Support The Moscow Times!

Highest Average Salary in Russia Is in Gas-Rich Siberian Town

Apartment blocks in Nadym, the town with Russia's highest average salary. Wikicommons

The north Siberian town of Nadym, located near an abundant natural gas deposit, has Russia's highest average salary — 90,400 rubles ($1,700) a month — according to a study by the RBC news agency released Monday.

For comparison, the average monthly salary in the city of Moscow is about 61,200 rubles ($1,150), about twice the national average for Russian city-dwellers: 36,800 rubles, the report said.

But while Nadym may have the highest average salary in nominal terms, residents of the Baltic port city of Primorsk have the most buying power, taking into account local salaries versus the cost of living.

Following Primorsk on that scale is the Moscow region industrial city of Lobnya, according to the study of 1,128 Russian cities and towns, based on salary figures from 2012 to 2014.

The city with the lowest average wage is subarctic mining hub Verkhoyansk — one of the world's coldest cities — where residents make an average monthly salary of 21,000 rubles versus a cost of living of 13,500 rubles.

Verkhoyansk made headlines in winter 2011 when it came under attack by hundreds of wolves, prompting the regional government to announce a three-month battle against them.

Russia's other poorest localities include the town of Sursk in the Penza region, Demidov in the Smolensk region and Vorsma in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more