Canadian living in Russia shares family's cost of living
After leaving Canada to settle abroad with his family, one Canadian man is sharing the realities of life in a small city in Russia.
Phill Hadikin, 53, lives in Khabarovsk with his wife, Victoria “Vika” Hadikin, 50, and their sons, John, 16, and Andrew, 13.
For Phill, living in Russia wasn’t exactly part of the plan. In 2002, he left his hometown of Castlegar in B.C. to teach English at a university in South Korea, where he would meet Victoria and eventually end up staying for 18 years.
Victoria was also a teacher at a university in South Korea, where she taught Russian. The couple had plenty in common.
“I am a third-generation Canadian-born Russian-Canadian,” said Phill. “I grew up in a small community in Castlegar where a large number of families are ethnic Russian, and Russian was spoken equally to English in the household.”
Moving to Russia
Phill Hadikin and his wife Victoria (Supplied)
In 2019, it was time for a change: the family decided to leave Korea for Canada. But when the pandemic hit, the family had to rethink their plans.
“My wife was not able to come to Canada because even though we were married for 13 years, she didn’t have Canadian citizenship, so she had to return to Russia, and I had to go to Canada,” explained Phill in a video on his YouTube channel, Canadian Living in Russia. “But our two sons, they had both passports.”
The initial plan was for Victoria and their sons to visit family in Russia for a month or two, and then they would reunite in Canada.
“Well, it didn’t turn out that way,” said Phill.
Due to lockdowns, Phill ended up alone in Canada for 25 months, unable to travel. But at the end of 2021, when borders started opening up, that’s when the conflict in Ukraine began.
“Victoria was unable to come to Canada; it was more of a political thing,” explained Phill. “Russians were unable to come to Canada.”
Supplied
So, instead, Phill travelled to his family in Russia on a one-year special family visa, officially moving on May 17, 2022. He’s currently on a three-year renewable work visa but now has plans to stay long-term.
“I applied for permanent residency status last December 2025 and will be informed of the decision to grant me permanent residency status by May 2025,” he said.
Adjusting to life in Russia
Suvorov_Alex/Shutterstock
Phill said it was easy to get a job teaching English in Khabarovsk, his wife’s hometown. The city is located in eastern Russia along the Russian-Chinese border and has a population of over 640,000, according to the World Population Review.
“Khabarovsk is large enough to hold numerous malls and shopping centres yet small enough that it has a small-town vibe,” said Phill.
He added that the reality of daily life in Russia is far different from what’s portrayed in the media.
“Unlike what many collective Western media outlets often claim, Russia is a safe and modern country to live in,” he said.
Phill said that he found it a lot easier to adjust to Russian culture.
“Russians call a spade a spade. Russian people do not like to beat around the bush,” he explained. “They say things the way they see things. And if it means hurting your feelings, so be it — they don’t smile and BS you at the same time.”
Comparing life in Canada vs. Russia
Three years ago, Phill started his YouTube channel to offer people a glimpse into life in Russia.
“I want to show what life is like in the Russian Far East through the eyes of a Canadian,” he explained.
To date, Phill has uploaded over 440 videos, has 2,200 subscribers, and over 120,000 views. However, unlike other YouTubers, he can’t profit from his content.
“My YouTube channel is not monetized due to Western sanctions against Russia, so I don’t earn any money from my videos,” he said.
He said that reactions to his videos have been mixed.
“There are times when I post a positive themed video, and I receive comments that I am a troll and I am being forced to make a propaganda video by the Russian Communist regime,” he shared. “By the way, Russia has not had a Communist government in power since 1991.”
Regarding other aspects of life in Russia, Phill said that Canada and Russia are “as different as night is to day.”
“In Russia, it seems that people go out of their way to help their friends and family succeed in daily life,” he observed. “Yet in Canada, it seems that everyone is on their own, like Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest.”
Like in Canada, elementary and secondary in Russia is free. However, in Russia, students have access to free post-secondary education. They also have the option to pay tuition to study in private or specialized colleges or universities.
Breaking down the cost of living
According to Phill, life in eastern Russia is affordable.
“The daily cost of living is affordable, and I have access to at least 80 per cent of Western-made products,” said Phill. “As for the other 20 per cent, Russian-made substitutes are just as good as Western brands.”
Below, he shares some of his family’s monthly expenses in Canadian dollars:
Housing: “We live in downtown Khabarovsk in a gated apartment complex. We own the apartment we live in; we do not have a mortgage. The size of our apartment is 120 square meters (1,292 square feet).”
Groceries: “Our monthly grocery bill is about $450 to $500. It’s much less in the summer because we have a garden at our country cottage (called a dacha).”
In one video, he even shares what it’s like to shop at a typical Russian supermarket.
The family’s cottage or dacha (Supplied)
Dining out: “The cost of dining out for two at a Russian cafeteria style (столовая) restaurant is $12 to $15. The cost of dining out for two at a fast food restaurant such as KFC or Burger King is $18 to $20. The cost for two at a nice sit-down restaurant, including drinks (Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Italian, Indian, Armenian, Georgian, or Greek cuisine), is $50 to 60.
Electricity: $25 to $30
Heating: (October to April) $135
Hot water: $15
Cold water: $6.50
Natural gas: $2.50
Sewage: $10
Garbage removal: $8
Building maintenance: $12
Online TV: $22
Movie tickets: (Hollywood and domestic Russian movies) $5/ticket
Hockey: (For league 1 level below NHL) $9 per ticket
High-speed internet: $22
Phone for the entire family: 50 GB internet per person at $8.50 to $34 “for our family of four.”
Health care/health insurance: “Health care is free. However, if someone wishes to visit a private clinic, the cost is about $25 per visit.”
Transportation: “We own our 2024 Chinese Chery Tiggo Pro Max 7, so we don’t have car loan payments. Car insurance for 1 year is $340. Taxis cost about $2.50 for a 12 to 15-minute ride. City bus fare costs $0.85/per ride.”
Travel: “We don’t travel too much anymore. We used to travel a lot during our summer/winter vacations when we lived in South Korea. Our travelling days are behind us. However, I return every summer to Castlegar, B.C., to visit my mother, sisters, and friends.”
Looking ahead
Having lived in two other countries, Phill is certainly aware of the difficulties of expat life.
“Any Canadian planning to move abroad should wear thick skin,” he said. “There will be times when you wish you had never set off on your adventure and wish you had stayed in your comfort zone in Canada.”
Like other expats who’ve left their home country, he suggests doing as much research as possible.
“Remember, you will not be a tourist and will be living amongst the locals for the most part,” he said.
Another piece of advice: “Most importantly, learn the local language. Your communication skills in the local language will soften the blow when you relocate from Canada to your new living destination.”
When asked how long he sees himself living in Russia, Phill said, “I went to South Korea for one year and ended up staying there for 18 years. So, to answer the question of how long I will be here in Russia, well, for the short term, I’m here until we can have a choice of whether to go to Canada or stay in Russia.”
Phill Hadikin with his sons (Supplied)
He added that if he could continue to maintain the same lifestyle that he has now, he would have “absolutely no problem” living in Russia for the next decade or even 20 years.
Phill said that although he misses his family and friends in Canada, he feels connected to them as they speak daily.
“Whether I’m in Korea, Russia, or Canada, it really doesn’t matter,” he said. “As long as I’m with my family, that’s what’s important.”
In the past, Daily Hive has covered stories of Canadians who have moved to the U.K., Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, the Maldives, and more.
Are you a Canadian living abroad? We’d love to hear from you for a future story. Email us at trending@dailyhive.com.