🇷🇺 Russia
Moscow: what to see and whether to move there
Moscow is a vast, fast-moving metropolis where the ancient cathedrals of the Kremlin stand a few blocks from Moscow City's skyscrapers, and the metro itself doubles as an architecture museum.
Moscow Kremlin and Red Square
The city's heart, with its cathedrals, fortress walls, and the legendary onion domes of St. Basil's Cathedral.
Tretyakov Gallery
The foremost collection of Russian art, spanning Rublev's icons to early 20th-century avant-garde.
Gorky Park
A reimagined Soviet-era park on the Moskva River with fountains, bike rentals, and summer outdoor screenings.
GUM
A grand 19th-century department store with glass-roofed arcades right on Red Square.
Moscow Metro
Palace-like stations of Stalinist grandeur, mosaics, and chandeliers, turning the subway into an underground art gallery.
Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts
Russia's largest collection of foreign art, ranging from antiquity to the Impressionists.
Double B (Dabl B)
One of Moscow's best-known specialty coffee chains, credited with sparking the city's third-wave coffee scene.
Café Pushkin
A legendary restaurant styled like a 19th-century apothecary, serving classic Russian cuisine.
Danilovsky Market
A food market with farm produce and street food stalls representing cuisines from across the former USSR.
Zamoskvorechye
A quiet historic district of merchant mansions and churches, near the trendy ZIL riverside promenade.
Is it worth moving to Moscow in 2026
Moscow is the largest city in Russia and Europe by population, a business and cultural centre with developed transport, services and a large job market. People who move here include citizens of Eurasian Economic Union and Central Asian countries, specialists on work visas and Russians returning after living abroad. The city is comfortable to live in, but because of sanctions foreign bank cards do not work, international transfers are restricted and there are no direct flights to most of Europe.
What it costs to live in Moscow
| Item | Per month |
|---|---|
| One-bedroom flat in the centre | ~$1,440-1,490 |
| One-bedroom flat outside the centre | ~$750-830 |
| Utilities for an 85 m² flat | ~$200 |
| Home internet | ~$11 |
| Public transport pass | ~$42-47 |
| One person's costs without rent | ~$680-850 |
| Family of four without rent | ~$2,230-3,040 |
| Average salary after tax | ~$1,110-1,740 |
Prices come from two independent 2026 price databases, with roubles converted at the Bank of Russia official rate of 5 October 2026, 83.48 roubles per dollar. A square metre in the centre costs about $10,120-11,460.
Where to live in Moscow: districts
- Khamovniki, Arbat and Presnya - the prestigious centre with parks, museums and old buildings.
- Moscow City and Presnenskaya Embankment - the business quarter with towers and flats with views.
- Ramenki and Krylatskoye - the green west with the university and parks, convenient for families.
- Yugo-Zapad and Tyoply Stan - residential districts with the metro and moderate prices.
- New Moscow - new builds beyond the ring road, cheaper but a longer commute.
Entry, work and residence
Citizens of Eurasian Economic Union countries - Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan - work in Russia without a work permit. Citizens of other visa-free countries buy a work patent, and citizens of visa countries obtain a work visa through an employer. For tourist and business trips of up to 16 days, many countries can obtain a unified electronic visa. For long-term living people obtain a temporary residence permit, then a residence permit and citizenship, and simplified procedures apply to compatriots and people sharing traditional values.
Taxes in Russia
Since 2025 income tax for residents is progressive: 13% on income up to 2.4 million roubles a year, about $28,750, then 15%, 18%, 20% and 22% on income above 50 million, with the higher rate applying only to the part above each threshold. Non-residents who spend less than 183 days a year in Russia pay 30% on Russian income without deductions and 15% on dividends and deposits, while remote work under an employment contract is taxed as for residents. Corporate tax is 25% and VAT 22%. More on the Taxes in Russia for non-residents page.
Buying and renting
Foreigners buy flats and houses without restrictions by citizenship, but cannot own land in border areas and seaports, and can only lease agricultural land. Property tax is 0.1% to 2% of the cadastral value. A non-resident selling a flat before the minimum holding period pays 30% of the full sale price. Citizens of some countries face special accounts and permissions in transactions. Rentals are usually for a year with a one-month deposit and an agent's fee.
Money and banks
Foreign bank cards do not work in Russia, so newcomers open an account at a Russian bank, which requires a passport with a notarised Russian translation and usually migration documents. Transfers to and from abroad are restricted and go through a limited range of banks and countries. People pay with cards of Russian payment systems and by phone code, and cash is rarely needed.
Climate and everyday life
The climate is moderately continental: snowy, cold winters around minus 5-10 degrees and warm summers of 20-25 degrees. The metro is among the world's best, suburban trains run on central diameter lines, and taxis and car sharing are cheap. Delivery services, government services and banks work online. Healthcare means public clinics under compulsory insurance and many private clinics, and children can attend state and private schools, including English-language ones.
Pitfalls
- Foreign cards do not work and international transfers are restricted.
- Few direct flights to Europe, with connections required.
- Non-residents pay 30% on Russian income and on early flat sales.
- Migration rules change often.
- A long, cold winter.
Murblz specialists help sort out tax residence, accounts and documents, and plan taxes in advance for those living between countries.
Services
Murblz services in Russia
A passport or residence permit opens the door, but life behind it is awkward without a bank account and a roof over your head. Murblz specialists help with the account, property and company in the same country. The quote is fixed in writing before work starts.
FAQ
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Relocation options
Need a second passport while living in Moscow?
We find a citizenship open to Russian nationals, check your family and source of funds, prepare the documents and guide the application. The catalogue covers citizenship worldwide.