In 2014, Forbes rates ex-Soviet cities attractive for the Russians in terms of business opportunities, for the first time. Not only the solvency of the population and the tax burden, but also the visa regime, the status of the Russian language, and the conditions for registration of a company by a non-resident were taken into account.
Riga was rated 6th.
Population: 640,000
Share of Russian population: 38.6%
Average wage: $1,122
Business: In 2011, Andrey Beskhmelnitsky, the founder of Unimilk, purchased the controlling interest in the Riga and Valmiera Dairy Plants and established Food Union on their basis headed by his brother, Sergey Beskhmelnitsky. He liked living in Latvia so much, that a year afterwards, he moved his family to Riga. After having invested EUR30 million, investors expect EUR 200-300 million profit within the following five to eight years.
Source: forbes.ru
Accommodation in Riga