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freemyslobs1337 t1_j20d00y wrote

Good answer, though some may disagree.

I never found life in Russia seeming all that bad compared to the extreme American poverty I have experienced. Nobody here has a summer home, and very few under 30 own a home period, there are/were some benefits to the Russian economy, like fairly low cost of living (total cost of living crisis in the us since the great recession)

At least until this war. So many controls were placed on Russians, the sanctions likely stole the supply of meds I would absolutely need to reside there (doubt I could get permanent residency because of the reason I take them, unfortunately (mental illness) )

I really do love Russians, despite some being quite hateful, I do keep in mind hate is caused by numerous things. And I love the perspective you give and like to hear it, gives me hope that Russia is not totally fucked and I might be able to live there sometime for a while...

Stay strong, keep hope, and fight where you can. Neither good nor bad times last forever. And they form great souls, the Russian soul has formed from struggle and I appreciate it greatly.

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Ph0enixRuss3ll t1_j20xd8s wrote

America: a country without aristocracy has made successful businessmen their aristocracy; no matter how they made their money because the toxic positivity likes to insist the system is perfect and only rewards good works. Enter Donald Trump who never did anything other than inherit, lie, cheat, and steal; enter neofeudalism.

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Jack04trades t1_j22i245 wrote

Fairly low cost of living indeed. Paired with very low salaries xD Right now im paying bills for my flat that i own, it cost me 20 percent of my salary. Our real taxes are 45-54 percents not 13 as many of us believe. Which is twice higher than USA. For the end i wanted to say, that im one those people that nobody can "buy". I dont care about money as long as its enough for me to just live. I could become politic here and make Russia a better place, but if i will, i will be surrounded by lots of rats and snakes, risking to find my family eventually fall of the windows. Thank you for warm words, it helps!

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freemyslobs1337 t1_j22j50y wrote

20% of your salary.?!?!

LMAO LMAO LMAO. I FUCKING WISH. CAN I GET SOME OF THAT?

I worked about a month of full time at a decent wage, and only made enough for a single months RENT, disregarding other bills. People my age spend upwards of 50% of their income on housing.

A great chunk of Americans spend their entire paycheck on bills.

There is a cost of living crisis in America and has been for a decade.

Also, you ignore all the other taxes in America Everything is fucking taxes and employers have a tax on them too.

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Jack04trades t1_j22k4x6 wrote

We have those taxes as well, taxes: for buying anything store are 20 percent, for alcohol additional 15 percent, for your own flat or house, car, etc. If you wish we can actually compare our salaries. Lets start from something. For example i waste like 20 percent of my salary for food per one person. And its that if i buy food using discounts. Many of them. Also when i was speaking about up to 54 percents of taxes it was that what i mean about employee. You get your salary minus at least 44 percent.

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freemyslobs1337 t1_j22m7lm wrote

Read my other comment here.

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Jack04trades t1_j22p5rh wrote

Im sorry. But i don't know how to see entire thread :( reddit seems unconviniet to me. Could you, please, tell?

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freemyslobs1337 t1_j22m5au wrote

Median US income for 16-25 year olds is 31-36 thousand dollars.

Average rent CURRENTLY paid is 16 thousand a year. Current asking average price for an apartment is about 20k per year. The average American spends another 2k per year on utilities, which does not include internet or phone bill (two required things in America), thats another grand for internet. Toss another grand for your phone bill, you have $24k in bills. You are gonna need a car, public transit is minimal and cities are not walkable Another $1500 for gasoline. Well, you are gonna need to pay for your car so thats another 6k per year. Another 1.5k in insurance costs for said vehicle. This is America, though, so it doesnt stop there. At this point if you are poor enough, you get assistance, but the average 16-25yo makes too much, there is a low income threshold for that. For health insurance, you are gonna need another 6k per year. Another 4k for food.

That adds up to 43 thousand dollars. The average 16-25yo does not make enough to survive, but makes too much for assistance. This age group also often has student loans that are another few thousand per year. 50% of 18-29yo's live with their parents.

Tell me about summer homes? Nobody has those here.

You said OWN, or do you rent said flat? Because a mortgage for a condo here is going to set you back 17k per year. I certainly dont own any flat or apartment or home, neither do most people under 30.

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Jack04trades t1_j25dirt wrote

>Median US income for 16-25 year olds is 31-36 thousand dollars.

Median Russia is 8100 USD.

>Average rent CURRENTLY paid is 16 thousand a year.

Average rent currently paid is 4860 USD.

>The average American spends another 2k per year on utilities, which does not include internet or phone bill (two required things in America), thats another grand for internet.

Average russian pays 1296 USD (in my case its 1500). For internet its additional 144 USD and around 30 USD for phone bill + around 77 USD per mobile phone.

>You are gonna need a car, public transit is minimal and cities are not walkable Another $1500 for gasoline.

We don't have to have a car to move around country or in cities, we have public transport everywhere, but only in 3-4 cities its somewhat okay, also we have good subway in Moscow and SPB. Overall for public transit we pay around 480 USD per year, as for gasoline we pay average 1300$ (mostly more).

>Well, you are gonna need to pay for your car so thats another 6k per year. Another 1.5k in insurance costs for said vehicle.

Can't tell how much is for car (taxes), but for insurance average is 1000 USD.

>For health insurance, you are gonna need another 6k per year. Another 4k for food.

As for medicine, its taken from our social insurance, which you MUST HAVE ANYWAYS (nobody asking, its automatically given and takes 5% of your taxes paid or more).

As for food it takes 1621 USD per year because from this point you have to use discounts, or you have no money left. Otherwise it would be around 3000 USD.

>Tell me about summer homes? Nobody has those here.

If you mean those little homes in village, its not just summer homes, people selling flats to go live outside city, when they are tired of it. Most of them are elders.

What exactly do you wish to know?

>You said OWN, or do you rent said flat? Because a mortgage for a condo here is going to set you back 17k per year. I certainly dont own any flat or apartment or home, neither do most people under 30.

Yes, i own a 70 meters flat with 3 bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom.

Its not mine completaly, i've got it in inheritance, after my grand-grandma died and i earned it when i wasn't even in first class at school.

As for mortgage - ours flats currently worth of 5 millions rubles for 25 meter flat (studio), which is 67567 USD. You will pay around 4054 USD per year for that for 25+ years (which is actually untrue, since those numers doesn't include % for mortgage which is AT LEAST 10%).

​

As you can see, almost all prices are the same as yours, but your salaries are higher. The only main exception is medicine, which is well known in world.

But the problem is that if u go for rent, even with median salary, you will give 60-70% of your salary just for rent, others 30-40% will go for food, public transit, and to pay your bills. In the end you have nothing at all.

And the fun thing, is that i told its median salary, but most of people who get this salary are living in 3-4 cities. Two of them is Moscow and SPB. So its almost like half Russia are living with lesser salary, like 20-40% less.

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freemyslobs1337 t1_j26s10v wrote

About 32% of Americans make less than 30k USD. This range, in America, is EXTREMELY poor. Like, 30k means you are in need of immediate financial assistance or you will die.

A 3 bedroom house in the US is worth anywhere from $300-900k dollars. I will NEVER own a home, period, full stop, nor will most of my generation.

Summer homes, as in second homes, which is something pretty unique to Russia, even if its mostly elders that own them.

Honestly, it actually seems for young people in the US (I exclude the older folks as they own literally everything and young people will NOT inherent most of it, only the ultra wealthy will own it, indeed a common way to retire here is to reverse mortgage your house (they pay until you die, then take the house), as well as the extreme costs associated with someone dying, most people will not inherent much ), the situation is damn near the same. Average income is lower than the cost of living by a good margin.

The numbers will speak for themselves - 8.2% of people in the US are food insecure, compared to 5.5 in Russia

It also appears, though data is limited, about the same rate of young Russians and Americans live at home with their parents.

Seems we are both in a pretty shit economic position.

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Jack04trades t1_j27goxo wrote

Yes, i do agree. Imo its all because of the incompetent governments who instead of investing into yours and ours nation future, instead of making allies and unite, fight each other for decades, wasting our money for weapons and all other things we dont actually need. For example our army really have some problems with equipment, but thats not because its shit or something. Its because most of it being stollen by corrupted people and sold from our analogue of your ebay. They simply want to be hell wealthy and rich for exchange of someone lifecost.

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