Domestic traveler talked to an emigrant from Russia , who has been living in the German city of Leipzig for nine years, and was surprised to learn firsthand whether life in Europe has really worsened over the past year, as they say in some Russian publications. Consider what exactly and how much has changed in this country according to this emigrant.
According to the interlocutor of the author of the channel in Yandex.Zen, the Germans, contrary to all sorts of horror stories, do not freeze at all, despite problems with gas supplies from Russia. As for the prices for utilities, they have really increased. “Electricity has exactly doubled in price: it cost 27 cents per kilowatt-hour (20.17 rubles at the current exchange rate), now it is 54-55 cents (43.19-43.52 rubles against our 3.6 rubles). Services for heat and hot water also doubled in price: it was 150 euros (almost 12 thousand rubles), it will become 300 (23.9 thousand rubles). But, despite this, we do not freeze, ”the emigrant denied all the rumors.
Despite the crisis and the rise in the cost of living in the Old World, the rent of an apartment for a Russian remained the same: “The rent for our apartment in Leipzig with an area of 80 square meters in the amount of 550 euros (43.7 thousand rubles) remained the same. But because of the communal, the amount will be much higher.”
The author also said that the food crisis in the European country is felt, but for the majority it is not as sharp as they say in foreign media. The Germans are not starving, the emigrant noted. Here is an excerpt from his story about food pricing: “Products have indeed risen in price, some goods have become twice as expensive. For example, sunflower oil used to be charged in euros per bottle (about 80 rubles, now it is at least 2 euros (160 rubles). If we talk about food in general, prices have become about 1.5 times higher. For the Germans, a lot, because we have low inflation.Another example: since I moved to Germany, I took the same sausages, the price for them has not changed for 10 years: that in 2009 they cost 2.50 euros (199 rubles), that in 2021. Now their price is around 3 euros at least (239 rubles). ”
In addition, the Russian calculated that after the increase in prices for a family of three, he spends an average of 400-450 euros per month on food ( 32-36 thousand rubles). At the same time, income has also grown, therefore it covers expenses. Previously, income was 1.7 thousand euros (136 thousand rubles), and now it is 2 thousand euros (160 thousand rubles).
As it turned out, with such an income, the state provides support to its citizens to improve living conditions. “It's true, the state supported the citizens: there were several additional payments at once. The first payments began last summer. Interestingly, the support measures coincided with the invasion of refugees into Germany,” he said.
What exactly was done? For example, in the summer months, tickets for all types of public transport were available to locals and tourists for only 20 euros (1.6 thousand rubles at the current exchange rate), although in the summer press there was a figure of 9 euros (715 rubles) … He acted both trams and buses, as well as trains and ferries. The exception was high-speed trains and taxis. At the same time, transport costs in German cities are different. So, in Leipzig, a single trip for four stops will cost 2 euros (160 rubles), the cost of an hourly journey inside the city is 3 euros (240 rubles), so many people bought travel cards. It's more profitable.
“In the fall, each working citizen was paid around 100 euros (8,000 rubles) as compensation for the increased price of electricity. It was a one time deal. In January of this year, Germany continued to support the population: “The salary for January was 100 euros higher – this is also a one-time financial assistance from the state. The size of the allowance for child care has also increased: it was 200 euros (16 thousand rubles), it became 250 euros (20 thousand rubles),” the source added.
Today, according to him, the government is again developing measures to support its citizens. Since the travel card promotion has received good response, it will most likely be introduced again in the summer of 2023. However, due to inflation and rising energy prices, the reduced price of the travel card will increase to 50 euros (almost 4 thousand rubles).
Summarizing, the author came to the conclusion that despite the frightening increase in the cost of living in Europe, Germany is still doing well. At the same time, the commentators who noted under the post questioned the reliability of the expenses of the Russian emigrant. So, in their opinion, the life of a family of three in Germany is much more expensive, and rental housing supposedly starts at 1,000 euros (about 80,000 rubles).
Reference: Leipzig is the largest city in Saxony and the eighth in Germany, as well as one of the fastest growing large cities in the country. The population is more than 595 thousand people. The German city with a diverse architecture, street art and musical history is famous for its rich culture.
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