Domestic Russian Residents Alarmed: Affordable and Superior Goods Found to Be Priced Lower in Russia Compared to Abroad
Returning Home: A New World for Russians Abroad
Russians who have spent extended periods living abroad are often met with a surprise upon their return home, as they encounter significant changes in their urban environments, consumer markets, and standards of living. These alterations can lead to a complex readjustment process, as highlighted by various individuals who have recently returned to Russia.
Urban Environment and Consumer Market
Russian cities have undergone a transformation in recent years, with economic pressures leading to inflation rates around 10.2% as of mid-2025, particularly affecting food and service sectors. The exit of many international companies has left vacancies in shopping malls, leading to shifts in consumption patterns [1][3][5]. Despite these challenges, domestic consumption remains a strong driver of the economy, supported by rising real wages and public spending growth, which somewhat improves standards of living even amid sanctions and economic isolation [2][3][5].
Standard of Living
The standard of living shows mixed trends. On the one hand, incomes are rising faster than inflation in 2024-2025, creating a perception of improvement despite persistent inflation and economic sanctions [2]. However, inequality and regional disparities in public services, such as hospital availability and environmental quality, have grown, impacting quality of life unevenly across Russia [3]. Many Russians own their apartments due to privatization of Soviet housing, reducing housing cost burdens, but inflation still affects purchasing power and daily expenses [3].
Interpersonal Communication
The broader social context implies that interpersonal communication is influenced by shifting social cohesion and geopolitical tensions, with the broader population facing ideological changes and societal fragmentation, partly due to prolonged economic pressure and external confrontations [2]. Returning Russians may notice changes in social attitudes, communication styles, and public discourse shaped by these internal and external stresses.
Personal Experiences
Daria, a Russian who lived abroad in Turkey, Montenegro, Thailand, and Vietnam, has been impressed by the appearance of open-air pools, street workout equipment, and mass yoga classes in parks in central Moscow, things that were unimaginable just five years ago. She has also noticed a significant improvement in the availability of food, particularly the abundance of meat products [4]. However, Daria was shocked by the state of vegetable markets in Montenegro, describing them as expensive, half-rotten, and filled with flies [6].
Daria and Alexey, a travel blogger who lived in Southeast Asia for two and a half years, both mention the widespread use of electric scooters as a cultural shock upon their return to Russia [7]. Alexey admits he experienced stress from the "defensive screen" of distrust and lack of smiles from passersby in Russia [8]. A Russian blogger living in Turkey notes the wide variety of Russian store offerings but also mentions an excess of unhealthy products, which are less common where she currently lives [9].
Adapting to Change
These changes are not limited to the capital; a friend of blogger Elena, who moved to Tyumen from Slovenia, where infrastructure for cyclists and people with disabilities is well-developed, notes comfortable conditions for families with children, including the presence of theaters, exhibitions, and children's programs, although at European prices [10]. Maria, returning from the US, barely recognizes her neighborhood due to wastelands being transformed into well-maintained squares with children's and adult playgrounds, making the city significantly more comfortable for pedestrians [11].
Svetlana, a Russian returning from Bali, finds the standard of living in Russia paradoxically higher due to lower expenses, particularly in education and medical care [12]. In Indonesia, a kindergarten costs 30 thousand rubles a month, exceeding the average salary, and a school costs 500 thousand rubles a year. In Russia, these services are much more affordable [13].
Elena Smirnova, a social adaptation expert and Moscow State University associate professor, emphasizes that successful adaptation requires acknowledging these changes, being prepared for them, and seeking support in the new-old environment [14]. Daria and Alexey also mention the particular focus on changes in how others perceive them: if they've grown accustomed to openness and smiles abroad, they might be surprised by the more reserved behavior at home [15].
In conclusion, returnees likely confront a Russian urban and consumer landscape characterized by inflation, shifting market availability, and economic uncertainty alongside improving incomes and social challenges. These factors collectively influence how they perceive and adapt to changes in social interaction and living standards after being abroad. The economic resilience amid sanctions and ongoing geopolitical tensions creates a mixed but evolving socio-economic environment for returnees [1][2][3][5].
- Returning Russians may be surprised by the new offerings in food-and-drink industries, such as the abundance of meat products and the emergence of open-air pools, street workout equipment, and mass yoga classes in parks.
- The home-and-garden landscape in Russian cities has undergone significant changes, with improvements in services like education and medical care found to be more affordable compared to places where some returnees had lived abroad.
