Moving to Russia from Alaska
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Alaska to Russia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Alaska to Russia, you would find that Russia is 50.7% cheaper than Alaska. A $75,000 salary in Alaska would need to be roughly RUB3,037,805 in Russia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Russian.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Alaska to Russia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → RUB3,037,805
To maintain the same standard of living in Russia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 66.3% less
Groceries
pay 58.7% less
Transportation
pay 36.7% less
Housing
pay 74.6% less
Childcare
pay 49.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 68.2% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Get free moving quotes to Russia
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Alaska to Russia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Russia?
Top countries of origin for Russia's foreign-born residents.
- 3,268,263
- 2,558,907
- 1,146,175
- 766,918
- 763,879
- 591,025
- · · ·
-
27.4,583
United States
Key Indicator Comparison
How Alaska and Russia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Russia performs significantly better than Alaska across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Alaska performs better than Russia across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Alaska generally does better on employment & economy, though Russia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Alaska performs better than Russia across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Juneau | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Juneau | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) |
| Mar | 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) |
| May | 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) |
| Jun | 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) |
| Aug | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) |
| Sep | 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) |
| Nov | 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) |
| Dec | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and Russia. To live, work, or study long-term in Russia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Russia's immigration authority.
United States passport holder visiting Russia
Visa Required
Russia passport holder visiting United States
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Russia than Alaska?
Generally yes: Russia runs about 45% cheaper than Alaska on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Russia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around RUB759,451 in Russia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Russia?
Working remotely from Russia's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Alaska and Russia.
How is healthcare in Russia compared to Alaska?
Russia performs significantly better than Alaska across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Russia compared to Alaska?
The average high temperature in Moscow is 48°F, compared to 49°F in Juneau. Moscow receives around 27.2 in of rainfall per year, while Juneau gets 92.2 in.
What language do they speak in Russia?
The official language in Russia is Russian. In Alaska, the official language is English.
