Personal experience: how much New York is more expensive than Moscow

Фото: Depositphotos

Moskvich, a student of RUDN Nikita Yakimov won Green Card in the lottery and in April moved to New York. In my blog for sravni.ru He compared how much money you have to spend in Moscow and the largest city in the USA.

Accomodation

I live in one of the boroughs of New York - Brooklyn, in the Midwood area. It is relatively English-speaking, although in some places one can hear Russian speech. Times Square can be reached by public transport in 45 minutes, and five subway stations to the ocean. I rent a room in an apartment for $ 400 (22 800 rubles), including the cost of utility bills and the Internet. This is quite cheap - due to the fact that the building in which our apartment is located, was built in 1920's, even before the Great Depression, and they didn’t repair the apartment for a long time. On average, a room in Brooklyn costs about $ 600 (34 200 rubles). Two more Russian-speaking neighbors, from Ukraine and Kazakhstan, live with me in the apartment. We became friends and communicate well, but we have a completely different schedule, so we rarely see each other at home.

In Moscow, I lived with my parents, and my girl rented an apartment together with her friend. Their odnushka in the area of ​​Konkovo ​​cost 28 500, so for the half of the room the girl gave 14 250 rubles. On property search sites you can find rooms from 15 000 to 25 000 rubles.

Directions

Public Transport

Traveling in New York by bus or subway costs $ 2,75 (157 rubles) per trip. It is more profitable to take an unlimited monthly pass for $ 121 (6 897 rubles). The New York subway is quite expensive because its employees are paid high salaries. But at the same time it is not too advanced, even in some places neglected. My station in Brooklyn, for example, was opened in 1908 year.

For one trip on the Moscow metro or bus you have to pay 55 rubles. It is cheaper to buy a monthly travel card with a 60 travel limit for 1 700 rubles or an unlimited fare for 2 000 rubles.

Personal car

In New York, it is not profitable to drive your own car. First, it is not easy to find a free parking space, and you have to pay for it from $ 1 to $ 3,5 (57 – 200 rubles) per hour. Secondly, expensive insurance. Depending on the class and year of production in New York, insurance costs about $ 150 (8 550 rubles) per month and higher, and it is more expensive than in other states - there you have to pay about $ 100 (5 700 rubles). On average, gasoline costs $ 2,5 (143 rubles) per gallon. One gallon is equal to 3,7 liters, that is, a liter of gas costs $ 0,7 (41 ruble).

I travel only by public transport, although I received an American driver's license, it cost me $ 494 (28 158 rubles). I use my driving license in the United States instead of a passport: it’s unsafe and stupid to carry a Green Card with you in your wallet to pick up a package in the mail or show it when you enter a bar.

Driving a car in Moscow is a bit cheaper because of insurance. For the CTP policy, you will have to pay an average of 7 000 rubles per year (583 rubles per month) and higher - depending on the condition of the car and driving experience. Parking in the center of the capital costs from 40 to 200 rubles per hour. The cost of gasoline - about 40 rubles per liter, almost like in New York.

Taxi

On the Uber from my home in Brooklyn to Times Square can be reached for $ 35 – 40 (1 995 – 2 280 rubles). But in general, taking a taxi to the center is pretty wild, because there may be traffic jams and public transport operates around the clock.

In addition to services Uber, Lyft, Via, there is a "car services" - a cheaper kind of taxi. When I flew to New York, my friends took me from the airport just by car from such a service. We arrived at Shipsheadbey, this is a Russian-speaking district near Brighton Beach, for $ 35 (1 995 rubles), and Uber it would cost us $ 60 – 70 (3 420 – 3 990 rubles).

In Moscow Uber about the same distance from the outskirts to the center will take for 500 – 600 rubles. Getting to the airport by taxi from any corner of the capital costs from 700 to 1 500 rubles.

Food

Products

I usually buy food in supermarkets Target and Netcost, according to the price category, they can be compared with the Moscow "Crossroads". However, the quality of dairy and meat products is higher here than in Moscow. By the way, the cost of products on the price lists in the hall is indicated without VAT, and the final amount of the purchase can sometimes be found only at the box office.

Some examples of the cost of the product: beef steak (top sirloin), 2 pcs., 500 g in Brooklyn costs $9,99 (569 rubles) in Moscow - 699 rubles, natural yogurt 907 g in Brooklyn - $2,99 ​​(170 rubles), in Moscow - 212 rubles. (4,5 packs of 200 g), butter 250 g in Brooklyn - $3,88 (221 rubles), in Moscow - 193 rubles, milk in Brooklyn - $1,29 (74 rubles), in Moscow - 71 rub., black tea "Lipton" 100 bags in Brooklyn - $2,39 (136 rub.) in Moscow - 269 rub., chicken eggs 12 pcs. in Brooklyn - $1,69 (96 rubles), in Moscow - 66 rubles.

Cafes and restaurants

There are business lunches in a few chain cafes and restaurants in New York. Dine there costs $ 12 – 15 (684 – 855 rubles). But it’s not at all necessary to search for lunches. At an average institution in Midtown, Manhattan, you can eat a cup of soup for $ 4,5 (257 rubles) and a burger for $ 8 (456 rubles), add tax - and get the same $ 14 (798 rubles). It is possible and cheaper: order in the Mexican grill cafe Chipotle a large bowl with grilled chicken, fajitos (grilled vegetables) and beans for $ 8 – 9 (456 – 513 rubles).

In New York, I became a gastronomic tourist. There are a lot of dissimilar coffee shops and unusual restaurants. For example, in the neighboring Bensonhurst district there are many Sicilians, and I love Italian food. I was recently at the legendary Brooklyn pizzeria L&B Spumoni Gardenswhich has existed since 1937, and ate a square slice of pizza there for only $ 2,5 (143 rubles). And I discovered the Sicilian bakery Villabate alba - there you can buy a cup of real Italian espresso for $ 2 (114 rubles), canolli are Sicilian wafer rolls with a sweet filling - for $ 2,5 (143 rubles) and a thoroughly soaked woman for $ 3,5 (200 rubles). For New York it's very cheap.

In Moscow cafes you can have dinner for about 270 rubles. Good burgers, for example in "Stuffing", are from 300 rubles. I also liked to go to the bakery "Francois" on Trubnaya, there is very tasty French pastries and fresh bread from 80 rubles.

Internet and mobile communications

I do not pay for home Internet separately, it is included in my rent. And so it costs $ 25 (1 425 rubles) per month for 20 Mbps. In New York, the Internet is much slower, and the price is higher than in Moscow. I had an 50 Mbps Internet connection in my apartment for 650 rubles per month, and it can be found cheaper.

For mobile communication T-Mobile I give $ 55 (3 135 rubles) per month, the package includes 10 GB LTE Internet, unlimited calls and SMS across the country. This is considered a good rate for the United States. By the way, unlimited internet can be bought for $ 70 (3 990 rubles). In Moscow, I had the Very Black Tele-2 tariff for 399 rubles, the package included the same 10 GB, 500 minutes and the same SMS all over Russia.

Sport

While I do not have enough time for the gyms. But in general, the sport in the United States is pretty cheap. A subscription to the middle class gym costs about $ 30 (1 710 rubles) per month. There are more expensive, with a spa and other lotions, for $ 50 – 60 (2 850 – 3 420 rubles) per month. In Moscow, I worked at a fitness center near the house and gave 2 500 rubles a month.

Entertainment

I love museums - both in New York and in Moscow. Here I really liked the Metropolitan Museum, there are sculptures of Rodin, the originals of Monet and Van Gogh, archaeological finds. Entry is conditionally free, the recommended ticket price is written in front of the cashier - $ 25 (1 425 rubles), but everyone has the right to pay what he wants and can. I, for example, logged in for $ 3 (171 ruble). The Metropolitan Museum can be compared to our museum named after A.S. Pushkin, where the entrance costs 300 rubles.

A movie ticket costs an average of $ 20 (1 140 rubles). You can find it cheaper, in some old movie theaters without IMAX, they charge about $ 9 (513 rubles) for viewing. In Moscow, a movie ticket must be paid on average 300 – 400 rubles. But I prefer to watch movies and TV shows from Netflix - the content is better there and access to it is cheaper. Subscribe to Netflix costs $ 10 (570 rubles) per month.

In my free time I prefer to walk around Brooklyn, take pictures of the streets, get together with friends and grill meat, read a magazine The New Yorker and just discovering something new - inexpensive, and sometimes completely free.

Conclusion:

Compare the cost of living in New York and Moscow. For example, take a stay in a cheap room in Brooklyn, unlimited travel on the subway, two trips a month by taxi to the city center, buying a grocery basket twice a week, lunch at a cafe three times a week and buying baking twice a week, monthly subscription to the average gym, one trip to the cheapest cinema and museum.

Get:

New York: $ 1 181,48 (Ruble 67 344)

Moscow: 48 341 ruble

average salary:

New York: $ 3 000 (171 000 rubles)

Moscow: 70 000 rubles

Prices in rubles are calculated at the rate of 1 dollar = 57 rubles.

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New York vs Moscow: in which of these cities is it better to live?

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