This Russian Guy Lives In An Apartment That Costs $100/Month And Here’s What It Looks Like
We all want to live comfortably—it’s just one of the fundamental things that all people share. We want a space for ourselves where we can be safe and relaxed. So it’s understandable that we all strive to achieve this: a place of our own. Some want to build a cabin in quiet woods, others are leaning towards a city apartment, but as long as we can claim it as ours, it all works out. However, what might hinder your plans of owning your own place is, quite frankly, money. Residences cost quite a lot, especially when you live in a metropolis or a popular area. Yet sometimes people ‘luck out’—whether it’s because of the country they live in, their salaries, or other similar circumstances.
This is exactly the case with Dan Sheekoz from Russia, whose video went viral after he gave a virtual tour of his apartment that would cost approximately $100 per month on the market. In the video, Dan stresses he’s not a wealthy man and that apartments like his all come with a similar price tag (as long as you live in Russia, of course).
Dan from Russia revealed his small apartment only costs $100
Image credits: Dan Sheekoz
Image credits: Dan Sheekoz
Dan introduced himself as someone who wants to learn English, thus turning to the internet to help with his pronunciation and vocabulary. And as a way to give something back (and be more engaging), his YouTube channel has a whole plethora of videos about what life in Russia is like. One of the videos happened to catch internauts’ attention for its quite enticing premise—that you can get a fully functioning apartment for just $100 a month (it’s 190 square feet!).
The 190-square-foot apartment is more than you can get for the same price in most of the world
Image credits: Dan Sheekoz
Image credits: Dan Sheekoz
The apartment in question is not a new one, nor is it big or extensive. In fact, Dan himself said it’s quite small—there’s a bedroom-living room area, with a desk crammed inside. The kitchen has only the most basic appliances. The bathroom contains a shower (so no relaxing baths after a hard day), and the fridge had to be relocated outside of the kitchen zone to fit into the layout. Dan says he doesn’t consider himself to be wealthy, but the apartment he showcased is certainly more accommodating than something you might find in many countries all over the world (and definitely cheaper).
Monthly bills for such an apartment don’t go over $50
Image credits: Dan Sheekoz
The breakdown of the cost is quite astonishing as well. The apartment—or a small house, as Dan identified it—has an annual property tax of $10. The 190 square-foot apartment needs up to $2 to cover the water bill, and $8 for electricity. Garbage removal is $2 per person per month (so Dan, living with his wife, needs to pay $4), and the gas heating bill fluctuates between $2 in summer and $25 in winter. One of the larger bills is for the internet, which comes to $10. In total, Dan’s apartment costs $25 in the summer season and $49 in winter.
The apartment even has an attached back yard where Dan grows vegetables
Image credits: Dan Sheekoz
Image credits: Dan Sheekoz
The house, with all the rent privileges that it has, also comes with a back yard. It’s not the biggest one, but it’s not two steps wide either. Dan can grow tomatoes and potatoes and even cucumbers there—basically, all you’d need to have fresh vegetables on your table. Then there’s a cherry tree that supplies the berries. And there’s even room for a makeshift lounge, where Dan said he drinks tea—and why wouldn’t you, when there’s a whole enclosed yard that provides privacy and allows you to enjoy the nicer days in the open air!
The video tour of a $100/month apartment
Image credits: Dan Sheekoz
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It's amazing how much you can get for so little but context is very important in stories like this. In the USA, with an average income of over 50k, 100 bucks is very very little. But Russia has an average income of under 6k and this doesn't even take the difference between rural and city salaries into account.
It really really depends on the city. You can't live in a cardboard box in Moscow for $100 a month but out in the countryside you can rent a house for that
He and his wife have a YouTube channel that is just the sweetest thing. He is trying to learn to speak English and it's adorable. Here's a link... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lov1ajyNYI&t=276s
I just recently discovered their channel and absolutely love it! It’s so interesting learning about life in another part of the world, and they are both so endearing 😊
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I'll never understand this measurement system elitism. Do you feel superior because you happen to have been born in a country that uses the metric system? Yes, the metric system makes more sense, but feeling some weird sense of superiority because you use it is bizarre.
Load More Replies... The little house with its lovely garden and mini-orchard is amazing, but Dan himself is the star of this video! He is learning English just from YouTube videos and old movies, and I am so impressed with how well he speaks. If he did have some native English speakers to practice with, I bet he'd be fluent in a matter of months. Well done!
And why make such post? 1. The average monthly salary in Russia is 640 USD and probably 90% of people work for less (and 1% is "averaging" the salary). Then, Russia is not exactly open for immigrants, so you can't just go there and live in similar apartment for 100$/month. Even is you go live there, there is no such thing as human rights, democracy or free speech sooo Досвидания
The main point lost is the context. How much is a salary in Russia compared with one from USA
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Dan, your English is very good! And you're using good syntax, as well. Keep working at it. You will be fluent very quickly!
It's quite adorable how Americans obviously can't handle facts and have to come up with all kind of negative remarks about Russia. Facts are however that, depending on which website you choose to believe, the average income is Russia is anywhere from 17k to 40K. The cost of living in Russia is undoubtedly much lower than in the US and they have universal healthcare, free education, 28 vacation days a year, a social security and welfare system and a state pension plan.
They are also not a democracy, are extremely homophobic, sexist to the point that you can legally hit your wife and have a terrible attitude towards human rights. I am not a fan of USA but Russia is not a good place.
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this is the cutest! As a person who learned several foreign languages, I think its a great idea to make a video of your home and explain everything to the viewer. Also, cherries nom nomnom nom, (spit, spit) nom nom And I love his garden!
Show the surrounding area: location determines whether 100$ is priced too high or too low.
"this doesn't even take the difference between rural and city salaries into account" You've hit the nail right on the head. I lived in Moscow for a few years and a 1 bedroom apartment of an average quality in an... okay... placing has cost me 1000$ (and that was the going rate through the worst part of the economic crisis (it was 2000$ just a few years before that))... Yeah, it's cheaper than NY but you still need to keep things in proportion (also, unlike NY, Moscow has TONS of new (ugly?) mega living complexes which are known as "human hives". That guy is probably living in some 2nd tier area (or maybe even 4th or 5th). Heck, they sold houses in Detroit for 1K$ not so long ago (maybe they do even now (IDK , didn't check)). Some places are dying out and there are whole areas with empty blocks where the population decreased from 500,000 to 50,000 (no, the people didn't die out, the economic tides have changed course and everybody moved with them)- so there a
Can't you buy a house for like a 100 dollars in Detroit? Same principle here, location, location, location
I love Dan. Seems like a really nice person. His English is quite impressive, especially since he doesn't have people to practice with. I'm so proud of him. Way to go!!
Absolutely brilliant video! I am impressed with your English and your house.
Can't get the video to play so might have missed this info. Exactly where in Russia is this? Big city, small town, rural area? Context is important if you are comparing.
Yeah, go to Russia, father Purin awaits for you :) Just be careful not to get too near to (regular or noy) building windows, some folks tend to fall with no apparent reason ;)
We are so used to what can and do get in an apartment, but so much is just plain wasted space. Not saying I want his tiny apt, but I could do with less.
That seems okay if you’re saving money and earning worthwhile currency at a decent rate. I love a fancy apartment but I also know what it is to live in a shithole to save money. And that place is tiny but it’s really not so bad. It has a decent bathroom and a garden. I get it.
The average one bedroom apartment in Los Angeles cost from $1500 to $2000 U.S. Most places in California are around 1000 and up. Internet costs 80 dollars a month. People drive cars here that are worth more than their apartment or house. Millionaires live next to areas where there are homeless tents for an entire block. Everyone wants to be a F- - -ing actor. Oh, and we have the world's worst traffic.
It's a really stupid article without knowing how much Dan earns. $100 can be a lot if you earn $500 but not a lot if you earn $3,000.
I can't imagine trying to live in 190 square feet as a single person, let alone with someone else. My bedroom is bigger than that, and at 550 square feet, my apartment is quite small by US standards.
I mean Russia doesn't have giant companies hiding behind politicians.
Oligarks does exactly that though. Russia is deepky corrupt.
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It actually looks like a back room in a house that the landlord turned into a 'studio' apartment.
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There was just a post on Bored Panda a few weeks ago about an apartment in New York that was smaller than this and not "nice" either, but ran for $1,650 a month. -- The point of this article was "wow that's cheap", not "wow that's nice"
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You're a piece of... work. At least the guy has gratitude and pride in his little space. Likely a much happier person than you.
Load More Replies... It's amazing how much you can get for so little but context is very important in stories like this. In the USA, with an average income of over 50k, 100 bucks is very very little. But Russia has an average income of under 6k and this doesn't even take the difference between rural and city salaries into account.
It really really depends on the city. You can't live in a cardboard box in Moscow for $100 a month but out in the countryside you can rent a house for that
He and his wife have a YouTube channel that is just the sweetest thing. He is trying to learn to speak English and it's adorable. Here's a link... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lov1ajyNYI&t=276s
I just recently discovered their channel and absolutely love it! It’s so interesting learning about life in another part of the world, and they are both so endearing 😊
Load More Replies... I'll never understand this measurement system elitism. Do you feel superior because you happen to have been born in a country that uses the metric system? Yes, the metric system makes more sense, but feeling some weird sense of superiority because you use it is bizarre.
Load More Replies... The little house with its lovely garden and mini-orchard is amazing, but Dan himself is the star of this video! He is learning English just from YouTube videos and old movies, and I am so impressed with how well he speaks. If he did have some native English speakers to practice with, I bet he'd be fluent in a matter of months. Well done!
And why make such post? 1. The average monthly salary in Russia is 640 USD and probably 90% of people work for less (and 1% is "averaging" the salary). Then, Russia is not exactly open for immigrants, so you can't just go there and live in similar apartment for 100$/month. Even is you go live there, there is no such thing as human rights, democracy or free speech sooo Досвидания
The main point lost is the context. How much is a salary in Russia compared with one from USA
Load More Replies... Dan, your English is very good! And you're using good syntax, as well. Keep working at it. You will be fluent very quickly!
It's quite adorable how Americans obviously can't handle facts and have to come up with all kind of negative remarks about Russia. Facts are however that, depending on which website you choose to believe, the average income is Russia is anywhere from 17k to 40K. The cost of living in Russia is undoubtedly much lower than in the US and they have universal healthcare, free education, 28 vacation days a year, a social security and welfare system and a state pension plan.
They are also not a democracy, are extremely homophobic, sexist to the point that you can legally hit your wife and have a terrible attitude towards human rights. I am not a fan of USA but Russia is not a good place.
Load More Replies... this is the cutest! As a person who learned several foreign languages, I think its a great idea to make a video of your home and explain everything to the viewer. Also, cherries nom nomnom nom, (spit, spit) nom nom And I love his garden!
Show the surrounding area: location determines whether 100$ is priced too high or too low.
"this doesn't even take the difference between rural and city salaries into account" You've hit the nail right on the head. I lived in Moscow for a few years and a 1 bedroom apartment of an average quality in an... okay... placing has cost me 1000$ (and that was the going rate through the worst part of the economic crisis (it was 2000$ just a few years before that))... Yeah, it's cheaper than NY but you still need to keep things in proportion (also, unlike NY, Moscow has TONS of new (ugly?) mega living complexes which are known as "human hives". That guy is probably living in some 2nd tier area (or maybe even 4th or 5th). Heck, they sold houses in Detroit for 1K$ not so long ago (maybe they do even now (IDK , didn't check)). Some places are dying out and there are whole areas with empty blocks where the population decreased from 500,000 to 50,000 (no, the people didn't die out, the economic tides have changed course and everybody moved with them)- so there a
Can't you buy a house for like a 100 dollars in Detroit? Same principle here, location, location, location
I love Dan. Seems like a really nice person. His English is quite impressive, especially since he doesn't have people to practice with. I'm so proud of him. Way to go!!
Absolutely brilliant video! I am impressed with your English and your house.
Can't get the video to play so might have missed this info. Exactly where in Russia is this? Big city, small town, rural area? Context is important if you are comparing.
Yeah, go to Russia, father Purin awaits for you :) Just be careful not to get too near to (regular or noy) building windows, some folks tend to fall with no apparent reason ;)
We are so used to what can and do get in an apartment, but so much is just plain wasted space. Not saying I want his tiny apt, but I could do with less.
That seems okay if you’re saving money and earning worthwhile currency at a decent rate. I love a fancy apartment but I also know what it is to live in a shithole to save money. And that place is tiny but it’s really not so bad. It has a decent bathroom and a garden. I get it.
The average one bedroom apartment in Los Angeles cost from $1500 to $2000 U.S. Most places in California are around 1000 and up. Internet costs 80 dollars a month. People drive cars here that are worth more than their apartment or house. Millionaires live next to areas where there are homeless tents for an entire block. Everyone wants to be a F- - -ing actor. Oh, and we have the world's worst traffic.
It's a really stupid article without knowing how much Dan earns. $100 can be a lot if you earn $500 but not a lot if you earn $3,000.
I can't imagine trying to live in 190 square feet as a single person, let alone with someone else. My bedroom is bigger than that, and at 550 square feet, my apartment is quite small by US standards.
I mean Russia doesn't have giant companies hiding behind politicians.
Oligarks does exactly that though. Russia is deepky corrupt.
Load More Replies... It actually looks like a back room in a house that the landlord turned into a 'studio' apartment.
Load More Replies... There was just a post on Bored Panda a few weeks ago about an apartment in New York that was smaller than this and not "nice" either, but ran for $1,650 a month. -- The point of this article was "wow that's cheap", not "wow that's nice"
Load More Replies... You're a piece of... work. At least the guy has gratitude and pride in his little space. Likely a much happier person than you.
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