Out of 64 nations, Russia is considered to be the 60th most attractive destination for expats in terms of living standards and overall satisfaction, according to a survey released by InterNations, an online expat community.
The ranking put Russia one spot behind Kazakhstan but one spot ahead of Saudi Arabia as an expat destination. The survey found that expats consider Ecuador, Mexico and Malta to be the top three destinations for foreign assignments or relocation.
“Ranking 60th out of 64 countries, Russia is not among respondents' favorite destinations. The language barrier, lack of security and bad weather make expat living in Russia difficult,” says the Russia section of the report, titled Expat Insider 2015.
Twenty-seven percent of expats living in Russia said they moved here at their employer's orders — far higher than the global average of 13 percent. Twelve percent moved to Russia to find work on their own. Around 11 percent of respondents said they moved to Russia in search of adventure or a personal challenge.
Seventy percent of expats in Russia said they felt generally satisfied with life in Russia, and only 2 percent said they were not satisfied at all.
Though expats reported life in Russia to be more difficult than in other expat destinations, 71 percent of respondents said they felt positive about leisure options in Russia. Fifty-two percent said they felt making friends with the locals is easy, while 31 percent said locals are not friendly.