From the stand-point of the man-in-the-street, Putin is absolutely better. Under the Soviet Union, the Ivan Ivanov had to wait in line for bread, and lacked freedom of speech, free press, etc. His freedom hasn't improved under Putin, but the breadlines are gone and consumer goods are available.
The USSR was no more rurally electrified by WWII than the US after TVA. China's growth under Mao amounted to a slightly slower form of starvation -- and its citizens lack freedom of speech, freedom of the press, etc. (read sometime about the "Great Firewall" of China, even today). China got a couple of gifts in the 1990s. It got Hong Kong back, giving it access to world trade, and it got MFN status, giving it a way to develop that trade.