Moving to Latvia from Belarus
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Belarus to Latvia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Belarus to Latvia, you would find that Latvia is 2.2 times more expensive than Belarus overall. A BYN214,615 salary in Belarus would need to be roughly €110,643 in Latvia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Latvian.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Belarus to Latvia.
What does your salary buy?
BYN214,615 → €110,643
To maintain the same standard of living in Latvia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.4 times more
Groceries
pay 73.1% more
Transportation
pay 2.4 times more
Housing
pay 2.6 times more
Childcare
pay 85.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.9 times more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Belarus to Latvia, based on official data.
Who's moving to Latvia?
Top countries of origin for Latvia's foreign-born residents.
- 116,771
-
2.42,251
Belarus
- 32,262
- 14,209
- 5,651
- 3,712
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Belarus to Latvia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Belarus performs better than Latvia 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
Belarus generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in adult obesity rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Latvia performs significantly better than Belarus across all environment metrics.
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
Belarus generally does better on infrastructure, though Latvia 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
Belarus generally does better on employment & economy, though Latvia 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Belarus generally does better on family life, though Latvia leads in life expectancy.
Data: Ministry for Taxes and Levies of the Republic of Belarus, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Minsk | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C) | 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) | 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 68°/51°F (20°/11°C) | 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Minsk | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24°/14°F (-4.2°/-9.8°C) | 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) |
| Feb | 28°/16°F (-2.5°/-8.9°C) | 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) |
| Mar | 36°/23°F (2.4°/-4.8°C) | 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) |
| Apr | 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.8°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) |
| May | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) | 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) |
| Jun | 70°/52°F (21.3°/11.1°C) | 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) |
| Jul | 72°/55°F (22.3°/12.6°C) | 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) |
| Aug | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.7°C) | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) |
| Sep | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.8°C) | 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) |
| Oct | 50°/38°F (9.9°/3.3°C) | 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.1°/-1.3°C) | 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) |
| Dec | 29°/21°F (-1.5°/-6.2°C) | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) |
Data:
Republican center for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contamination and enviromental monitoring,
Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Belarus and Latvia. To live, work, or study long-term in Latvia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Latvia's immigration authority.
Belarus passport holder visiting Latvia
Visa Required
Latvia passport holder visiting Belarus
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Latvia than Belarus?
No — Latvia is on average about 68% more expensive than Belarus. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Latvia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €27,661 in Latvia on a BYN214,615 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Latvia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Latvia has 26.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Latvia safe for expats?
Belarus performs better than Latvia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Latvia is 3.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.3 in Belarus.
How is healthcare in Latvia compared to Belarus?
Belarus generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in adult obesity rate. There are 33.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Latvia, compared to 44.7 in Belarus. Latvia scores 75 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Belarus: 79).
What's the weather like in Latvia compared to Belarus?
The average high temperature in Riga is 50°F, compared to 50°F in Minsk. Riga receives around 24.9 in of rainfall per year, while Minsk gets 26.7 in.
What language do they speak in Latvia?
The official language in Latvia is Latvian. In Belarus, the official languages are Belarusian and Russian.
