Minsk

As the capital city of Belarus, Minsk is the country’s largest city with 2 million people and the biggest IT market in Belarus.

Minsk ranks 24th among Europe’s safest cities. Despite the size, it’s a quiet and safe city with no bad neighborhoods. It’s also one of Europe’s cheapest cities for international IT workers.

IT salaries

The average IT salary in Minsk is $1,700 per month (about BYN 3,900). It may be lower for Junior specialists or higher for Senior professionals and also depends on other factors such as specialization and stack of technologies.

Average IT salaries in Minsk depending on the specialization (USD):

• Software developer: 1,800
• Back-end developer: 1,864
• Front-end developer: 1,500
• DevOps engineer: 2,500
• Web designer: 1,030
• System administrator: 1,150
• Project manager: 2,150
• QA engineer: 2,200
• Technical writer: 850

Average IT salaries in Minsk depending on the technology (USD):

• ABAP/4: 2,575
• Android: 2,000
• BI: 1,675
• C/C++: 2,328
• Go: 3,250
• iOS: 3,225
• HTML/ CSS/ JavaScript: 1,500
• Java: 2,000
• Kotlin: 1,800
• .NET: 2,420
• ObjectiveC/ MacOS/ iPhone: 2,450
• Oracle: 2,550
• PHP: 1,864
• Python: 1,900
• Ruby: 1,675
• 1C: 1,700

Average IT salaries in Minsk depending on the experience (USD):

• < 1 year: 725
• 1–3 years: 1,100
• 3–7 years: 2,200
• > 7 years: 3,000

Economy

The unemployment rate in Minsk is unusually low and stands at 0.1%. This city is a large economic center contributing to almost 50% of the Belarusian economy and having many important sectors:

• Automotive
• Construction
• Electronics
• Energy
• Food processing
• Research and development
• Retail
• Software development
• Transportation and communications

The largest technology companies present in Minsk include:

• BelHard
• Epam
• Godel Technologies Europe
• IBM
• ISsoft
• iTechArt Group
• Itransition
• SkyWay Technologies
• SoftClub
• Wargaming

Cost of living

Minsk is one of the cheapest cities in Europe. However, the cost of renting an apartment in Minsk is highest compared to all other Belarusian cities. It starts at $200 (about BYN 450) outside the center and at $400 (about BYN 900) in the downtown for 1-bedroom flats. Keep in mind, though, that you can rent a home close to a subway station on the outskirts of Minsk and still be 20–35 minutes of ride time from the city center.

Utility bills ($40–45 per month) depend on the number of persons registered in the apartment. If no one is registered, the bills can be even higher compared to the case when there’s one person registered. You will get bills by post and you can pay them through your Belarusian bank’s app or an e-banking instrument.

The average prices in Minsk (USD):

• Meal at McDonald’s: 4–6
• Meal at another inexpensive restaurant: 5–14
• Average food basket (milk, bread, eggs, cheese, chicken, apples, potatoes, water, beer): 15
• Monthly fee at a fitness club: 20–50
• Monthly pass: 13–23
• Monthly rent (1 bedroom): 300–600
• Monthly rent (3 bedrooms): 500–900
• Property prices per square meter: 950 – 2,400
• Utilities: 40–45 per month

Travel

Minsk National Airport located 40 km to the east of the city serves direct flights to many European destinations including Amsterdam, Belgrad, Budapest, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Kyiv, Larnaca, Lviv, Moscow, Paris, Prague, Saint-Petersburg, Stockholm, Vienna, Warsaw, and others. Allow 2 or 3 hours of flight, and you’re in the center of Europe.

Moreover, Minsk is located 2.5 to 3 hours of travel by train or car from Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania. Its airport offers cheaper flights, some of which are served by low-costers such as Ryanair, Wizz Air, and others. You can also take a train from Vilnius to Prague, Riga, Warsaw, and other European cities.

Entertainment

Minsk is the large cultural center of Belarus with a restored historic district, many beautiful orthodox and catholic churches, theaters, museums, libraries, art spaces, hipster bars, and other places of interest. This city is famous for its Soviet-style brutalist architecture, wide streets, and vast green zones.

A great many cultural events are held annually in Minsk and its surroundings, including folk festivals, graffiti festivals, concerts, workshops, and more. You can also take a train and explore historic castles in other parts of Belarus (Nesvizh Castle, Mir Castle, Lida Castle, and others). And although Belarus has no access to the sea, there is a large water reservoir called the Minsk Sea just about 20 km from the city.