Moving to Cuba from Russia

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Russia to Cuba — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Russia to Cuba, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Havana averages 84°F vs 48°F in Moscow, making it significantly warmer.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Russia to Cuba, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
343 ↓ 42% vs 2015

people born in Russia live in Cuba · UN DESA

Who's moving to Cuba?

Top countries of origin for Cuba's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Russia and Cuba stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

RU
6.8
CU
4.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

RU
10.6
CU
5.4

Cuba performs significantly better than Russia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

RU
$3,204
CU
$2,575
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

RU
38.3
CU
94.3

Cuba performs significantly better than Russia across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

RU
39.0
CU
31.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

RU
14.0t
CU
1.9t

Cuba performs significantly better than Russia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

RU
24.8
CU
2.9
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

RU
4.1%
CU
23.9%

Russia performs better than Cuba across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

RU
3.3%
CU
1.2%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

RU
$39,800
CU
$12,300

Russia generally does better on employment & economy, though Cuba leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

RU
72.4 yrs
CU
79.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

RU
6.4
CU
4.1

Cuba generally does better on family life, though Russia leads in literacy rate.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Moscow Rain: 27.2 in/yr (691 mm)
48° / 34°F

Avg. annual high / low

Havana Rain: 46.8 in/yr (1189 mm)
84° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Moscow Havana
Jan–Mar 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) 80°/66°F (26°/19°C)
Apr–Jun 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) 85°/72°F (30°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) 88°/75°F (31°/24°C)
Oct–Dec 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) 82°/70°F (28°/21°C)
View all months
Month Moscow Havana
Jan 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) 78°/65°F (25.8°/18.6°C)
Feb 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.6°C)
Mar 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) 82°/67°F (27.6°/19.7°C)
Apr 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) 83°/70°F (28.6°/20.9°C)
May 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) 86°/72°F (29.8°/22.4°C)
Jun 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) 87°/74°F (30.5°/23.4°C)
Jul 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) 88°/75°F (31.3°/23.8°C)
Aug 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) 89°/75°F (31.6°/24.1°C)
Sep 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) 88°/75°F (31.0°/23.8°C)
Oct 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) 85°/73°F (29.2°/23.0°C)
Nov 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) 82°/70°F (27.7°/21.3°C)
Dec 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.5°C)

Data: Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, Instituto de Meteorología Instituto de Meteorología

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Russia and Cuba. To live, work, or study long-term in Cuba, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Cuba's immigration authority.

Russia passport

Russia passport holder visiting Cuba

Visa Free
Russia passport holders can enter Cuba without a visa.
Cuba passport

Cuba passport holder visiting Russia

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Cuba passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter Russia.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Cuba?

With 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Cuba can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Russia and Cuba.

Is Cuba safe for expats?

Cuba performs significantly better than Russia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Cuba is 4.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Russia.

How is healthcare in Cuba compared to Russia?

Cuba performs significantly better than Russia across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 94.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Cuba, compared to 38.3 in Russia. Cuba scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).

What's the weather like in Cuba compared to Russia?

The average high temperature in Havana is 84°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Havana receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.

What language do they speak in Cuba?

The official language in Cuba is Spanish. In Russia, the official language is Russian.

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At a Glance

RU CU
Population 142,021,981 11,008,112
Currency Russian Ruble (RUB) Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC)
Languages Russian Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +7 +53
Time zones 9 1
Emergency number 112 106