The living wage in the Russian Federation, about which there is so much talk now, is the minimum level of earnings necessary for living in the country. This indicator should be equal to the cost of the conditional consumer basket. The cost of living can be set in a number of ways, and in the past it was defined somewhat differently. Some types of products fall into the consumer basket, and bread, potatoes, cereals, pasta, fruits, meat, and eggs are of the greatest importance in it. Goods and services in total will have the same value as the food basket. In fact, the population of Russia spends most of the money on food, since their prices are now very high, and the nutritional value, due to a drop in quality, is low.
The cost of living varies by region. It also varies among different social groups. Least of all it is among pensioners. Installedthis minimum is based on the results of the past quarter, in connection with which the wording uses the phrase: “for … a quarter”. The cost of living in the Moscow region is RUB 12,229
Living wage and minimum wage
Recently, the cost of living has been tied to the value of the minimum wage (SMIC). Prior to this, the minimum wage was less than the subsistence level. Of course, this was unfair. Now, all employers are required to pay a full-time monthly amount not lower than the subsistence level.
In addition to the minimum wage, this indicator also affects other social benefits. For example, for additional payments to pensions. Also, on its basis, the level of support for poor citizens, that is, social support for the population, is calculated.
The cost of living is a kind of basic indicator that is used as a starting point when assessing the level and quality of life of Russian citizens.
Cost of living in the world
Each country where this indicator is used sets its own living wage. In Russia, it is quite low, but there are countries where it is even lower. This applies to the states located in the post-Soviet space, and some countries of Eastern Europe. However, it is not worth judging by it the expected value of salaries, of course. After all, much depends on the employers themselves, their willingness to pay more than the subsistence minimum. In Russia, employers are quite stingy, and the only thing that can force many of them to raise wages is an increase in the minimumwages.
The cost of living in the Moscow region
In the second quarter of 2018, the subsistence minimum per person was 12,229 rubles. For people of working age, it turned out to be equal to 13,528 rubles. The living wage for a pensioner in the Moscow Region is 9,137 rubles. Children get more. The living wage for a child in the Moscow Region was 12,057 rubles.
Thus, the subsistence minimum in the region is only slightly higher than the national average. In Moscow itself, it is much higher.
Dynamics of the living wage
Since 2013, the value of this indicator has increased significantly. In the first quarter of 2013, it amounted to 7,679 rubles. In the II quarter of the same year - already 8,057 rubles. The increase in values seems to be related to the increase in prices over the same period.
In 2014, the cost of living increased from 8,553 rubles in Q1 to 9,150 rubles in Q4. At the end of 2015, it reached 10,460 rubles. In 2016, it rose to 11,021 rubles. And in 2017 it rose to 11,365 rubles.
Why do we need a living wage
As in other regions of the Russian Federation, this indicator is used for the following purposes:
- Assessments of living standards in the Moscow region to justify the need for social programs and social policy.
- To justify the adequacy of the minimum wage established in the regionlabor.
- When forming the regional budget.
- In order to provide the necessary material assistance to citizens with low financial income.
Cost of living in Moscow
Moscow is a separate subject of the Russian Federation, but is located within the boundaries of the Moscow region. The cost of living in this city is significantly higher than in the whole country. In the second quarter of 2017, it amounted to 16,462 rubles, and in the whole country - 10,329 rubles. However, it is unevenly distributed among different social groups. In Moscow, the contrast (relative and absolute) between the subsistence level of working citizens and pensioners is more significant. Thus, in Russia as a whole, the minimum for a pensioner was 8,506 rubles, and for the working population - 11,163 rubles. In Moscow, in the first case, the value is 11,603 rubles, and in the second - 18,742 rubles. Such an interesting pattern.
What laws regulate the cost of living in the Moscow region:
- Decree of the Government of the Moscow region. dated July 10, 2013 No. 518/29, approving the Rules for calculating the subsistence minimum;
- FZ No. 134 fz of October 24, 1997 "On the subsistence minimum in the Russian Federation."
- Other regulations.
Conclusion
As a result, we can conclude that the cost of living in the Moscow region is not much higher than the national average. It is much higher in Moscow. Probably, the special living conditions in the metropolis are forcing the latter to be higher: significant transport prices, traffic jamsroads and so on. The second possible reason is the good funding of social assistance in Moscow, which has huge financial resources. This means that the minimum wage in this city is higher than in the region. All these differences are due to the fact that Moscow is not part of the Moscow region, although it is surrounded by it from all sides. In other regions, the subsistence minimum in the administrative center and in the region usually coincides.
