Generally, Russia is a safe country for expats. However, both the US Department of State and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against travel to the North Caucasus region or to the Crimea, due to ongoing political unrest in these areas.
Russia has diverse employment opportunities and expats are often the best-paid professionals. Big cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg offer the best opportunities, especially for those speaking both English and Russian.
Life for expats in Russia is generally comfortable, with expenses such as groceries and utility bills being fairly inexpensive even in major cities such as Moscow. Outside of the major metropolitan areas, prices are even cheaper, with lower bills for food and transportation.
Russia. In Russia, work-life balance is a major priority. According to OECD, only 0.2 percent of all employees work more than 50 hours per week. Fifty-eight percent of workers under the age of 24 feel they have achieved a satisfactory work-life balance, while all other age groups hover around 50 percent.
Foreign citizens have the right to work in Russia legally by issuing a work permit or a patent. Failure to comply with the law leads to large fines for the company, and a foreign worker can be deported. A work permit for foreign citizens is a document that confirms the right to work in Russia.
Permanent Residence: Foreign citizens intending to permanently reside in Russia can obtain a permanent residence permit (vid na zhitelstvo) valid for five years that may be extended an unlimited number of times. Foreigners may apply for it at the local FMS based on their at least one-year residence in Russia.
As of 2022, surgeons ranked first in the list of highest-paying professions in Russia with an average monthly salary of 386 thousand Russian rubles. Judges ranked second, earning 324 thousand Russian rubles on average per month.
Expats in Russia will find the cost of living to be reasonable. In Mercer's Cost of Living survey for 2021, Moscow was ranked 62nd out of 209 cities, while St Petersburg was ranked 119th. Although Russia cannot be regarded as a cheap country to live in, as a whole, it is more affordable than many western countries.
Average weekly working hours in Russia quarterly 2020-2022
On average, Russians aged 15 years and older worked 37.5 hours per week in the third quarter of 2022, marking a decrease from the previous quarter. In general, the mean working time decreased over the course of 2021.
According to Salary Explorer, the average salary ranges from 26,200 RUB (lowest average) to 463,000 RUB (highest average) in Russia. And the minimum salary in the country is 12,130 RUB per month (USD 162.42).
Life in Russia can be quite challenging. The climate is harsh and many cities have high levels of pollution. There is also a relatively high crime rate and a number of security issues to take into consideration.
Russia usually follows a bi-monthly payment cycle. Salaries must be paid to Russian employees at least once every half month. The date of compensation is usually predetermined in the employment contract.
In 2021, the average nominal salary in Russia was measured at approximately 56.5 thousand Russian rubles per month, marking an increase by around 5.2 thousand Russian rubles compared to the previous year.
The current minimum wage in Russia is RUB16,242.00 per month in 2023. It became valid on January 1, 2023. The amounts are in Russian Ruble.
The 2021 Health Care Index lists Russia's system as 58th best out of 89 countries, with a very low score for quality of infrastructure. A Bloomberg report ranks Russian healthcare last out of 55 developed countries based on the efficiency of state healthcare systems.
In the period from 2005 to 2008, Freedom House rated Russia as "not free" with scores of 6 for political rights and 5 for civil liberties according to its Freedom in the World reports.
…if you want to be happy
Americans are significantly happier than Russians, according to the UN's World Happiness Report 2018. Looking at indicators such as income, life expectancy, freedom to make decisions and social support, the US ranked 18th of 156 countries, while Russia was 59th.
Summary about cost of living in Moscow, Russia: Family of four estimated monthly costs are 2,444.7$ (170,598.3руб) without rent. A single person estimated monthly costs are 683.6$ (47,705.1руб) without rent.
According to Russian law, foreigners are usually allowed to purchase or rent property in Russia, but certain exceptions apply. Also, in order to be allowed to buy a property, the foreign citizen must hold a valid Russian resident permit.