I have a question that I would like to investigate.


Suppose you have lead a good and happy life with your spouse in the west.
Your pension is taken care of and you find yourself with oodles of free time.

Suppose I would like to retire in a tropical resort with a luxury lifestyle in say, Evpatoria/Crimea.

How much money would you generally need (monthly basis), to have a "luxury" lifestyle in the FSU. Since I already have a very good life in the Netherlands, I am not skipping country for anything less than a luxury life that I can not pay for in NL.

My wife says it would be around EUR-2000 / month, excluding things like inflation as a bare minimum. (More is good, but below 2000 you would have a "very good" life and above you will have a "luxury" life).

Mark.

I know when I was in Odessa for a few months I was spending about $200-250 per week. That didn't include many frills, or much dating. My rent was dirt cheap $120 month, So I'd agree with Lena that 2000 Euros would be good. Keep in mind your not retiring for a couple of decades yet.

It would depend on your location.

If you are happy to live in a beautiful, albeit quieter, place then Eur 2000 would give you a luxury Western comfort style. If you expect to live among the New Russians, for that money you can sleep in the pool house.

If you are seriously planning, make some trips, check how development of an area may bem then buy some land. Over the next couple of years, start building your house there.
By the timeyou are retired you will have a payment-free luxury place. For Eur 2000 (current value) buying the food you do not want to grow is pretty easy, and you can flay back now and then to see your grandchildren.

If I wanted to live a "luxury life-style in Kyiv, I'd need around $5-6,000 a month. The $3,000+ a month style I had was adequate but hardly luxurious. We took a couple of 2+ week vacations each year, cable TV, private rooms for those that needed them and plenty of food on the table but it was hardly what I would call luxury.

We had no car, our clothing was normal, we stayed in local hotels/pensions, the trips were into Poland, CZ, Bulgaria and the like. For $6,000/month I'd have the car, better furniture, entertain more, take more/better vacations, have a slightly larger place and probably pray for a second bathroom.

Markje,

To start with I think that you have asked a question that cannot be answered and that is because today's conditions are relevant to today and the future can spring big surprises and furthermore only you know your expectations.

My suggestion to you would be as a first issue to investigate the property market and the reason that I say this is because I got a real shock when I became entangled in the property market on Sakhalin Island. Further to this suggestion I will say that it would be best if you let your wife or her family investigate the property market for you and the reason that I say this is because “foreigners are made of money”.
Now I do not know your financial situation (and it is none of my business) but I will hazard a guess and the guess is that you are not in the same league as Mr. Gates.

As regards to the day to day living expenses my suggestion would be for you to take notes next time that you go to visit your wife’s family, that should give you a rough idea of what you would need to live the life style that you want.

I hope that this makes sense to you.

Thanks all, for the excellent answers.

I will surely start to watch the real-estate market for Crimea and see what happens. Pricing is already booming along the Crimea coast line though. $200.000 for 2000sqft is no exception. (175.000 euro for 200m2).

While these prices are likely to only rise, there are areas where you can buy a whole village for that amount. If you are having enough time to slowly explore it will be possible to find something that answers to your wishes and is a good investment.