Cost of Living in Minsk

So happened, I know a lot of people from Belarus. And I decided to place this comment because my soul is hurting when I am thinking about their fate and their everyday life. You are asking how much money can be enough to live comfortably in Belarus? I know that salary for a lot of people there who work in different professional fields is no more then $200. This amount of money only can keep you just alive and not too hungry. It is a big shame for people who govern this country that since 1991, the year when the Soviet Union collapsed, not done too much to increase the living standards for the most of the people of this nice country. I get constant association that despite of all existing possible technological advances the level of their living in 21 century reminds me the live that possibly existed in the medieval ages.

I'm going to relocate to Minsk with my family, I have 3 kids in KG and Grade levels. I couldn't find enough information about the schools in Minsk, especially that have an English curriculum. so, anyone has information about the schools and their tuition fees. even roughly.

Minsk is nothing more than a shithole full of Russian operatives.

As an internationally educated Minsk native who has lived both to the east (Moscow) and to the west of Belarus (EU), I can say that Minsk is by far not the worst place to live in, but it has its fair share of drawbacks, some of which may be critical for expats and foreign visitors. As far as local prices are concerned, Thomas's comment below sums up the situation nicely, and his assessment is still valid today, though the prices keep creeping up and many goods, especially durables, are now cheaper in Moscow - where salaries are on average much higher. While most staples and FMCGs are quite affordable by global standards, you're likely to get poor assortment, especially when it comes to imports (no Amazon here for you!) and subpar customer service - and I mean it, it can be abysmal at times. Locals are known to be eager to rip off any guest from the West: it's not uncommon to hear about a taxi driver charging an exorbitant fee from a foreigner for a ride to the airport, for instance. And don't get me started on renting accommodation: once the agent learns their future customer is an expat, the price shoots through the sky. Another issue most expats would find troublesome is that an overwhelming majority of people don't speak English - which, paradoxically, often includes designated government officials who deal with foreigners in their line of duty (e.g. immigration officers). For this reason, instead of asking a random passer-by for destination, you'd better consult Google Maps. On the positive side, Google Maps will work just fine: the country has nearly ubiquitous 4G/LTE coverage, legitimately cheap Internet and unrestricted access to all foreign web resources (unlike Russia). Private healthcare is quite affordable and of decent quality, but again, finding a medical practitioner with a good grasp of English may prove difficult. Private education is virtually nonexistent; to the best of my knowledge, there's just one international school in Minsk with English-language instruction. The same problem arises when it comes to your pastime: there are but a couple of cinemas where they show movies in English, and probably not a single theatre with performances in English (well, at least the city has a good opera & ballet theatre where language is a non-issue), and - most sadly - no English-language pub quizzes. The international community here is generally quite small, which hampers your chances of establishing a social circle - unless you decide to learn some Russian and blend into the local crowd. Returning to the positives, I'll admit that Minsk is a generally safe place (though petty crime is still common, and quite a few people drink too much and become rowdy) with a decent and cheap public transport system (the cycling infrastructure is an entirely different story, 'cause it's nowhere to be found) and a growing number of places to spend your time and money (just 15 years ago there were literally no modern-format shopping malls, Western fast-food chains or fancy bars - now there are plenty). On balance, Minsk, though cheap, is hardly a friendly place for the average expat, but if you're willing to invest some effort into connecting with the right people, as K suggests below, it may make your time in Minsk much more vibrant.

I am relocated to Minsk about 6 month ago with my family. My family consist of 3 members.
Advantages:
- Clean city with forests
- Public transport just works as expected.
- Have a lot of kind people

Disadvantages:
- Products are not so fresh in shops as I used to see. But there are some Bazars where you can but fresh fruits if you like fresh fruits and vegetables
- Private kindergartens are very expensive if you are comparing it with average salary of citizenship. And it is not easy to take place in government kindergartens. Really cost for 1 month for per child private kindergartens not less than 300$ )
- If you love east cuisines, it will be unhappy with meals cooked here. But you can find restaurants which was opened with east traditions.

I bet all bad comments from russian people. They think if they vilify neighboring countries they do a good job for their country

The new currency rate of New Belarusian Ruble or (BYN) 1:10000 Old Belarusian Rubles 1BYN:.50US$ and 1US$:1.98BYN

You need at least 600$ per month to rent room and to buy food. (300+300)

Around 50% of the lines should be revised downward as cost of living and and average income have significantly decreased in Minsk in 2016 due to slowdown in the economy.

The problem is in currency rates. Everything, what was entered a few month ago are now cheaper if to convert to $. Also, there is no sense to check prices of half a year and more ago.
Safe, clean. Good place to raze kids. Huge problem is health of kids in winter. Usually, it's one week per month at home, because of flue or cough.

I am a Westerner who lived in Belarus for over a year. Most comments I read here were complete bogus. Belarus isn't as bad as often portrayed by the media. However, living in this country might be a bit of a (financial) challenge to some. The fairly frequent devaluations often only hit a part of the population. Go local and save money in Dollars or Euro.

First a general note: people in Belarus often look a bit grumpy and closed, but once you get to know them I find most people very trustworthy and helpful. I have never ever been cheated in Belarus.

On a Western European salary Minsk isn't an expensive city, but on a local salary things change significantly. Due to the quasi-command economy that Belarus still is, imported goods can be outrageously expensive. Hefty taxes are levied on imported goods and due to the lack of competition among retailers (and corruption) clothing, fruits and vegetables and many others goods are expensive. The housing market isn't that great either. Most apartments are in an appalling state and renting a place is expensive. Landlords in Belarus are the worst I ever encountered. Salaries in Vilnius, Lithuania are significantly higher and pretty much everything is cheaper in Lithuania (with the exception of vodka, cigarettes and bus tickets).

What is cheap in Belarus?: public transport, potatoes, vodka, cigarettes, bread, most dairy products, taxis)

What is expensive in Belarus?: housing, everything imported (and despite the state-led economy, Belarus doesn't produce that many consumer products)

Average salary in Minsk (2012): $400 (I think its inching towards $500). Some people make as little as $200 a month, but I met many that earned around $1000 a month. Most of those worked for a foreign (often Russian) employer, though.