Moving to Greece from Russia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Russia to Greece? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Russia to Greece, you would find that Greece is 36.5% more expensive than Russia overall. A RUB6,400,000 salary in Russia would need to be roughly €91,600 in Greece to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Greek. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Athens averages 72°F vs 48°F in Moscow, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Russia and Greece.
What does your salary buy?
RUB6,400,000 → €91,600
To maintain the same standard of living in Greece
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 50.9% more
Groceries
pay 39.1% more
Transportation
pay 72.4% more
Housing
pay 35.7% more
Childcare
pay 16.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 58.2% 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.
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 Greece cost about 6% 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 Greece.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Greece compared to Russia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Greece 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
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Greece leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Greece 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 Greece 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 Greece 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
Russia generally does better on family life, though Greece leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Tax Service of Russia (2016), GSIS, Greece (2016), The World Factbook (2018). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Moscow | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) | 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) | 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Moscow | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) | 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) |
| Feb | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) |
| Mar | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) | 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) |
| May | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) | 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) |
| Jun | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) | 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) |
| Sep | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) | 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) |
| Oct | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) | 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) |
| Nov | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) | 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) |
| Dec | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) | 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) |
Data:
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring,
Hellenic National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Russia and Greece. To live, work, or study long-term in Greece, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Greece's immigration authority.
Russia passport holder visiting Greece
Visa Required
Greece 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 Greece than Russia?
On average Greece is around 37% pricier than Russia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Greece?
Budget about €22,900 for 3 months in Greece (based on a RUB6,400,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Greece?
Connectivity is usually fine (Greece: 44.7 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Greece offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Greece safe for expats?
Greece performs significantly better than Russia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Greece is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Russia.
How is healthcare in Greece compared to Russia?
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Greece leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 65.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Greece, compared to 51.1 in Russia. Greece scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).
What's the weather like in Greece compared to Russia?
The average high temperature in Athens is 72°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Athens receives around 16.3 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.
What language do they speak in Greece?
The official language in Greece is Greek. In Russia, the official language is Russian.
