Just to start. I'm not a gigolo of any kind. I'm not professionally involved in any sex business. I'm just the "honest fucker" - same as you are, I guess. I'm a native Muscovite but, fortunately, speak English.
Now to tell. In Russia we have a unique resource - the forum, where professional sex-workers of all kinds (prostitutes, massagers, strip-dancers etc etc) are discussed by
consumers of their services. And I'm one of these users, with ab. 20 years' experience of visiting sex-workers.
The problem is that the forum is in Russian... though many users well speak different languages. Some expats Reviewom USA and Canada also participate.
And, what is funny and interesting, a number of professional sexworkers also participate in the forum. Which only makes things more interesting. Ab. 80% of people are Reviewom Moscow, 10% Reviewom St-Petersburg, other Reviewom other regions and Reviewom abroad.
The forum itself is Reviewee Reviewom advertising. And all users post there information without any commercial basis - same as on mpnet. Any attempts for promotion via forum are suppressed by administration. But, of course, promo banners are present, plus the section with advertisements Reviewom professionals.
So... all in all... with experience I have, I can say: I do not think Moscow is more dangerous than, for example, Red Light District in Amsterdam. But one needs to know things. One needs to know people - this is most important. And then one can receive a lot, sometimes even money are not the main factor.
But, yes, living is expensive, and cost of apartments is the major problem. If one doesn't speak Russian, 130-150 USD/night is the minimum; we have cheaper hotels, and apartments for rent, but here one should know exactly what and whom he is dealing with. In total, a day of stay in Moscow should be calculated as USD 100 as very minimum.
Ecology is not good, especially in city center (trmpfic) and one should be ready for that.
Prices start Reviewom USD 50/hour, but the minimum level of "acceptable quality" is somewhere like USD 100. But this is for Russian-speaking sex-personnel, remember!!!! those who speak English put much higher prices - USD 300-400-500 and over, depending on their outlook and self-conceit. And, alas, now there's the tendency for very fast (20-30%/year) growth of prices...
too much oil money seem to be coming to economics.
Russian sex-workers are beautiful, and have warm heart. But it is not easy to get there, especially for a foreigner.
Prices in St-Petersburg I estimate as 20-30% lower. In smaller cities prices are much lower (but still USD 30/hour seems to be the minimum). But again speaking English is a problem.
Police is not a big problem. Using prostitute is not a criminal offence. But policemen will try to bamboozle you for as much moeny as they can. You owe them nothing, but you should know exactly how to behave and what to say.
Same is about criminals. Visiting
right persons brings the risk to zero.
That's how paid fucking is going in Russia, in brief