Moving to Russia from Illinois
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Illinois to Russia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Illinois to Russia, you would find that Russia is 52.4% cheaper than Illinois. A $75,000 salary in Illinois would need to be roughly RUB2,870,000 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 59°F in Chicago, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Russia cheaper than Illinois?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 44.1% less
Groceries
pay 51.2% less
Transportation
pay 38.1% less
Housing
pay 66.0% less
Childcare
pay 63.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 51.7% 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.
What salary do you need in Russia?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → RUB2,870,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Russia
Calculate with your salary →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 31% less than cities in Illinois.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Russia
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Illinois 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 Illinois and Russia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Russia performs significantly better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Russia performs significantly better than Illinois 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
Russia generally does better on employment & economy, though Illinois leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Illinois performs better than Russia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Russia vs Illinois
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Chicago | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/22°F (3°/-6°C) | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/32°F (9°/0°C) | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Chicago | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/17°F (-0.6°/-8.6°C) | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) |
| Feb | 35°/20°F (1.8°/-6.6°C) | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) |
| Mar | 47°/29°F (8.1°/-1.6°C) | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 59°/39°F (15.0°/3.8°C) | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) |
| May | 70°/48°F (21.1°/9.1°C) | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) |
| Jun | 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.5°C) | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) |
| Aug | 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.2°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) |
| Sep | 75°/54°F (23.8°/12.4°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 62°/43°F (16.8°/6.0°C) | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) |
| Nov | 48°/32°F (9.0°/0.2°C) | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) |
| Dec | 35°/21°F (1.6°/-6.3°C) | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Can you move from Illinois to Russia?
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 Illinois?
Generally yes: Russia runs about 52% cheaper than Illinois 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 RUB717,500 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 Illinois and Russia.
How is healthcare in Russia compared to Illinois?
Russia performs significantly better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Russia compared to Illinois?
The average high temperature in Moscow is 48°F, compared to 59°F in Chicago. Moscow receives around 27.2 in of rainfall per year, while Chicago gets 36.9 in.
What language do they speak in Russia?
The official language in Russia is Russian. In Illinois, the official language is English.
