Moving to Russia from Australia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to Russia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Australia to Russia, you would find that Russia is 53.6% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$110,000 salary in Australia would need to be roughly RUB3,040,000 in Russia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Russian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Moscow averages 48°F vs 67°F in Canberra, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to Russia.
What does your salary buy?
A$110,000 → RUB3,040,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Russia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 46.7% less
Groceries
pay 50.4% less
Transportation
pay 43.2% less
Housing
pay 63.9% less
Childcare
pay 66.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 58.9% 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.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Russia cost about 32% less than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Australia 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
- · · ·
-
62.541
Australia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Australia and Russia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia performs better than Russia across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Australia generally does better on environment, though Russia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Australia generally does better on infrastructure, though Russia leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Russia generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Australia performs better than Russia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Australian Taxation Office (2016), Federal Tax Service of Russia (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) |
Data:
Bureau of Meteorology,
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia 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.
Australia passport holder visiting Russia
Visa Required
Russia passport holder visiting Australia
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 Australia?
Generally yes: Russia runs about 54% cheaper than Australia 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 A$110,000 comparable salary, that's around RUB760,000 in Russia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Russia?
With 27.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Russia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Australia and Russia.
Is Russia safe for expats?
Australia performs better than Russia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Russia is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in Russia compared to Australia?
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in health coverage index. There are 51.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Russia, compared to 40.9 in Australia. Russia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in Russia compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Moscow is 48°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Moscow receives around 27.2 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Russia?
The official language in Russia is Russian. In Australia, the official language is English.
