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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Foreign citizens wanting to live in Russia are required to apply for a Russian residence permit. The Russian authorities issue two types of residence permits for foreign citizens: temporary residence permits and permanent residence permits.
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.
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.
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.
What is average wage in Russia? Average Wages in Russia increased to 62470 RUB/Month (854.715 USD/Month) in October 2022. The maximum rate of average wage for employees was 69278 RUB/Month and minimum was 0 RUB/Month. Data published Monthly by Ministry for Economic Development.
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).
Coffee: 65 - ₽ 150 ( US$ 2.10).
In the long-term, the Russia Home Ownership Rate is projected to trend around 92.20 percent in 2023 and 91.00 percent in 2024, according to our econometric models.
Approximately 1.4 thousand crimes per 100 thousand population were recorded in Russia in 2021. Most criminal offenses in the country were of little gravity, while the share of especially grave crimes stood at approximately six percent.
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.
KFC used to be one of the leading fast-food chains in the Russian market. AmRest operates 215 outlets, primarily in the largest Russian cities. In total, more than 1,000 KFC restaurants operated in the country at the beginning of 2022.
What you can bring into Russia: Money: Any currency and travelers cheques if the total value does not exceed 10000 USD. Otherwise, you will need to declare the amount, so when you leave the country you can prove that you are not taking money out of Russia. The money on your bank card doesn't have to be declared.