Moscow is three years running became the most expensive city for the foreigners. As the western experts calculated, Tokyo is on the second place, London - on the third. Analysts are based on interrogations, different factors reflected the cost of life are taken into attention. Foreign journalists say that money taken from tourists in Moscow frequently are absolutely unreasonable and mismatch either quality of services or the general standard of living of Muscovites. As one of the examples the price of a cup of coffee in the capital cafes reaches almost 10.5 dollars.
From editorial board: Actually, you wanted the market and free pricing - you received it. If someone buy a cup of coffee for 10 dollars, it means there is a sense to try to sell it for 15 or 20 - may be someone will buy it for this price too? Well, they will grumble for some time but desire to drink coffee will not go away...
One could recollect that in spring, 1978 a cup of coffee in the USSR sharply rose in price - a cup of coffee from the coffee device in Moscow cost 5 kopecks and became - at once 20. For a student whom I was at that time coffee became a luxury - beer cost the same 20 kopecks, but it's a different thing.
So, today in Moscow a cup of coffee costs up to 10 dollars and never less than 4. While a bottle of vodka - 80 roubles on the average. What will new generation choose? Now minister Golikova and the president Medvedev can continue informatory conversation about propaganda of a healthy way of life. It's very interesting to listen.
Never in the Russian history vodka cost so cheaply as today. In the beginning of 70s years of XX century a half-liter bottle of vodka cost 3 rbl. 62 kopecks. Average wage made then 125 rbl. For that salary it was possible to buy 35 bottles of vodka. In the beginning 80s vodka rose in price up to 4 rbl. 12 kopecks, but average wage also was increased then up to 170 rbl. a month. It would have been enough then to buy 42 bottles. In 1990 it was possible to buy 38 bottles of vodka, in 2000 - 57. In autumn, 2006 average wage made up, according to the data of the Federal State Statistic Service of the Russian federation, 11 thousand roubles ($400) a month, while average price of half-liter bottle of vodka (according to the same Federal State Statistic Service) - 80 roubles. Now it's possible to get 135 bottles of vodka for average wage.
Many experts coordinate increase in death rate to falling of prices for vodka, historical and statistical data testify that during the periods of wide availability of strong alcohol death rate considerably raised, while in the notorious Gorbachev's "decree" it reached its minimum.
For comparison - in Finland - the country with population inclined for drinking alcohol and with one of the greatest in the Europe soul levels of consumption of coffee, vodka costs about 20 euros and a cup of coffee seldom is more expensive, than 1 euro. Their life expectancy is 10 years higher. However, it's hardly possible that there is a direct connection between life expectancy and a parity of price for a cup of coffee and a bottle of vodka. Though nevertheless there is something in it. Once, just recently the Scandinavian countries had the lowest life expectancy in Europe but due to the deliberate policy of the state, situation sharply changed. Even in the USSR they spoke about "Scandinavian socialism" and similar.
They talked and forgot about it.
A.B.
