jpv

I'm sorry, Big, but you're WAY off. I do understand that you've probably never set foot in Vladivostok, but you simply have no idea what you're talking about. The roads here are jammed with cars (from Japan).
Rent here is more expensive than it is in a mid-sized American city (say, Minneapolis, where I've from). For a one-room flat (that's one room with a kitchen and bathroom...that's it), near the center of the city (within 2 kms), you should expect to pay anywhere from 14,000 to 18,000 rubles/month. Divide those numbers by 23.5 and tell me that rent is cheap.
Health care is "free". However, if you want decent care you have to shell out some money (admittedly miniscule in contract to American health care prices).