To determine the amount of additional payment to pension contributions provided for by Federal Law No. 178, the so-called subsistence minimum (LM) has been established on the territory of the Russian Federation. Monthly payments should be enough to cover the basic needs of the pensioner (meeting basic needs). The living wage of a pensioner in 2021, according to calculations by the Ministry of Labor, is 9311 RUR., which is 0.96% higher than last year (RUB 8,846). This value is subject to changes every year.
Last changes
The required amount for living of citizens of retirement age depends on a number of factors:
- Work ability. The amount is different for working citizens, children and pensioners.
- In different regions, the value is determined individually.
Several years ago, in the regions, authorities set the PM value individually, based on so-called subjective factors. Indicators could be underestimated or overestimated, which allowed governing bodies not to pay the difference from their own budget.
From 01/01/2021, a different approach to calculation is used for all regions of the Russian Federation:
- PM for the Russian Federation = PM in Russia in fact for the second quarter of the current year, which precedes the calculated one.
- PM in the regions of the Russian Federation = PM for the second quarter established in a certain area.
This scheme is far from ideal, because it does not take into account such an indicator as inflation.
What does a pensioner's living wage include?
The minimum subsistence level for a pensioner is the minimum payment of insurance benefits and a guideline for the social supplement to the pension benefit. Funds for payment are allocated from the region’s social protection budget if the size of the pension in the region is higher than the average for Russia. Accordingly, the amount of the surcharge is set individually in each subject of the country.
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In cases of receiving a smaller pension in the region, the value of which is less than the national average, an additional payment is made by the Pension Fund from the federal budget.
The living wage of a senior citizen is calculated from certain indicators focused on the needs of the citizen. Their list includes the following:
- Food products needed daily, such as bread, milk, a variety of cereals, meat, etc.
- Household goods: clothing, shoes, personal hygiene products.
- The most important expense item is medications that are necessary to maintain the health of an elderly person.
- Transport travel is also included in the accrued pension.
- Payment for electricity and water, this also includes garbage removal.
The values of the above indicators are revised annually in accordance with the inflation rate for the previous year.
What is included in the cost of living of a pensioner in 2021
The cost of living for a pensioner in Russia in 2021 is sufficient to purchase goods that are considered essential. The amount of social benefits should be enough to pay for housing and communal services and purchase medications. The law contains the so-called consumption basket, which has a certain composition (changes every 5 years):
- Clothing, household chemicals.
- Meat, vegetables, fruits, cereals and dairy products.
- Medicines and other treatment expenses.
- Travel by public transport.
- Housing and telephony services.
The size of the PM varies depending on the region, since differences occur in prices in grocery and non-grocery stores. The amount of payment for housing and communal services and other costs also differs.
What will affect the cost of living in the region?
The cost of living is a key indicator for the state’s social policy. Since the Russian authorities began the transition to targeted social support measures, they have focused almost exclusively on the subsistence level.
The most commonly used cost of living in the region, it affects the following:
- the right to assign “Putin” payments, benefits for children aged 3 to 7 years, regional benefits for the third child;
- from July 2021, it is taken into account when calculating benefits for children from single-parent families aged 8 to 17 years, as well as benefits for pregnant women registered early;
- The subsistence level is the income line beyond which a person and family are considered poor. Accordingly, the higher the bar, the more poor people in the country, in theory;
- Assistance under social contracts is tied to the subsistence level - as a rule, only a low-income family can sign such a contract, and financial assistance from the state is also tied to the subsistence level.
There is another important point - the size of the social supplement to pensions depends on the pensioner’s subsistence level.
those whose payments are below the minimum. However, this point is not yet completely clear - previously, to calculate additional payments, local authorities approved a separate living wage for a pensioner (it took into account 5 indicators at once), but after abandoning the quarterly calculation, they will use other indicators for this.
Apparently, social supplements will be paid based on the pensioner’s subsistence level in the region of his residence, and it is already clear that regions are prohibited from reducing this cost of living.
Living wage for pensioners for 2021 by region - table
Social benefits vary depending on regional location. Living wage for a pensioner in 2021 by region in the Russian Federation:
| Name | PM, rub. |
| Sakha (Yakutia) | 13951 |
| Novgorod | 8822 |
| Saratov and region | 9231 |
| Saint Petersburg | 8944 |
| Nizhny Novgorod Region | 8102 |
| Samara | 10236 |
| Ryazan | 8139 |
| Rostov | 7841 |
| Pskov | 8865 |
| Primorsky Krai | 10066 |
| Murmansk | 12647 |
| Nenets district | 17956 |
| Oryol Region | 10456 |
| Penza | 9867 |
| Orenburg | 7232 |
| Perm region | 8279 |
| Chuvashia | 9080 |
| Stavropol region | 8953 |
| Tatarstan | 8990 |
| Chechen district | 9034 |
| Tambov | 7425 |
| Smolensk | 8578 |
| Sevastopol | 10569 |
| North Ossetia | 9034 |
| Khanty-Mansiysk | 12176 |
| Chelyabinsk | 7918 |
| Novosibirsk | 8723 |
| Omsk | 7411 |
| Sakhalin | 12333 |
| Sverdlov | 11200 |
| Tver | 8634 |
| Tomsk | 8902 |
| Tula | 8508 |
| Tyva | 7968 |
| Tyumen | 8708 |
| Udmurtia | 7423 |
| Ulyanovsk | 7937 |
| Khabarovsk region | 13456 |
| Khakassia | 10782 |
| Chukotka District | 16386 |
| Yamalo-Nenets District | 13425 |
| Yaroslav | 7869 |
| Lipetsk | 7326 |
| Krasnodar region | 8455 |
| Krasnoyarsk region | 9288 |
| Crimea | 10389 |
| Kurgan region | 9900 |
| Kursk | 7707 |
| Leningrad | 10200 |
| Kostroma | 10348 |
| Komi | 10582 |
| Kirovsk | 7881 |
| Kemerovo | 7625 |
| Kalmykia | 8674 |
| Kaluga | 8689 |
| Kamchatka Krai | 16543 |
| Karachay-Cherkessia | 7528 |
| Moscow and region | 9908-12115 |
| Mordovia | 9034 |
| Mari El | 9130 |
| Magadan | 15460 |
| Kaliningrad | 10028 |
| Kabardino-Balkaria | 9342 |
| Irkutsk | 8102 |
| Dagestan | 7345 |
| Voronezh | 8928 |
| Volgograd | 7556 |
| Altai | 9871 |
| Altai region | 8152 |
| Bryansk | 8202 |
| Buryatia | 10239 |
| Vladimir | 10028 |
| Amursk | 8924 |
| Arkhangelsk | 10056 |
| Astrakhan | 7757 |
| Bashkortostan | 7315 |
| Belgorod | 8629 |
| Adygea | 8876 |
| Jewish Autonomous Region | 10358 |
| Transbaikal region | 10289 |
| Ivanovo | 8405 |
| Ingushetia | 9382 |
The cost of living for a pensioner for 2021 in different regions of Russia
| Region | 2021, rub. | 2020, rub. | Change in rub. |
| In general for the Russian Federation | 10 022 | 9 311 | 711 |
Central Federal District
| Region | 2021, rub. | 2020, rub. | Change in rub. |
| Belgorod region | 8 659 | 8 016 | 643 |
| Bryansk region | 9 860 | 9 120 | 740 |
| Vladimir region | 9 800 | 9 077 | 723 |
| Voronezh region | 9 020 | 8 750 | 270 |
| Ivanovo region | 9 521 | 8 978 | 543 |
| Kaluga region | 10 002 | 9 303 | 699 |
| Kostroma region | 9 734 | 8 967 | 767 |
| Kursk region | 9 144 | 8 600 | 544 |
| Lipetsk region | 8 811 | 8 620 | 191 |
| Oryol Region | 9 409 | 8 744 | 665 |
| Ryazan Oblast | 9 321 | 8 694 | 627 |
| Smolensk region | 9 782 | 9 460 | 322 |
| Tambov Region | 9 396 | 8 241 | 1 155 |
| Tver region | 9 875 | 9 302 | 573 |
| Tula region | 9 997 | 9 310 | 687 |
| Yaroslavl region | 9 231 | 8 646 | 585 |
| Moscow | 13 496 | 12 578 | 918 |
| Moscow region | 10 648 | 9 908 | 740 |
Northwestern Federal District
| Region | 2021, rub. | 2020, rub. | Change in rub. |
| Republic of Karelia | 12 783 | 11 840 | 943 |
| Komi Republic | 12 645 | 11 534 | 1 111 |
| Arhangelsk region | 12 014 | 10 955 | 1 059 |
| Nenets a.o. | 19 353 | 17 956 | 1 397 |
| Vologda Region | 10 221 | 9 572 | 649 |
| Kaliningrad region | 10 378 | 9 658 | 720 |
| Saint Petersburg | 10 280 | 9 514 | 766 |
| Leningrad region | 10 359 | 9 247 | 1 112 |
| Murmansk region | 15 873 | 14 354 | 1 519 |
| Novgorod region | 10 096 | 9 423 | 673 |
| Pskov region | 10 113 | 9 529 | 584 |
North Caucasus Federal District
| Region | 2021, rub. | 2020, rub. | Change in rub. |
| The Republic of Dagestan | 9 020 | 8 680 | 340 |
| The Republic of Ingushetia | 9 020 | 8 846 | 174 |
| Kabardino-Balkarian Republic | 10 198 | 9 598 | 600 |
| Karachay-Cherkess Republic | 9 020 | 8 846 | 174 |
| Republic of North Ossetia-Alania | 9 100 | 8 455 | 645 |
| Chechen Republic | 10 020 | 9 035 | 985 |
| Stavropol region | 8 646 | 8 297 | 349 |
Southern Federal District
| Region | 2021, rub. | 2020, rub. | Change in rub. |
| Republic of Adygea | 8 540 | 8 138 | 402 |
| Republic of Kalmykia | 8 973 | 8 242 | 731 |
| Krasnodar region | 9 922 | 9 258 | 664 |
| Astrakhan region | 9 621 | 8 969 | 652 |
| Volgograd region | 9 020 | 8 569 | 451 |
| Rostov region | 9 445 | 8 736 | 709 |
| Republic of Crimea | 9 546 | 8 912 | 634 |
| Sevastopol | 9 862 | 9 597 | 265 |
Volga Federal District
| Region | 2021, rub. | 2020, rub. | Change in rub. |
| Republic of Bashkortostan | 9 605 | 8 645 | 960 |
| Mari El Republic | 8 719 | 8 380 | 339 |
| The Republic of Mordovia | 9 020 | 8 522 | 498 |
| Republic of Tatarstan | 8 423 | 8 232 | 191 |
| Udmurt republic | 8 917 | 8 502 | 415 |
| Chuvash Republic | 8 466 | 7 953 | 513 |
| Kirov region | 9 348 | 8 511 | 837 |
| Nizhny Novgorod Region | 9 360 | 8 689 | 671 |
| Orenburg region | 9 020 | 8 252 | 768 |
| Penza region | 9 020 | 8 404 | 616 |
| Perm region | 9 613 | 8 777 | 836 |
| Samara Region | 9 320 | 8 690 | 630 |
| Saratov region | 8 566 | 8 278 | 288 |
| Ulyanovsk region | 9 247 | 8 574 | 673 |
Ural federal district
| Region | 2021, rub. | 2020, rub. | Change in rub. |
| Kurgan region | 9 248 | 8 750 | 498 |
| Sverdlovsk region | 9 521 | 9 311 | 210 |
| Tyumen region | 9 958 | 9 250 | 708 |
| Chelyabinsk region | 9 794 | 8 691 | 1 103 |
| Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra | 14 044 | 12 730 | 1 314 |
| Yamalo-Nenets a.o. | 14 033 | 13 510 | 523 |
Siberian Federal District
| Region | 2021, rub. | 2020, rub. | Change in rub. |
| Altai Republic | 9 539 | 8 753 | 786 |
| Tyva Republic | 9 485 | 8 846 | 639 |
| The Republic of Khakassia | 9 986 | 8 975 | 1 011 |
| Altai region | 9 573 | 8 894 | 679 |
| Krasnoyarsk region | 10 963 | 10 039 | 924 |
| Irkutsk region | 10 540 | 9 497 | 1 043 |
| Kemerovo region | 9 147 | 8 387 | 760 |
| Novosibirsk region | 10 378 | 9 487 | 891 |
| Omsk region | 8 932 | 8 480 | 452 |
| Tomsk region | 10 436 | 9 546 | 890 |
Far Eastern Federal District
| Region | 2021, rub. | 2020, rub. | Change in rub. |
| The Republic of Buryatia | 10 372 | 9 207 | 1 165 |
| The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) | 15 438 | 14 076 | 1 362 |
| Primorsky Krai | 12 119 | 10 775 | 1 344 |
| Khabarovsk region | 13 205 | 11 799 | 1 406 |
| Amur region | 11 272 | 10 018 | 1 254 |
| Transbaikal region | 11 256 | 9 829 | 1 427 |
| Kamchatka Krai | 18 148 | 16 756 | 1 392 |
| Magadan Region | 17 560 | 15 943 | 1 617 |
| Sakhalin region | 13 604 | 12 333 | 1 271 |
| Jewish Autonomous Region | 13 526 | 11 709 | 1 817 |
| Chukotka a.o. | 19 312 | 19 000 | 312 |
| Baikonur | 10 022 | 9 311 | 711 |
According to the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation
How does the cost of living of a pensioner affect the size of the pension?
PM regulates the lower level of pension provision (pension provision). The minimum amount of social payments in the Russian Federation this year is 9,311 rubles. Even if the income of a person of retirement age per month is 7 thousand rubles, then 2311 rubles will be paid additionally. to achieve the minimum set limit.
If indexation occurs, then social assistance will be cut, i.e. pensioners will not receive more than the established amount. If deductions exceed the established limits, payments will stop completely. In order to receive an additional payment, you need to contact the Pension Fund with a corresponding application. If you need to receive not only a federal, but also a regional bonus, you should report to the social security authorities. Supplements are not calculated automatically. Persons who are inactive do not receive additional payment.
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Rating of regions according to the cost of living of a pensioner in 2021
| Region | Size, rub./month |
| Nenets Autonomous Okrug | 19353 |
| Chukotka Autonomous Okrug | 19312 |
| Kamchatka Krai | 18148 |
| Magadan Region | 17560 |
| The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) | 15438 |
| Murmansk region | 15066 |
| Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra | 14044 |
| Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug | 14033 |
| Sakhalin region | 13604 |
| Jewish Autonomous Region | 13526 |
| Moscow | 13496 |
| Khabarovsk region | 13205 |
| Republic of Karelia | 12783 |
| Komi Republic | 12645 |
| Primorsky Krai | 12119 |
| Arhangelsk region | 12014 |
| Amur region | 11272 |
| Transbaikal region | 11256 |
| Krasnoyarsk region | 10963 |
| Moscow region | 10648 |
| Irkutsk region | 10540 |
| Tomsk region | 10436 |
| Kaliningrad region | 10378 |
| Novosibirsk region | 10378 |
| The Republic of Buryatia | 10372 |
| Leningrad region | 10359 |
| Saint Petersburg | 10280.3 |
| Kabardino-Balkarian Republic | 10198 |
| Pskov region | 10113 |
| Novgorod region | 10096 |
| RF | 10022 |
| Chechen Republic | 10020 |
| Kaluga region | 10002 |
| Tula region | 9997 |
| The Republic of Khakassia | 9986 |
| Tyumen region | 9958 |
| Krasnodar region | 9922 |
| Tver region | 9875 |
| Sevastopol | 9862 |
| Bryansk region | 9860 |
| Vladimir region | 9800 |
| Chelyabinsk region | 9794 |
| Smolensk region | 9782 |
| Kostroma region | 9734 |
| Vologda Region | 9701 |
| Astrakhan region | 9621 |
| Perm region | 9613 |
| Altai region | 9573 |
| Republic of Crimea | 9546 |
| Altai Republic | 9539 |
| Sverdlovsk region | 9521 |
| Ivanovo region | 9521 |
| Tyva Republic | 9485 |
| Rostov region | 9445 |
| Oryol Region | 9409 |
| Tambov Region | 9396 |
| Nizhny Novgorod Region | 9360 |
| Kirov region | 9348 |
| Ryazan Oblast | 9321 |
| Samara Region | 9320 |
| Kurgan region | 9248 |
| Ulyanovsk region | 9247 |
| Yaroslavl region | 9231 |
| Kemerovo region - Kuzbass | 9147 |
| Kursk region | 9144 |
| Republic of North Ossetia-Alania | 9100 |
| The Republic of Mordovia | 9020 |
| Volgograd region | 9020 |
| The Republic of Ingushetia | 9020 |
| Voronezh region | 9020 |
| The Republic of Dagestan | 9020 |
| Orenburg region | 9020 |
| Karachay-Cherkess Republic | 9020 |
| Penza region | 9020 |
| Republic of Kalmykia | 8973 |
| Omsk region | 8932 |
| Udmurt republic | 8917 |
| Lipetsk region | 8811 |
| Mari El Republic | 8719 |
| Belgorod region | 8659 |
| Republic of Bashkortostan | 8649 |
| Stavropol region | 8646 |
| Saratov region | 8566 |
| Republic of Adygea | 8540 |
| Chuvash Republic | 8466 |
| Republic of Tatarstan | 8423 |
Factors influencing the cost of living
The living wage of a pensioner is calculated in accordance with criteria such as the consumer basket, taxes, payment of housing and communal services, inflation and the category to which the citizen belongs. The size of the PM provides the basis for management to determine the standard of living of various categories of the population.
Despite the fact that officials had to do a lot of work to calculate the amount sufficient for pensioners to live, the allocated funds are not enough for a comfortable existence. The government believes that older people need much less to live than an adult and a child. This is most likely due to the fact that the smaller the difference between the established value and the charges, the smaller the amount of the surcharge will be.
Living wage in Moscow
It is no secret that Muscovites can boast of one of the highest standards of living in Russia. This means that the cost of living for metropolitan residents is calculated in accordance with the pricing policy for products, industrial goods and essential services occurring in the given territory. The exact PM figure for pensioners in Moscow for the second quarter of 2019 was 14,311 rubles. You can compare this figure with the monthly wage of the working population – 21,586 rubles.
Living wage for a pensioner in various federal districts
Eight Russian districts have different levels of security for pensioners:
- In the Central Federal District (17 regions and the city of Moscow), the cost of living is quite modest, as compared to the national average from 7,800 (Tambov region, slightly more than 8,000 in Belgorod) to 8,900 rubles (Tver and Smolensk regions). Due to the high standard of living in the capital, the pension that a Moscow resident can count on should be more than 12 thousand. And in the Moscow region it’s about 9900 rubles.
- The Northwestern District (10 constituent entities and the city of St. Petersburg) sets a slightly above average cost of living. The highest: Murmansk region - 12,600 rubles, Nenets Autonomous Okrug - 17 thousand, more than 10 thousand in the Komi Republic and Arkhangelsk region. In St. Petersburg, as throughout the country, 8846 rubles.
- The North Caucasus District is a rather poor region: there are 6 republics and the Stavropol Territory, where you can live on only 8,200 rubles. In North Ossetia - 8400 rub.
- The Southern Federal District (7 regions of the south of the country and the city of Sevastopol) is also famous for its low average salaries; the minimum income level everywhere is within 8,500 rubles. Adygea - 8100 rubles, a little more than 8000 - Kalmykia.
- The Volga region (14 territories) also has a level of pension provision below average: Chuvashia - 7900, Nizhny Novgorod region - 8100, just over 8200 rubles - Mari El, Tatarstan, Orenburg and Saratov regions.
- The Ural region is quite rich and the smallest district (only 6 subjects), Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - a little more than 12 thousand, Yamalo-Nenets - about 13,400 rubles. The rest are within the national average.
- The Siberian District includes 10 subjects with diverse economies,
- The least pensions are paid in the Kemerovo region - about 8,400, Omsk region - a little more than 8,400 rubles. The rest are in the range - from 8600 to 8900 rubles.
- The Far Eastern District (11 territories), which is small in number, but has a fairly high level of salaries and prices, can boast of the following minimum threshold: Chukotka - 19,000, Yakutia - 13,900, Primorsky - about 10 thousand, more than 10 thousand - Khabarovsk Territory, Sakhalin - 12 thousand ,Magadan-15 thousand, Kamchatka-16 thousand. Only two territories have a smaller size: about 9200 - Jewish Autonomous Okrug, 8846 - Amur Region.
What is the cost of living for a pensioner?
The main expenses of a pensioner in 2021, according to the Federal Law, should be within the amount of 8846 rubles . In the constituent entities of Russia, the amount of pension provision varies: it may be less or slightly more than the all-Russian level. With this amount, a pensioner can buy the smallest amount of basic necessities: meat, vegetables, fruits, milk. Also, the share of expenses should take into account payment for an apartment, medicine, telephone and travel on public transport.
Info
The minimum set for a Russian is determined based on the following criteria: consumer basket, taxes and inflation. The size of the monthly pension determines the standard of living of various categories of the population, and it is believed that a pensioner needs the least amount of money.
The government believes that older people need much less to live than an adult and a child. Although, on the contrary, in old age the costs of medicines, medical services, and special nutrition increase. If a pensioner’s income is within the minimum level, then the person can apply for social assistance when paying for travel, when purchasing medicines, and receive a subsidy for rent.
