Moving to Italy from Russia

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Russia to Italy? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Russia to Italy, you would find that Italy is 62.9% more expensive than Russia overall. A RUB6,400,000 salary in Russia would need to be roughly €109,000 in Italy to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Catalan and Italian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Rome averages 69°F vs 48°F in Moscow, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Russia and Italy.

What does your salary buy?

RUB6,400,000 → €109,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Italy

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 88.6% more

Groceries

pay 79.8% more

Transportation

pay 86.6% more

Housing

pay 65.8% more

Childcare

pay 19.4% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 56.0% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 RUB = 0.0105 EUR (October 2026)

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 Italy cost about 41% more than cities in Russia.

Italy

Milan 68%
Bologna 60%
Monza 58%
Aosta 57%
Lucca 57%

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 Italy.

Moved in 2023
4,633 ↑ 23% vs 2022

people moved from Russia to Italy · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Italy?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Italy compared to Russia.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

RU
6.8
IT
0.6
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2020

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

RU
90%
IT
61%

Italy generally does better on safety, though Russia leads in feel safe walking at night.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

RU
$3,204
IT
$4,993
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

RU
51.1
IT
41.9

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Russia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

RU
39.0
IT
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

RU
14.0t
IT
5.1t

Italy performs significantly better than Russia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

RU
27.1
IT
31.8
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

RU
4.1%
IT
29.8%

Russia generally does better on infrastructure, though Italy leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

RU
2.1%
IT
6.4%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

RU
$17,547
IT
$43,309

Russia generally does better on employment & economy, though Italy leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

RU
73.4 yrs
IT
84.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

RU
4.1
IT
2.3

Russia generally does better on family life, though Italy leads in life expectancy.

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2016–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Tax Service of Russia (2016), Italian Revenue Agency (2016). How we calculate this

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

Rome Rain: 31.7 in/yr (804 mm)
69° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Moscow Rome
Jan–Mar 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) 56°/39°F (13°/4°C)
Apr–Jun 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) 72°/53°F (22°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) 85°/63°F (29°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) 62°/45°F (17°/7°C)
View all months
Month Moscow Rome
Jan 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C)
Feb 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C)
Mar 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C)
Apr 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C)
May 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C)
Jun 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C)
Jul 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C)
Aug 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C)
Sep 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C)
Oct 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C)
Nov 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C)
Dec 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C)

Data: Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Russia passport

Russia passport holder visiting Italy

Visa Required
Russia passport holders need a visa to enter Italy.
Italy passport

Italy passport holder visiting Russia

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Italy passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Russia.

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 Italy than Russia?

On average Italy is around 63% pricier than Russia, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Italy?

Budget about €27,250 for 3 months in Italy (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 Italy?

Connectivity is usually fine (Italy: 31.8 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Italy offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Italy safe for expats?

Italy generally does better on safety, though Russia leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Italy is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Russia. About 61% of people in Italy feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Italy compared to Russia?

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Russia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 41.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Italy, compared to 51.1 in Russia. Italy scores 84 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).

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

The average high temperature in Rome is 69°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Rome receives around 31.7 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.

What language do they speak in Italy?

The official languages in Italy are Catalan and Italian. In Russia, the official language is Russian.

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At a Glance

RU IT
Population 143,513,328 58,915,656
Currency Russian Ruble (RUB) Euro (€)
Languages Russian Catalan, Italian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +7 +39
Time zones 9 1
Emergency number 112 112