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.
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.
Russian families are generally hospitable and open-minded. They really like to spend time together, so it's not common to spend evenings sitting alone in one's room. Families in towns and cities tend to live in apartment; single family homes are more common in rural areas.
Alcohol consumption in Russia remains among the highest in the world. According to a 2011 report by the World Health Organization, annual per capita consumption of alcohol in Russia was about 15.76 litres of pure alcohol, the fourth-highest volume in Europe.
A valid visa is necessary to depart Russia. Travelers who overstay their visa's validity, even for one day, will be prevented from leaving until their sponsor intervenes and requests a visa extension on their behalf.
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.
Russians do not smile at strangers
If you smile at a stranger in Russia, he/she can smile back, but it can already mean an invitation to come and talk. Russians take smiling as a sign that the person cares about them. To smile at a stranger can raise the question:” Do we know each other?”
Russia is fairly conservative, and if you choose to wear bright colors – particularly in the winter months – you will stand out. Jeans are always popular here and, teamed with lighter layers for the summer and warmer ones for the winter, will serve as a versatile base to your wardrobe.
In addition, in terms of safe living conditions, Russia lags behind the US significantly. According to 2022 estimates, there are 580,466 homeless people in the US, compared to 64,000 in the case of Russia.
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.
Russia Annual Household Income per Capita reached 6,523.466 USD in Dec 2021, compared with the previous value of 6,031.162 USD in Dec 2020. Russia Annual Household Income per Capita data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1992 to Dec 2021, with an averaged value of 5,002.479 USD.
On June 14, 2018, using a start of the FIFA World Cup as a cover, the Russian government announced the plan of the pension reform presuming a substantial increase of the retirement age (for men from 60 to 65 and for women from 55 to 63).
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.
Travel is allowed
Travelers can enter Australia.
For now, foreign investors and Russian residents enjoy nearly equal rights to ownership of real estate. Exceptions include foreign players not being able to acquire ownership over some land lots in border areas, those that surround ports, or agricultural land. Foreigners can however lease agricultural lots.
Russian Federation
As of 2021, all male citizens aged 18–27 are subject to conscription for 1 year of active duty military service in armed forces, but the precise number of conscripts for each of the recruitment campaigns, which are usually held twice annually, is prescribed by particular Presidential Decree.
Sit down before you go on a Journey
All family members need to sit for a moment and stay in silence for a minute or at least a few seconds. They say this tradition goes back to ancient times when such moments of silence was a tribute to home spirits.
Sixty percent of the country's population drinks water from contaminated wells, mostly in rural, backwater regions. As a New York Times report from Moscow a few years ago concluded, in Russia “the rich buy bottled water, and the rest boil, hold their noses and drink.”
Blood tests showed the driver had a high alcohol level before he admitted he had been drinking for two days straight. According to current Russian law, drunk driving is punishable by up to two years suspension of a driver's license.