Moving to Belarus from Russia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Russia to Belarus? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Russia to Belarus, you would find that Belarus is 19.8% cheaper than Russia overall. A RUB5,776,862 salary in Russia would need to be roughly BYN151,120 in Belarus to maintain the same lifestyle.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Russia and Belarus.
What does your salary buy?
RUB5,776,862 → BYN151,120
To maintain the same standard of living in Belarus
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 23.1% less
Groceries
pay 25.7% less
Transportation
pay 23.4% less
Housing
pay 16.1% less
Childcare
pay 2.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 32.2% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Russia to Belarus.
Who's moving to Belarus?
Top countries of origin for Belarus's foreign-born residents.
-
1.672,481
Russia
- 222,436
- 68,934
- 17,130
- 14,570
- 13,294
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Belarus compared to Russia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Belarus performs significantly 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
Belarus generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Russia leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Russia generally does better on environment, though Belarus leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Russia generally does better on infrastructure, though Belarus leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 Belarus leads in poverty rate.
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
Belarus performs significantly better than Russia across all family life metrics.
Data: Federal Tax Service of Russia, 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 | Moscow | Minsk |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) | 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) | 68°/51°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Moscow | Minsk |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) | 24°/14°F (-4.2°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) | 28°/16°F (-2.5°/-8.9°C) |
| Mar | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) | 36°/23°F (2.4°/-4.8°C) |
| Apr | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) | 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.8°C) |
| May | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) |
| Jun | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) | 70°/52°F (21.3°/11.1°C) |
| Jul | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) | 72°/55°F (22.3°/12.6°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.7°C) |
| Sep | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) | 50°/38°F (9.9°/3.3°C) |
| Nov | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) | 38°/30°F (3.1°/-1.3°C) |
| Dec | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) | 29°/21°F (-1.5°/-6.2°C) |
Data:
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring,
Republican center for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contamination and enviromental monitoring
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Russia 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.
Russia passport holder visiting Belarus
Visa Free
Belarus passport holder visiting Russia
Visa FreeData: 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 Russia?
On average Belarus is about 30% less expensive than Russia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Belarus?
Budget about BYN37,780 for 3 months in Belarus (based on a RUB5,776,862 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Belarus?
Connectivity is usually fine (Belarus: 32.8 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Belarus offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Belarus safe for expats?
Belarus performs significantly better than Russia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Belarus is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Russia.
How is healthcare in Belarus compared to Russia?
Belarus generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Russia leads in health coverage index. There are 44.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Belarus, compared to 38.3 in Russia. Belarus scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).
What's the weather like in Belarus compared to Russia?
The average high temperature in Minsk is 50°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Minsk receives around 26.7 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.
What language do they speak in Belarus?
The official languages in Belarus are Belarusian and Russian. In Russia, the official language is Russian.
