Is the Cost of Living in Russia Really that Low?

There is a widespread opinion that goods, especially foods, and services in Russia are very cheap as compared to the US. A number of Russian statistical indicators characterizing the cost of living, either directly or indirectly, seemingly corroborate this opinion. This paper demonstrates that these indicators are biased, sufficiently understating the cost of living in Russia. A comparison of Russian actual prices for foods with those in the US evidences that they are comparable. Moreover, the Russian prices are tending to catch up with the US prices.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64418/1/wp949.pd

Price Mobility of Locations

This paper applies the concept of mobility to cross-location price dynamics. Exploiting data on prices across Russian regions over 1994-2000, a contribution of relative and absolute mobility of regions to price convergence among them is analyzed.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57222/1/wp842 .pd

Price convergence and market integration in Russia

After a period of growing disconnectedness of regional markets following the 1992 price liberalization in Russia, a process of improvement in market integration started since about 1994. This paper analyzes the spatial pattern of goods market integration in the country in 1994-2000, characterizing Russian regions into three states: integrated with a benchmark region, not integrated but tending toward integration with it, and not integrated and not tending toward integration. The standard AR(1) model serves to test for market integration. To capture a movement toward integration (price convergence), a nonlinear time series model with an asymptotically decaying trend is proposed. The results obtained suggest that only a bit more than one fifth of the Russian regions can be deemed not integrated and not tending toward integration with the benchmarkregion over 1994–2000.Law of one price, Price dispersion, Non-linear trend, Russian regions.

Goods Market Integration in Russia during the Economic Upturn

This paper obtains an evolving pattern of goods market integration in Russia, considering the period of economic upturn, since the second half of 2000 through the end of 2007. In an integrated market, the price of a tradable good at any location is determined by the national market, not local demand. Based on this, the strength of dependence of local prices on local demands is used to detect and measure market segmentation. The costs of a staples basket across almost all Russian regions with a monthly frequency are used as the empirical stuff. The pattern obtained suggests that in the time span under consideration the degree of Russiaís goods market integration was relatively stable, fluctuating around some level; no sufficient improvements or deteriorations were detected.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64371/1/wp921.pd

The Evolution of Cross-Region Price Distribution in Russia

The behavior of the entire cross-section distribution of prices in Russian regions is analyzed from 1992 through 2000, using non-parametric techniques. The cost of a staples basket is used as a price representative. Price dispersion measured as the standard deviation of prices is found to be diminishing since about 1994; and the shape of the cross-region distribution of prices tends to be more regular over time. To characterize intra-distribution mobility, a transition probability function (stochastic kernel) is estimated. It is also used to derive a long-run limit of the price distribution. Overall, the results suggest that, excluding a few years following the price liberalization, price convergence has been happening among Russian regions.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40102/3/wp716.pd

Methodologies of Analyzing Inter-Regional Income Inequality and Their Applications to Russia

This paper provides an overview of methodologies used to analyze inter-regional income inequality,and a critical survey of empirical studies that deal with Russian regions. It discusses implications of the growth theory regarding dynamics of inter-economy income inequality. Methodologies for empirically analyzing income inequality are classified as the cross-section approach, time series approach, and distribution dynamics approach. Specific methodologies are described within the framework of this classification, touching upon the subject of their applicability fields. The survey of studies on income inequality among Russian regions summarizes more than 30 papers grouped according to main approaches used for the analyses.spatial inequality, convergence, economic growth, beta-convergence, distribution dynamics, income mobility, Russian regions.

Price Linkages of Russian Regional Markets

Exploiting time series of the cost of a staples basket across 75 Russian regions over 1994-2000, price linkages of the regions are analyzed with the use of Granger causality as a tool. Price linkages of Russian regions are found extensive: on average, an individual regional market is linked through prices with 62% of others. Neither isolated clusters of regions nor autarkic regions are revealed; each region is linked with all others either directly or indirectly, through a chain of no more than two intermediate regions. Spatial autocorrelation is found to be widespread, taking place in two thirds of regions.market integration, Granger causality, integration clubs, spatial autocorrelation

Price Mobility of Locations

This paper applies the concept of mobility to cross-location price dynamics. Exploiting data on prices across Russian regions over 1994-2000, a contribution of relative and absolute mobility of regions to price convergence among them is analyzed.Price dispersion; Price convergence; Mobility; Russian regions

Price Linkages of Russian Regional Markets

Exploiting time series of the cost of a staples basket across 75 Russian regions over 1994-2000, price linkages of the regions are analyzed with the use of Granger causality as a tool. Price linkages of Russian regions are found extensive: on average, an individual regional market is linked through prices with 62% of others. Neither isolated clusters of regions nor autarkic regions are revealed; each region is linked with all others either directly or indirectly, through a chain of no more than two intermediate regions. Spatial autocorrelation is found to be widespread, taking place in two thirds of regions.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57219/1/wp839 .pd

Biases in cross-space comparisons through cross-time price indexes: The case of Russia

Lacking data on price levels across locations (countries, national regions, etc.) for cross-space comparisons, researchers resort to local consumer price indexes (CPIs) over time to evaluate these levels. This approach unfortunately fails to specify, even generally, the exactness of such proxies. Worse, the method is silent on whether the results are consistent, at least qualitatively, with those obtained using actual price levels. This paper aims to find an answer empirically, using data across Russian regions. Through comparison of CPI-proxied price levels with direct evaluations of regional price levels (i.e. Surinov spatial price indexes and the costs of a purchasing power basket), biases that distort the qualitative pattern of inter-regional differences are identified. Cross-region distributions for real income (calculated with CPI-proxied and directly evaluated price levels) for several points in time are estimated and compared. The CPI-induced biases are found to generally overstate inter-regional disparities.consumer price index; spatial price index; real income; nonhomothetic prefer-ences; Russia; Russian regions