Moving to Belarus from Latvia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Latvia to Belarus — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Latvia to Belarus, you would find that Belarus is 45.8% cheaper than Latvia overall. A €64,304 salary in Latvia would need to be roughly BYN122,039 in Belarus to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Belarusian and Russian.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Latvia to Belarus.
What does your salary buy?
€64,304 → BYN122,039
To maintain the same standard of living in Belarus
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 51.7% less
Groceries
pay 38.7% less
Transportation
pay 55.1% less
Housing
pay 48.9% less
Childcare
pay 45.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 60.0% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Latvia to Belarus, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Belarus?
Top countries of origin for Belarus's foreign-born residents.
- 672,481
- 222,436
- 68,934
- 17,130
- 14,570
- 13,294
- · · ·
-
7.10,332
Latvia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Latvia and Belarus stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Belarus performs significantly 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Belarus generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Latvia performs 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
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
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
Latvia generally does better on family life, though Belarus leads in infant mortality.
Data: State Revenue Service, Latvia, 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 | Riga | Minsk |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) | 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) | 68°/51°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riga | Minsk |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) | 24°/14°F (-4.2°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) | 28°/16°F (-2.5°/-8.9°C) |
| Mar | 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) | 36°/23°F (2.4°/-4.8°C) |
| Apr | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) | 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.8°C) |
| May | 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) |
| Jun | 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) | 70°/52°F (21.3°/11.1°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) | 72°/55°F (22.3°/12.6°C) |
| Aug | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.7°C) |
| Sep | 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) | 50°/38°F (9.9°/3.3°C) |
| Nov | 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) | 38°/30°F (3.1°/-1.3°C) |
| Dec | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) | 29°/21°F (-1.5°/-6.2°C) |
Data:
Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre,
Republican center for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contamination and enviromental monitoring
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Latvia and Belarus. To live, work, or study long-term in Belarus, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Belarus's immigration authority.
Latvia passport holder visiting Belarus
Visa Free
Belarus passport holder visiting Latvia
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 Belarus than Latvia?
Generally yes: Belarus runs about 41% cheaper than Latvia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Belarus?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €64,304 comparable salary, that's around BYN30,510 in Belarus for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Belarus?
With 32.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Belarus can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Latvia and Belarus.
Is Belarus safe for expats?
Belarus performs significantly better than Latvia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Belarus is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.6 in Latvia.
How is healthcare in Belarus compared to Latvia?
Belarus generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in suicide rate. There are 44.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Belarus, compared to 33.8 in Latvia. Belarus scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Latvia: 75).
What's the weather like in Belarus compared to Latvia?
The average high temperature in Minsk is 50°F, compared to 50°F in Riga. Minsk receives around 26.7 in of rainfall per year, while Riga gets 24.9 in.
What language do they speak in Belarus?
The official languages in Belarus are Belarusian and Russian. In Latvia, the official language is Latvian.
