Russia Ranks Second in Europe in Terms of Cheap Gas - Study

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia is in second place when it comes to countries with the lowest-priced gas for the masses, with Kazakhstan taking the top spot, according to a new Sputnik study.

"The cheapest gas... is purchased by residents of Kazakhstan, where it costs 4.1 rubles [$0.066] per cubic meter.. Russia is second with a price of 6.7 rubles per cubic meter. Belarus is in the third place, where gas is more expensive than in Russia by three rubles," the study says.

The five countries with the cheapest gas also include Turkey and Hungary.

The study specifies that the availability of gas for the end consumer is determined not only by its cost, but also by the level of income.

Kazakhstan is first in the ranking of countries in terms of gas availability for the population, and Russia is second, the study shows.

"An average [Kazakh] resident can purchase 8.6 thousand cubic meters of gas for their average monthly salary. Russia is second with 7.4 thousand cubic meters," the study says.

The United Kingdom, Luxembourg and Austria also ranked high in terms of gas availability. Meanwhile, Moldova was at the end of the list - its residents can buy the least gas for an average salary (858 cubic meters).

Gas prices in Europe will remain above the multi-year average until the end of 2022, the study shows. Last year, gas prices rose by more than 35 percent in 11 countries, while the cost growth in Russia amounted to 2.6 percent.