Accommodation in Moscow

There are virtually no houses in Moscow, so be prepared to live in a flat. These range from the average communist 'pigeon-cage' style of accommodation (rooms can be spacious, but bathrooms and kitchens tend to be small) to extremely luxurious Western-style complexes with multi-storey flats. If you want some more space and don’t like the idea of living in such a crowded city, the other option is to live in a renovated dacha. These summerhouses on the outskirts of the city, which traditionally were basic sheds to sleep in, have become very chic amongst Russia’s elite and have subsequently been remodelled into mansions. 

There are also more luxurious buildings in central Moscow where all the flats on one floor have been combined to make for more spacious living arrangements. The closer you want to live to the centre of Moscow and to a metro station, the higher the rent you can expect to pay. The best idea is probably to find an apartment via a Russian estate agent.

Utilities are very cheap as they are state-run. The down side of this is that you have very little control if you are living in a normal Russian flat and not in one of the very luxurious Western-style compounds. Your heating will come on and be switched off when the central heating centre decides it is cold/warm enough and there is nothing you can do about it. In all fairness, they will never allow it to become excessively cold. During summer your hot water will be cut off for three weeks for general maintenance of the pipes etc. – this happens in every area of Moscow! There might be notices up in your building or area informing you when to expect the water cut.