The Moscow Lifestyle
Living in Moscow was a very interesting and different experience from the American lifestyle. While there are many commonalities between all major cities, Moscow had many unique qualities that my group and I noticed during our time there. For instance, 1.00 US Dollar currently equals 65.98 Russian Rubles, meaning everything has been more affordable for our group. The occasional Uber ride home on the weekends may cost up to $15.00 in the United States, but has ended up costing an average of $5.00 in Moscow. Dinners at nice restaurants have averaged at about $9.00, while quick lunches at fast food restaurants are around $5.00. During an excursion to Vernisazh, a local flea market, I purchased the majority of my souvenirs. While these souvenirs would have likely cost me up to $100 in cities like Boston or New York, I spent about $20!
Despite the low cost of living, it is imperative that I keep a budget and refrain from overspending while abroad. It is easy to spend money on lunches, coffee, taxis, and new clothes, but what happens when you return to the States? Will you have enough to sustain the expensive Boston lifestyle? Many students forget about the consequences of spending all of their money while on Dialogue, and return home with mere pocket change and overwhelming credit card debt.
Living like a local requires us to be frugal and remember that city living is not cheap, regardless of your currency. In addition to adjusting to the ruble, we have had to adjust to living the Russian city lifestyle. Meeting locals is easier in social settings like bars and clubs, however, Russians are not as social and open as Americans. While you may feel inclined to start a conversation with someone at a store in Boston, you will likely be ignored or judged by Russians (by this, I mean people who live in larger Russian cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg). Fortunately, I have my classmates to speak to, as well as the students at our host institute. I look forward to seeing if the people of St. Petersburg are more open or friendly than those in Moscow and Kazan!
