Where do British expats live in Russia in 2026?

Moscow holds the widest set of remaining English-medium school options, multinational offices and diplomatic routines. Families often look at centre flats with Metro access or west and south-west corridors near campuses such as British International School Moscow sites: Living in Moscow and International school costs. Confirm which campuses still run the programme you need for the current school year; the international-school map has shifted more than in Gulf hubs.

St Petersburg attracts Brits tied to universities, cultural work, mixed-nationality marriages and smaller business footprints. Centre, Vasileostrovsky and Petrogradsky living keeps walks, culture venues and campus life closer together: Living in Saint Petersburg. The International School of St. Petersburg and other bilingual private tracks matter for some families, but the English-medium menu is narrower than Dubai or Singapore.

Brits who still work through remaining member companies, education roles or dual-citizen family businesses often live close to the office corridor that owns their week. Remote workers with foreign income still need a workable local bank setup, because overseas cards frequently fail at terminals. Choose housing near a Metro line you can reuse in winter rather than a scenic but isolated flat: Moscow vs Saint Petersburg.

There is no single British enclave with UK grocery aisles and English-only clinics on every corner. InterNations British circles in Moscow and St Petersburg can help with first contacts, yet most lasting friendships become mixed-nationality quickly: Best expat groups. Russian ability decides whether you can handle school notices, courtyard chats and clinic reception without a bilingual partner: English in Russia.

Treat family schooling, banking and residence paperwork as separate projects from a friendly mixer night: Expat families and Where Americans live. Western corporate and school bubbles thinned in several sectors after 2022, so density is lower than older blogs suggest: Biggest expat communities. Outside the two main cities, expect thin British peer networks and more Russian-first routines: Where to live.