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Posted (edited)
12 minutes ago, sunday said:

He spent $100 in articles that would have needed $400 back at home.

In terms of purchasing power parity, seems 73,383RUB equals 2,547.66USD (link), or an annual salary of 30,571.92USD.

According to this, annual average salary in USA is 59,428USD

So it looks that in terms of PPP, grocery is half as expensive in Russia than in USA, if I am not wrong.

It should be observed that salaries in Moscow region would be substantially higher than in the rest of Russia. But it is likely that Carlson lives also in a more rich area than the average American, however.

 

And yet it was literally TASS reporting that 2/3 of Russians spend half their salary on food - and that was in a year before the war.

Btw. averages are not very representative in a country with the highest wealth inequality in Europe.

https://landgeist.com/2024/02/10/wealth-of-the-1-of-europe/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1413112/wealth-inequality-europe-one-percent-share/

Edited by urbanoid
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Posted
3 hours ago, sunday said:

So, who won the Cold War, again?

 

US won.  Therefore the need for supporting the decent standard of life for the majority of plebs/middle class became absent ;)

Two thirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.

Posted
3 hours ago, Strannik said:

US won.  Therefore the need for supporting the decent standard of life for the majority of plebs/middle class became absent ;)

Two thirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.

The thing is that reportedly 1/3 of the Americans making 250k a year live paycheck to paycheck too. 

Posted

$250k/year and paycheck to paycheck? That's poor choices on their part and over spending.

 

However, the fact remains that the inflation that we have in the US and the moderate scarcity in good is self inflicted. Russia's under sanctions and while they lack some goods their prices are lower, even in Moscow. I think that paints a different sort of picture. 

 

Posted (edited)
9 minutes ago, rmgill said:

$250k/year and paycheck to paycheck? That's poor choices on their part and over spending.

 

However, the fact remains that the inflation that we have in the US and the moderate scarcity in good is self inflicted. Russia's under sanctions and while they lack some goods their prices are lower, even in Moscow. I think that paints a different sort of picture. 

 

It also raises a question about how many Americans earning 'less than 250k but still more than enough' (obviously 'enough' depends on the area) also live paycheck to paycheck. 

Russians spend a larger share of their paycheck on basics like food than the Americans do, here and there they write it's around 3x that. And yes, they also have inflation. American farmer has his costs and every single 'middleman' between him and your table costs his employer more money than it would take to pay the Russian, so there's also that.

Edited by urbanoid
Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, urbanoid said:

The thing is that reportedly 1/3 of the Americans making 250k a year live paycheck to paycheck too. 

The fresh plain bread in NYC is $5-8 (that's 1.5lb = 650-700g loaf) and minimal wage is $15 before taxes.

Of course they can eat Wonderbread :)

Edited by Strannik
Posted
5 minutes ago, Strannik said:

The fresh plain bread in NYC is $5-8 (that's 1.5lb = 650-700g loaf) and minimal wage is $15 before taxes.

Of course they can eat Wonderbread :)

Yeah, as I said it depends on the area, among other things. 

I don't deny the fact that a lot of Americans are struggling, I just wonder how many struggle due to their own choices, like spending money on shit they don't need to impress the people they probably don't even like. I'm not implying that it's a norm or anything like that, but the US is... consumerist as hell.

I've met people earning far more than me who are struggling, when I'm not - actually far from it. In that case it's a matter of... basic impulse control?

 

Posted
2 minutes ago, urbanoid said:

Yeah, as I said it depends on the area, among other things. 

I don't deny the fact that a lot of Americans are struggling, I just wonder how many struggle due to their own choices, like spending money on shit they don't need to impress the people they probably don't even like. I'm not implying that it's a norm or anything like that, but the US is... consumerist as hell.

I've met people earning far more than me who are struggling, when I'm not - actually far from it. In that case it's a matter of... basic impulse control?

 

I don't disagree with the fact that a lot of Americans lack the_common_sense-as-defined-by-eastern-europeans.

Otoh in US even if you own  your lodging you still pay a very significant real estate tax. 

To the point that owning a house on pure Social Security (state pension) is untenable.

Just one of peculiarities... and if you get seriously sick and don't have a stellar insurance - God/Universe help you.

Posted
10 minutes ago, urbanoid said:

Yeah, as I said it depends on the area, among other things. 

More than 50% of US population live in the high cost areas

Posted
2 hours ago, urbanoid said:

Buyer's remorse?

Not sure what you mean. Snowden didn't plan to stay in Russia. He got stranded at Sheremetyevo airport in transit to Iceland when the US government voided his passport.

Posted
3 minutes ago, Strannik said:

More than 50% of US population live in the high cost areas

High cost is relative. Sure, you likely mean heavily urbanised areas mostly, but there will be a difference between California and, let's say, DFW - if there wasn't, a shitload of Californians wouldn't be moving to Texas.

7 minutes ago, Strannik said:

I don't disagree with the fact that a lot of Americans lack the_common_sense-as-defined-by-eastern-europeans.

Otoh in US even if you own  your lodging you still pay a very significant real estate tax. 

To the point that owning a house on pure Social Security (state pension) is untenable.

Just one of peculiarities... and if you get seriously sick and don't have a stellar insurance - God/Universe help you.

Plus things like getting a divorce after 50 years together, so the medical bills will take only half of the couples' net worth instead of all of it. 

Posted
44 minutes ago, Strannik said:

The fresh plain bread in NYC is $5-8 (that's 1.5lb = 650-700g loaf) and minimal wage is $15 before taxes.

Of course they can eat Wonderbread :)

Why would a New Yorker get plain bread? It's all bagels there!

Posted
35 minutes ago, urbanoid said:

High cost is relative. Sure, you likely mean heavily urbanised areas mostly, but there will be a difference between California and, let's say, DFW - if there wasn't, a shitload of Californians wouldn't be moving...

50% live within 50 miles of the coast.

But do continue...

Posted
43 minutes ago, Ssnake said:

Not sure what you mean. Snowden didn't plan to stay in Russia. He got stranded at Sheremetyevo airport in transit to Iceland when the US government voided his passport.

Which likely saved him.

Posted
16 minutes ago, Strannik said:

50% live within 50 miles of the coast.

But do continue...

And that makes it automatically a high cost area, just the proximity to the coast? 

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