Moving to Russia from Chile

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Chile to Russia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Chile to Russia, you would find that Russia is 2.4% cheaper than Chile overall. A CLF1,900 salary in Chile would need to be roughly RUB6,380,000 in Russia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Russian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Moscow averages 48°F vs 73°F in Santiago, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Chile to Russia.

What does your salary buy?

CLF1,900 → RUB6,380,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Russia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 1.3% more

Groceries

pay 17.3% less

Transportation

pay 12.8% less

Housing

pay 1.2% less

Childcare

pay 24.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 18.1% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 CLF = 3440.79 RUB (October 2026)

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% more than cities in Chile.

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Chile to Russia, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
105 ↓ 2% vs 2015

people born in Chile live in Russia · UN DESA

Who's moving to Russia?

Top countries of origin for Russia's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Chile and Russia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

CL
6.3
RU
6.8
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

CL
32%
RU
90%

Chile generally does better on safety, though Russia leads in feel safe walking at night.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

CL
$3,612
RU
$3,204
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

CL
33.3
RU
51.1

Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

CL
18.0
RU
39.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

CL
3.9t
RU
14.0t

Chile performs better than Russia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

CL
23.7
RU
27.1
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

CL
9.0%
RU
4.1%

Russia generally does better on infrastructure, though Chile leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CL
9.0%
RU
2.1%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

CL
$17,995
RU
$17,547

Chile generally does better on employment & economy, though Russia leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

CL
81.4 yrs
RU
73.4 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

CL
5.8
RU
4.1

Chile generally does better on family life, though Russia leads in infant mortality.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Chilean Tax Administration (2016), Federal Tax Service of Russia (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Santiago Rain: 13.5 in/yr (342 mm)
73° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

Moscow Rain: 27.2 in/yr (691 mm)
48° / 34°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Santiago Moscow
Jan–Mar 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C)
Apr–Jun 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) 62°/45°F (17°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) 68°/52°F (20°/11°C)
Oct–Dec 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C)
View all months
Month Santiago Moscow
Jan 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C)
Feb 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C)
Mar 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C)
Apr 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C)
May 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C)
Jun 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C)
Jul 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C)
Aug 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C)
Sep 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C)
Oct 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C)
Nov 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C)
Dec 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C)

Data: Dirección Meteorológica de Chile Dirección Meteorológica de Chile, Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Chile 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.

Chile passport

Chile passport holder visiting Russia

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Chile passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter Russia.
Russia passport

Russia passport holder visiting Chile

Visa Free
Russia passport holders can enter Chile without a visa.

Data: 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 Chile?

Headline costs are within a few percent between Russia and Chile; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.

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 CLF1,900 comparable salary, that's around RUB1,595,000 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 Chile and Russia.

Is Russia safe for expats?

Chile generally does better on safety, though Russia leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Russia is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.3 in Chile. About 90% of people in Russia feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Russia compared to Chile?

Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in health coverage index. There are 51.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Russia, compared to 33.3 in Chile. Russia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Chile: 82).

What's the weather like in Russia compared to Chile?

The average high temperature in Moscow is 48°F, compared to 73°F in Santiago. Moscow receives around 27.2 in of rainfall per year, while Santiago gets 13.5 in.

What language do they speak in Russia?

The official language in Russia is Russian. In Chile, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

CL RU
Population 19,859,921 143,513,328
Currency Chilean Unit of Account (UF) (CLF) Russian Ruble (RUB)
Languages Spanish Russian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +56 +7
Time zones 2 9
Emergency number 131 112