The question of which city is more favorable for life, Moscow or New York, remains open to this day. Two large world megalopolises have many similar characteristics, as well as polar different factors. So what's more, Moscow or New York?
Why is New York and not Washington?
At first glance, it seems more logical to compare the two capitals, Moscow and Washington, but the Russian capital has much more in common with New York and its inhabitants. Last, without a doubt, the largest city in America, but not the most populous. The two cities are related by the fact that the national composition of both Moscow and New York is much more diverse than that of any city in the USA and Russia, or even the whole world.
There is no doubt the fact that these cities are not only the most famous in their states, but also lead in quality and standard of living. Only, if the gap in quality of life between New York and small towns is not significant, then between Moscow and provincial towns there is a whole chasm. And, if the answer to the question, which is greater, Moscow or New York, is obvious, then it is very difficult to give an unambiguous answer to the question of where it is better to live. First, you should compare the defining parameters. After this, it is necessary to find out what is more Moscow or New York, not only in area, but in development opportunities.
Income level
One of the key indicators of comparison between Moscow and New York, which is of particular interest among residents, is wages. The average income level in Moscow is approximately 50,000 rubles per month, with slight fluctuations in both minus and plus. But in New York, things are completely different. If you believe the statistics of the American job site, the average income is about $ 75,000 per year.
In the United States, it is not customary to calculate the level of wages on a monthly basis, Americans prefer to measure the salary in annual or hourly terms. If you translate this data into rubles, then about 200,000 rubles a month without tax payments come out. Of course, salaries in New York are slightly higher than salaries in similar posts in provincial towns. Also, one should not forget about taxes, which take a third of the income. Given this factor, we can conclude that the average salary in New York is 130,000 rubles, which, in any case, is much higher than Moscow.
Prices and costs
But, despite the difference in salaries, most people in Moscow and New York spend everything they earn. Of course, the income level of an average resident in New York is two to three times higher than in Moscow, but the prices of essential goods are at least 50 percent higher. And you always want to get into extravagant restaurants, go to a fashion show, buy stylish clothes and invest in your own education. The concept of “American dream” found an analogue in Russia - “Moscow life”.
A significant gap in value did not go around real estate either. If you rent a one-room apartment in Moscow, it will cost approximately 30,000 rubles, and this is the third part of the average salary. And in New York, things are even worse, you can rent an apartment in the Bronx for $ 2,000, but you will have to fork out for life in the well-known Manhattan, because the average cost of renting an apartment is about $ 7,000, which does not fit into the average salary.
If we take the average cost of housing comfortable for living for $ 3,500, which is 100,000 rubles in equivalent, as a whole, we can conclude that the situation regarding rental housing in Moscow and New York is similar.
Transport
Both Moscow and New York are huge cities; moving around them is sometimes very difficult. But here the capital of Russia is clearly losing, because getting a traffic jam on the way to work at rush hour is 90% likely. In New York, everything is somewhat different, and all because the road system is built according to the "grid" principle, that is, there are many parallel streets in the city, which makes it possible to choose an alternative route, which will be almost as convenient, in case of a large concentration of cars. In Moscow, all roads lead to the center, which complicates the process of moving.
If we turn to public transport, it is worth noting that the New York subway is dirty, with unpleasant odors, an unregulated train system and difficult to understand. You can wait a long time for the train, and at the weekend you can’t wait at all because of repair work. But the fact remains, New Yorkers are very fond of their subway. The main advantage of the subway is round-the-clock work, only after twelve in the morning the train can wait an entire hour. In Moscow, the metro is much cleaner and well-groomed, and trains run with enviable regularity.
National composition
Both Moscow and New York are famous for their multinational population, the only difference between them is that the States were originally settled by representatives of different nationalities, and a stormy stream of immigrants fell on Moscow. Representatives of the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Italy, and Spain live in New York; there are also quite a lot of African-Americans, Mexicans, and Asians. The residents of neighboring countries are fleeing mainly to Moscow.
Population and area
According to the latest data, the population of New York is approaching the figure of 8.5 million people, Moscow has become home to more than 12 million. The populations of New York and Moscow vary widely, but official figures have nothing to do with reality. This is because hundreds of thousands or even millions of unregistered people live in both cities. Someone came in search of a better life and rented a house, someone huddled with friends or relatives. A huge number of people arrive in Moscow and New York every day from the suburbs to work.
If we turn to the size of megacities, then Moscow is a clear leader in terms of area. The size of the Russian capital is 2511 square kilometers. New York City Square km is 789. Which is half the size of Moscow. One cannot but pay attention to the fact that Moscow is much older, the date of its foundation is 1147, and that of New York is 1624. Now everything fell into place and the answer to the question whether Moscow or New York is larger is obvious.
Moscow and New York never sleep
The difference between these two cities from other major cities in the world is that it is here that people seem to never sleep. That in Moscow, that in New York at three in the morning you can buy new shoes, an apartment or a book that you urgently needed to read. The time difference between Moscow and New York is large - 7 hours.
Capabilities
It will not be surprising that in New York there are much more opportunities for development. Yes, living here is not easy, the competition is incredible, and there are an immense number of professionals in any field: from music to medicine. But, as practice shows, hard work entails a result that usually does not make you wait long.
Living in New York gives you the opportunity to think that all dreams can come true. But this does not mean that, living in Moscow, you will have to bury your hopes and dreams. This metropolis is also a city of great opportunities, only the Russian market is much smaller in terms of finances and more in terms of restrictions. It is not for nothing that New York is called the city of the best professionals in the world. Despite the fact that the area of the city of Moscow is several times larger than New York, the opportunities for development in the capital of Russia are clearly less.
Of course, both New York and Moscow are cities that deserve respect. Each of them has its own characteristics, its pros and cons. But for taste and color, as we know, there is no comrade.