Moving to Russia from Minnesota
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Minnesota to Russia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Minnesota to Russia, you would find that Russia is 50.5% cheaper than Minnesota. A $75,000 salary in Minnesota would need to be roughly RUB2,980,000 in Russia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Russian.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Russia cheaper than Minnesota?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 47.8% less
Groceries
pay 51.8% less
Transportation
pay 37.3% less
Housing
pay 61.9% less
Childcare
pay 59.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 53.2% 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 → RUB2,980,000
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 33% less than cities in Minnesota.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Russia
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Minnesota to Russia, based on official data.
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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Minnesota to Russia.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Russia performs significantly better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Russia performs significantly better than Minnesota 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 Minnesota leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Minnesota 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 Minnesota
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Minneapolis | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 31°/15°F (0°/-10°C) | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 69°/48°F (20°/9°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Minneapolis | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24°/8°F (-4.6°/-13.6°C) | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) |
| Feb | 29°/13°F (-1.7°/-10.7°C) | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) |
| Mar | 41°/24°F (5.2°/-4.3°C) | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 58°/37°F (14.3°/2.9°C) | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) |
| May | 69°/49°F (20.8°/9.4°C) | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) |
| Jun | 79°/59°F (26.0°/14.9°C) | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 83°/64°F (28.6°/17.8°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) |
| Aug | 80°/62°F (26.9°/16.6°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) |
| Sep | 72°/52°F (22.1°/11.3°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 58°/40°F (14.4°/4.3°C) | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) |
| Nov | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-2.7°/-10.9°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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota?
Yes — Russia is on average about 50% cheaper than Minnesota. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Russia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly RUB745,000 in Russia on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Russia?
Usually fine from major cities in Russia. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Russia compared to Minnesota?
Russia performs significantly better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Russia compared to Minnesota?
The average high temperature in Moscow is 48°F, compared to 55°F in Minneapolis. Moscow receives around 27.2 in of rainfall per year, while Minneapolis gets 30.6 in.
What language do they speak in Russia?
The official language in Russia is Russian. In Minnesota, the official language is English.
