Moving to Russia from Norway
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Norway to Russia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Norway to Russia, you would find that Russia is 46.5% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK733,695 salary in Norway would need to be roughly RUB3,202,461 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 ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Norway to Russia.
What does your salary buy?
NOK733,695 → RUB3,202,461
To maintain the same standard of living in Russia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 66.5% less
Groceries
pay 50.2% less
Transportation
pay 56.0% less
Housing
pay 66.8% less
Childcare
pay 3.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 63.8% 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.
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 30% less than cities in Norway.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Norway 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
- · · ·
-
53.699
Norway
Key Indicator Comparison
How Norway and Russia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway performs better than Russia 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
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Russia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Norway performs better than Russia 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
Norway performs better than Russia across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Russia generally does better on employment & economy, though Norway 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
Norway performs better than Russia across all family life metrics.
Data: Norwegian Tax Administration, 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 | Oslo | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) |
Data:
Norwegian Meteorological Institute,
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway 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.
Norway passport holder visiting Russia
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Russia passport holder visiting Norway
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 Norway?
Generally yes: Russia runs about 45% cheaper than Norway 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 NOK733,695 comparable salary, that's around RUB800,615 in Russia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Russia?
With 24.8 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 Norway and Russia.
Is Russia safe for expats?
Norway performs better than Russia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Russia is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Norway.
How is healthcare in Russia compared to Norway?
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Russia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Russia, compared to 51.7 in Norway. Russia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in Russia compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Moscow is 48°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Moscow receives around 27.2 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Russia?
The official language in Russia is Russian. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
