| Live in
Armenia |
| A place
of culture, history, good people, and low cost of living. |
| by Raffi Kojian |
| Overview
Although Armenia
probably does not cross the mind of the average American very often, those
considering retirement or life abroad would do well to consider all it
has to offer. With an incredibly low cost of living, a variety of
climates, choice of city or country life, many sites to visit, virtually
zero crime and one of the world's most hospitable people, it has much to
offer anyone. As part of the Soviet Union, Armenia was one of the most
prosperous and advanced parts of the entire communist world.
Now with independence and a depressed economy, it offers a chance to live
in a Western city for very little money. |
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| Cost of
Living
For the average
American, the prices in Armenia alone make it a paradise. To maintain or
even surpass the lifestyle the average American enjoys, in the most expensive
parts of the capital city would mean spending no more than $600 per month.
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If you live
a bit more frugally, monthly expenses in even the expensive areas can easily
be capped at $300. |
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| Living cheaply
outside of the capital can cost less than $50 per month. This means that
there is something for everyone. The rent for a very spacious remodeled
one bedroom in the center of the capital city Yerevan costs approximately
$200.
A nice meal
at a restaurant or bistro will vary of course, but a nice beef stroganoff
dinner, with a big beer and tip costs under $3. Sandwiches to go are usually
about 50 cents, and all of the excellent natural juices, domestic beers,
wines, cognacs, and soft drinks are extremely inexpensive as well.
Maids for those who need one cost no more than $40 per month for at least
a weekly cleaning in Yerevan, including laundry and cooking as well. In
the suburbs the price of services go down accordingly, and in the towns
and countryside, the drop is drastic. For example, in the forest
resort town of Dilijan, renting a house could cost $10 a month, and a maid
would cost about the same. |
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| Fruits and
vegetables, whichever are in season, rarely exceed 10 cents per pound,
so for those who don't eat out, the cost of food is negligible.
Crime
Armenia has
escaped the post Soviet crime wave syndromes experienced in many other
places, and has become for the traveler or expat a virtually crime free
zone. Assault is unheard of, pick pockets do not exist, and the police
give foreigners special treatment as guests in their country. Like
many countries in a similar economic state, there is corruption in government,
but this usually does not apply to foreigners with their limited government
dealings.
Climate
Probably the
only reason Armenia is not already swarming with retirees, is that although
located at the same latitude as Spain, the higher elevation give much of
Armenia a winter slightly milder than that of Boston. |
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| With much
less precipitation and virtually no humidity all year round, the climate
in the summer is much like that of Arizona.
The numerous
mountain chains and river gorges give Armenia a vast number of micro climates
however which allow those wishing to live in a small town or country side
a lot of choice. From a vast alpine lake, to temperate rain forests,
and from even drier and hotter areas to warmer winter towns, you have a
lot of choice.
City or
Country
Aside from
the capital city of Yerevan, there are only a couple of other urban areas.
Yerevan is a small metropolis with just over 1 million inhabitants.
There is cheap public transportation all over the country and Yerevan has
a subway, trolleys, buses, vans, and trains. |
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| The center
of Yerevan is still very affordable, and is lined with many parks and fountains.
For anyone who loves the city life, this offers everything except the fast
pace of life. The two other cities of over 100,000 are Gyumri and
Vanadzor. There are a number of very attractive towns to live in
all over Armenia however, from the forested towns of Dilijan and Ijevan
in the north, to the beautiful green river towns of Goris, Kapan and Meghri
in the south. Near Yerevan are the nice historic towns of Echmiadzin
and Ashtarak. The unspoiled countryside is beautiful to explore on
trips by city dwellers, and a great place to live. There are few
fences, and vast empty areas all throughout most of Armenia along with
national forests and reserves. You can rent or lease a home almost
anywhere outside of Yerevan for well under $40 per month. The countryside
is also literally littered with beautiful ancient monasteries and fortresses,
which again are perfect for weekend trips or settling down nearby.
People
Being located
in the Caucasus mountains, Armenians are a Caucasian race, speaking an
Indo-European language. This entire region is known for its hospitality
and people here can astonish you with their friendliness and curiosity.
Just about everyone speaks Armenian and Russian, with English now catching
on everywhere. There are very few minorities in Armenia. There are
a handful of Yezidi villages, who have their own religion, as well as a
couple of Assyrian, Greek and Russian villages. Many of the Russians
are called Molokans, a faith similar to that of the Amish. They were
persecuted in Russia and settled in parts of Armenia. Aside from
differing by their lighter features, the men usually grow beards and wear
hats, while the women wear scarves. Due to the large amount of US
foreign aid and the large number of American Armenians, there are a good
number of expats already living in Armenia. There are some restaurants
catering to this group as well as activities and clubs.
Cultural
Events
The Soviet
Union created a very strong and well funded cultural infrastructure which
has survived almost intact, even with dramatically lower funding.
For prices ranging from a nickel up to $2, you can attend any performance
you like. There are operas, symphonies, dance troupes, theater, painting
and sculptural exhibitions, and installations. Armenian artists and
performers tour the world and are recognized for their skill and talent.
Every weekend the painters, woodcarvers, knitters, needleworkers, jewelers,
ceramic artists, and other artisans gather to sell their works. Celebrating
1700 years since becoming the first nation to officially accept Christianity
as its state religion, the ancient culture is rich in it music and art.
Visa
A three week
tourist visa is issued as a matter of routine at any Armenian Embassy for
about $50, and can be extended automatically for 2 weeks. Three month,
one year, and three year residency visas are available, but usually are
reserved for businessmen (this is not a hard and fast rule, and Armenia
especially may be flexible if you can reach an understanding with the visa
office). Ten year residency visas, costing about $350 are also available
at embassies and take about 6 months to process. If you come to Armenia
as a tourist, you can overstay your visa as long as you like with a $3
per day penalty (no other penalty than this fine). This offsets some
of the cost of living advantage, but as a convenient alternative is not
so bad.
Real Estate
If you are
interested in owning, so as to fix the most important cost of living item
in a budget, as a foreigner you can buy outright any apartment in Armenia.
An individual house with land can be bought, but the land can only be leased
for a period of 99 years. Renting or leasing is easy and cheap anywhere.
A one bedroom apartment in the very prime area of Yerevan and in good condition
will cost about $20,000. One or two metro stops out and the price
drops in half to $10,000. Outside of Yerevan prices are much lower
even than $10,000 for apartments and homes. Real estate tax is approximately
$50 for a $10,000 apartment per year. If you establish a corporation
in Armenia, the corporation can purchase land outright. Rentals and
leases are easily availabl and a nice one bedroom in the center of
town can be rented for about $200, about half that one or two metro stops
out, and again, for well under $40 per month outside of Yerevan.
Internet
Internet is
easily available, though not cheap in Yerevan. Outside of Yerevan,
certain towns have providers, and others don't, but a bad connection to
Yerevan may be possible. In Yerevan there are numerous providers
with many plans, and very clean phone lines. Internet cafes and phone
calling centers also abound. The very best unlimited internet account
costs $50 per month, while the unlimited evening internet account costs
$20 per month. Computers are cheaply priced here, while peripherals
are limited in selection.
Medicine
Armenia recently
had one of the highest number of Physicians per capita in the world.
Medicine was advanced and free. The quality of care has fallen quickly
in some areas, as funding has fallen, and medical advances move quickly
and are very expensive. Overall medical care is still all right however
and affordable. Doctors here are still pioneering new treatments and techniques
which are being adopted in the west. In 2001 a new heart surgery
method developed by an Armenian doctor replacing part of the heart in an
infant with Gore-Tex was performed in the US very successfully.
Region
Located in
the very southeastern corner of Europe, Armenia is a member of the Council
of Europe. The flight to Zurich is 3.5 hours, the Holy Land is a
short flight away, and Russia, Iran and Turkey are neighbors. India
is not much further than Switzerland, since Armenia is near the center
of the massive Eurasian landmass. There was fighting in neighboring
Azerbaijan, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which stopped in early
1994. The fighting led to an Armenian region to break away from Azeri
rule, although the fighting did not affect Armenia proper. Karabakh
has been rebuilding since that time and to encourage settlement offers
a free home and land to people wanting to settle in its more temperate
green, rolling hills. |
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