Moving to Estonia from Russia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Russia to Estonia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Russia to Estonia, you would find that Estonia is 31.1% more expensive than Russia overall. A RUB6,200,000 salary in Russia would need to be roughly €87,600 in Estonia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Estonian.
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How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 67.7% more
Groceries
pay 20.4% more
Transportation
pay 43.9% more
Housing
pay 30.7% more
Childcare
pay 8.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 68.0% more
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 Estonia?
What does your salary buy?
RUB6,200,000 → €87,600
To maintain the same standard of living in Estonia
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 Estonia cost about 9% more than cities in Russia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Russia to Estonia.
people moved from Russia to Estonia · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Estonia compared to Russia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Estonia generally does better on safety, though Russia leads in feel safe walking at night.
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
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Estonia leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Estonia performs significantly 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
Russia generally does better on infrastructure, though Estonia 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 Estonia 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
Estonia generally does better on family life, though Russia leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Tax Service of Russia (2016), Estonian Tax and Customs Board (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Weather in Estonia vs Russia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Moscow | Tallinn |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) | 31°/21°F (0°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 57°/41°F (14°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) | 65°/51°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) | 40°/31°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Moscow | Tallinn |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) | 29°/20°F (-1.4°/-6.6°C) |
| Feb | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) | 29°/18°F (-1.8°/-7.5°C) |
| Mar | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) | 36°/24°F (2.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) | 47°/32°F (8.2°/0.1°C) |
| May | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) | 59°/41°F (14.9°/5.0°C) |
| Jun | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) | 66°/49°F (19.1°/9.7°C) |
| Jul | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) | 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.1°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) | 68°/53°F (19.9°/11.6°C) |
| Sep | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) | 58°/45°F (14.5°/7.2°C) |
| Oct | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) | 48°/38°F (9.1°/3.3°C) |
| Nov | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) | 38°/30°F (3.3°/-1.2°C) |
| Dec | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.6°C) |
Data:
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring,
Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute
Can you move from Russia to Estonia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Russia and Estonia. To live, work, or study long-term in Estonia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Estonia's immigration authority.
Russia passport holder visiting Estonia
Visa Required
Estonia passport holder visiting Russia
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Estonia than Russia?
On average Estonia is around 31% pricier than Russia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Estonia?
Budget about €21,900 for 3 months in Estonia (based on a RUB6,200,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Estonia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Estonia: 35.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Estonia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Estonia safe for expats?
Estonia generally does better on safety, though Russia leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Estonia is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Russia. About 75% of people in Estonia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Estonia compared to Russia?
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Estonia leads in suicide rate. There are 34.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Estonia, compared to 51.1 in Russia. Estonia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).
What's the weather like in Estonia compared to Russia?
The average high temperature in Tallinn is 48°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Tallinn receives around 27.3 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.
What language do they speak in Estonia?
The official language in Estonia is Estonian. In Russia, the official language is Russian.
