Saint Petersburg Medical University

Home

Foreigners

Preparatory

Post Graduation

Admission

Gallery

Contact

Cost of Living :

Experience shows that to live in Russia modestly costs a foreign student between USD 70$ and 200$ a month. This is needed to cover daily expenses stated below and to pay some extra costs. The institutions do not have funds for supporting student, it is the prerogative of Ministry of Education of Russia, as well as some special funds by private institutions. Still the value of this additional support is rather meagre, for most of state financing addressed strictly to Russian universities and enables them to maintain highly competitive tuition fees.

About one-half of an average student income goes towards housing, provided the student rents an accommodation in a private sector or hotel and food costs him/her another half. Most higher education institutions offer hot meals at subsidized prices. There are plenty of cafes, pubs where you can eat cheaply and well. But the cheapest and most pleasant way to eat is to do your own cooking, perhaps together with housemates. Russian supermarkets carry a large and international variety of products. The third of money goes towards books, transportation, and other expenses.

General :

Traditionally the costs of living in the destination country for international students embrace the following basic expenditures:

Accommodation
Food
Transport
Fuel
Clothing
Telephone
Medical insurance (compulsory)

Below is the table of average student's expenses which can be referred to as living costs. All figures are valid for 2005 and given in US dollars per month, if not stated otherwise.

Living Costs in Russia (USD per month):

Accommodation (university hostel)	30-60*
Food	50
Study materials	over 15
Leisure/Culture	20-50
Transport inside the city	5 -10**
Fuel and Power	10-25
Telephone (mobile)	5-15
Medical insurance (per academic year)	60-110*

Average Living Costs by country (USD per year)

Expenditure	Russia	Australia	Canada	USA	UK	New Zealand
Living Costs	1750	6050	6900	8525	8775	5525

Accommodation :

Practically all Russian higher education institutions have University hostels available for students. Indeed, institutions have a statutory obligation to provide students with places in the University's hostels. Accommodation is in rooms shared with one or two other students and includes a WC and a bathroom. It is quite possible that a separate room can be arranged for a person, but the cost of separate or hotel-type accommodation reimbursed entirely by international student.

Hostels :

All educational establishments provide the student with lodging in a relevant hostel. Almost all the hostels are either located in the premises of the educational establishment or nearby. Usually two students are accommodated in one room. Normal costs are from 150 to 225 USD per year. All hostels contain central heating system, electricity, common kitchens, bathrooms, toilets and running hot & cold water. The student rooms are equipped with chairs, study table, wardrobe, bed, bed linen & pillow. Bed linen is usually changed twice a month.

The cost of standard-type accommodation included in tuition fees of most Russian universities. However alternative hostels can be provided. The prices depend on the quality of the hostel and vary between 350 and 450 USD per year.It is possible to arrange a room for female students in a female only block, as well as provide marriage quarters if required.

All student hostels have 24-hour security provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

Apartments :

If for some reason the student wishes to live in an apartment, there are plenty of alternatives. A modest one room apartment costs around 100-150 USD per month in Saint Petersburg and 150-250 USD in Moscow, whereas a two room sets back about 130-200 USD per month in Saint Petersburg and 180-300 in Moscow in the outskirts of the cities. A European standard Apartment can be rented at the following rates:
One room - 190-250$
Two rooms - 290 - 350$
Three rooms - 490 - 550$

Telephone :

All the university's hostels have the telephone sets installed in lobbies, which can be used commonly for incoming and outgoing calls. It is possible to arrange additional telephone lines installed in hostel rooms at an extra fee. Still the mobile phone seems nowadays not only the most convenient, but the cheapest mean of communication. In Saint Petersburg there are three GSM mobile operators and several lesser mobile service providers in NMT-450 and CDMA standards. One can obtain a personal mobile phone number at 5-10 USD, the average monthly fee does not generally exceed 10-15 USD for the local calls and 25-30 USD for the international calls.