“I Can Afford Everything”: Tyumen Residents on Salaries Up to 300,000 Rubles Monthly

A salary of 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,100 at current rates) is traditionally considered high in Russia, although for many it is no longer enough to support an average family. At our request, Tyumen residents with salaries in the hundreds of thousands of rubles shared their incomes and expenses. Here«s how the middle class lives in Tyumen.

Yevgeny is a doctor. He earns 118,000 rubles (approximately $1,300 at current rates) per month. The money is enough for investments, but he certainly can«t live lavishly.

“I spend about 50,000 rubles (approximately $560 at current rates) a month, I don«t splurge much. But I can»t afford expensive electronics or spa resort treatments. Life isn«t bad, but it»s not as I would like it to be,” says the Tyumen resident.

Lawyer Liliya earns 175,000 rubles (approximately $1,900 at current rates), spends 100,000 of it, and saves the rest. She admits that this is enough.

“I deny myself nothing. It«s quite comfortable, but it could be more,” the woman shared.

Andrey, a lead specialist at one of the city«s companies, shared the highest income.

“I earn 300,000 rubles (approximately $3,300 at current rates), spend about a hundred thousand. I can afford everything I want: a car, an apartment, vacation. I«m comfortable with my income. It»s a decent salary for my work,” he says.

But not everyone manages to earn decently from just one job. For example, Tyumen resident Elena said she works four jobs to achieve an income of 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,100 at current rates).

“My main job is chair of the homeowners association (HOA), and I have three side jobs. In total, it comes to 98,000 rubles (approximately $1,100 at current rates). But there are no vacations, I skimp on health, dental treatment, this year I can«t buy winter shoes. Of course, the salary level doesn»t match the volume of work and contribution. It«s impossible to get a job with a normal income, considering my age — 49 years old,” she believes.

This and other materials were prepared using a special anonymous form we created to measure the real standard of living of Tyumen residents. You can also fill it out; it helps us see how city dwellers really live. Link here.

Diana, head of the marketing department at one of the city«s companies, also shared a good income.

“I earn 150,000 rubles (approximately $1,700 at current rates) a month, spend 100,000–120,000. I think my salary is quite decent for my age. In the future, I«ll think about something, take on additional projects or open my own agency,” the Tyumen woman shares her thoughts.

Workers also earn decent money. For example, electrician Sergey works on a shift basis and earns 300,000 rubles (approximately $3,300 at current rates), spending about half of that.

“I invest, in principle, I don«t skimp on anything. Reasonable necessary expenses. Given today»s level of inflation, it feels like life is getting more expensive, but the salary remains unchanged,” he noted.

Previously, we told the story of Tyumen resident Marina, who works as a specialist in the documentation support department at one of the city«s companies. The woman is married and raising a five-year-old daughter. She shared how her family budget is structured.