Russia

A vast country that lives very differently from region to region: Moscow and Saint Petersburg offer work, healthcare and services on a major-capital level, while the regions are cheaper and calmer. Outside the two capitals the cost of living is well below European levels, though rent in central Moscow matches Western cities. A continental climate means hard winters, a short spring and hot summers, and the south and the Far East work on their own terms. A newcomer has to account for the distances, the winter and the fact that a number of international services and payment tools are unavailable here.