Life in Azerbaijan: Advantages and Disadvantages, Prices, and Architecture

What is it like to live in Azerbaijan? How much money do you need to live in Baku? Andrey spoke about his life in the capital of Azerbaijan—about the climate, salaries, prices, local residents and the intricacies of life in this country.

About the climate, architecture and peculiarities

— My name is Andrey, I am 26 years old. I am a master of sports in powerlifting, and sometimes I coach. I am interested in the topic of psychology and neurobiology.

I arrived in Azerbaijan in April 2023 and settled in the city of Baku.

I like the warm climate and weather here—snow rarely happens in Baku, 1–5 days a year. The country also has delicious vegetables and food in general, which has a beneficial effect on the immune system, of course. For example, I fell in love with ayran in Azerbaijan. It was a discovery for me that shawarma here is washed down with it, and not soda. And this is a wonderful combination, since ayran, unlike cola, soothes the stomach and does not irritate it.

Baku has cool architecture. Especially the city plan (at least for tourists). It’s as if everything was specially placed to create impressive views at every turn. For me, Baku is similar in appearance to Monaco, with the only difference being that Monaco has a greater concentration of money per square meter (because Monaco is much smaller). But houses and skyscrapers are very similar. In addition, both cities are located by the sea.

I also really like the presence of purple in Azerbaijan—there is more of it in Baku than in other cities. People don't often pay attention to this, but in fact, this color is rarely seen in other places; and the fact that the subway here is purple, as well as the lighting and signs of many companies, is quite cool and unusual.

The disadvantage of life is strong winds. Stronger than any city I've ever been to. Since Baku is a maritime city, the wind usually ranges from 7 to 12 meters per second; There are days when the wind reaches 15 meters per second with gusts up to 24 (in this case it is extremely difficult to walk on the street). Of course, the winds do not cover the entire city at once. There may be a stormy wind in one area, but a calm wind several kilometers away. The reason for the strong winds is the location of Baku: globally the sea is on three sides of the city, so nothing prevents the sea wind.

And one more interesting feature—in Baku, relative to the middle zone, there are few trees, and they are not very tall (maximum 12-15 meters). Greenery is also rare, but it is always very well-groomed. This is expected and completely normal. Baku residents even succeeded in caring for greenery in their hot climate. However, this will, in any case, catch the eye of residents of the middle zone.

About prices and living standard

— Azerbaijan is a fairly rich country with oil revenues. There are a lot of small businesses and small shops here.

Prices in Azerbaijan are quite high, but not for everything. For example, products are not very expensive, with the exception of imported ones (the difference is noticeable there). Let me give you examples:

• Local milk (1 liter) costs approximately 2.5 manats ($1.47); at a discount you can buy it for 1.7–1.8 manats (~$1). Imported milk will cost somewhere around 3.5–4 manats ($2–2.35).
• Local pasta costs 90 kopecks per 500 grams (~$0.50), and Barilla pasta, for example, costs about 2 manats per 400 grams ($1.20).
• Chicken (fillet) now costs an average of 7.5–9 manats ($4.40–5.30) per kilogram. Beef is more expensive—from 15 manats (~$9) per kilogram; if it is a special tenderloin—19 manats per kg.
• Eggs cost approximately 2–2.5 manats ($1.20–$1.47) per dozen.
• Sugar costs up to 2 manats per kilogram, and imported sugar costs about 6 manats per kilogram.
• Local cottage cheese can be bought for 7.5 manats ($4.40) per kilogram, while imported cottage cheese costs about 6 to 8 manats for 300 grams.
• Cucumbers out of season cost 4 manats per kilogram, and in season they cost about 60 kopecks (1 manat is 100 kopecks).
• As for sweets, they are generally expensive here: a 75 gram Snickers costs 2 manats 20 kopecks ($1.30), an Alpen Gold chocolate bar costs 2 manats 40 kopecks, and a 350 gram nutella costs 8 manats. That is, nutella is cheaper here than Snickers.
• Berries, cherries and strawberries, can be bought in season for 1.5-2.5 manats, and sometimes for 50–60 kopecks per kilogram.
• Pomegranates cost 60 kopecks per kilogram ($0.35) in season, and up to 3.5 manats out of season.
• Shawarma (here it is most often called doner) outside the center will cost 2-2.30 manats. Ayran can cost from 50 kopecks to manat. In shopping centers or just in the center the price can reach up to 4 manats for the same volume.

Transport is also inexpensive, even taking into account the recent increase in prices—travel by public transport will cost 0.4 manats.

But the equipment will cost much more. There are also phone registration fees and the like. If we compare it with Moscow, then iPhones here will be about $500 more expensive than in Gorbushka.

The prices in the establishments are also quite high. For example: prices for shots in bars start from 15 manats* (almost $10).

Average salaries, according to locals, are approximately 500-700 manats ($300-$400) per month. Of course, salaries vary, as everywhere else: if you get a better job, you can count on 1000-1200 manats ($600-$700), and if you are employed in large companies for good positions—up to 5000 manats (~$3000).

It is noteworthy that in Azerbaijan the exchange rate is strictly tied to the dollar: if in the UAE, for example, it fluctuates during trading, here when you open the chart you immediately see a flat line. That is, the rate is always the same—this is convenient in terms of exchanging local currency for US dollars.

* Manat is the national currency of Azerbaijan.

There are a lot of kitties in Baku, almost as many as in Istanbul

Prices for both purchasing real estate and renting it are pleasantly surprising. For example, you can rent a decent two-room apartment or a large one-room apartment for about $300. But such options fly away very quickly—an ad can literally hang for several hours. So you need to keep your finger on the pulse. If you put aside the desire to save a lot, then you can find an apartment quickly and in a good area.

In terms of everyday life, Azerbaijan, like any country, has its own peculiarities: for example, here in houses there is more often a shower rather than a bath; everywhere (from apartments and establishments to street toilets) there is a hygienic shower; Everywhere there are small switches that are unusual to the eye and hands. There is heating, but not everywhere. Since the region is hot, there is air conditioning everywhere.

About Azerbaijanis and the attitude of girls towards men

— Throughout Azerbaijan they speak mainly the Azerbaijani language, and in Baku they speak a dialect that is close to Turkish. They also speak Russian, but not everyone knows it. As for English, even fewer people speak it.

Azerbaijan has a fairly traditional society. This is clearly expressed, for example, in the attitude of women towards men: it is noticeable that the male sex is treated with more respect and even reverence. There is also this peculiarity: there are bars that you can only enter as a couple—that is, if you are a man, you must have at least one girl with you. In bars with free entry, in 90% of cases you can find an exclusively male contingent.

The Azerbaijanis themselves are responsive, hospitable and open—they will help you in any situation, they are constantly trying to treat you with something. But there is no need to abuse this.

In a word, living in Azerbaijan is comfortable—at least based on my experience.

For information—how to visit Azerbaijan and obtain temporary registration

Visiting Azerbaijan requires several mandatory documents.

• Firstly, this is a foreign passport. It must be valid for the entire trip.
• Secondly, it is recommended to take out health insurance to avoid unexpected expenses.
• Thirdly, upon arrival in Baku, you must register within 14 days. This can be done at one of the ASAN centers, where the process takes about an hour. Other options include submitting an application to the migration service in Baku or one of its regional offices; this can also be done through the electronic services section on the migration portal; or send documents by email to qeydiyyat@migration.gov.az.

Registration requires filling out an application form in Azerbaijani, copies of passport pages and visas. There is no fee.

Upon departure, registration is canceled, so upon return you will need to go through the procedure again.

There are no restrictions on the number of entries into the country; you can return every 90 days.