student who thinks they are doing alright because they get the equivalent of $900 a month from their home university, you know that everyday people must feel any sort of price rise pretty hard in the pocket. I know a married couple here who now don't earn as much as I do even when you combine their full-time wages. Not enough for societal strain, but enough to keep their spending very tight. On the flip-side, I'm about 40% richer here than I was six months ago. I've indulged most days at the supermarket since I arrived on some overpriced and/or unnecessary stuff, and have probably spent an average of about $15 daily. If I was being frugal, I reckon I could get by on $5 a day very comfortably and still be eating healthier than most here. Off the top of my head, 1kg of chicken crown, 1kg bag of frozen veg (carrots, brocolli and cauliflower), 5l jug of water, a few apples and a few basics like milk, butter and a small block of cheese the other day cost me about 650 rubles. Even a 1.5l pitcher of beer in a local chain pub cost me around 230 rubles, and a 50ml serving of a reasonable single malt was 250 rubles. It's almost nothing compared to back home. And given that shopping list could last you more than a day, it's a good time to be living in Russia on even a modest western wage.