There are many coastal states where electricity and natural gas rates are at EU levels.
https://www.energysage.com/local-data/electricity-cost/ca/
TEven within the USA there are major differences in incomes and living costs. So people even with lower incomes can live comfortabley in low cost states.
FR seems to be able to understand that when it comes to US states.
But they are still stuck in a Cold War rut where everything in Russia is automatically bad regardless of actual facts.
You right. People in Midwest can live very comfortably on lot less income than CA. But, they have hard time when visiting CA. On the flip side, lots of former CA residents are buying mansions in Midwest. All they need is to sell their CA shack.
So similarly, Us residents see low prices in e.g. Costa Rica.
but do not see the income there.
Russia is not poor country nowadays. Somewhere in the middle.
I was there like 10 years ago, and the shops were full. People were not starving and the merchandize was of a lot better quality compared to the Communist era.
Like i mentioned many times before, Putin is NOT a Communist.
Dictator, yes.
Aggressor, yes.
Wants to re-build the tzarist empire, yes.
But communist NO!