Moving to Latvia from Russia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Russia to Latvia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Russia to Latvia, you would find that Latvia is 63.5% more expensive than Russia overall. A RUB5,776,862 salary in Russia would need to be roughly €77,909 in Latvia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Latvian.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Russia to Latvia.
What does your salary buy?
RUB5,776,862 → €77,909
To maintain the same standard of living in Latvia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 73.3% more
Groceries
pay 28.3% more
Transportation
pay 80.6% more
Housing
pay 79.1% more
Childcare
pay 82.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 87.1% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Russia to Latvia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Latvia?
Top countries of origin for Latvia's foreign-born residents.
-
1.116,771
Russia
- 42,251
- 32,262
- 14,209
- 5,651
- 3,712
Key Indicator Comparison
How Russia and Latvia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Latvia 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 Latvia leads in healthcare spending per person.
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 Latvia 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
Latvia generally does better on infrastructure, though Russia leads in electricity per capita.
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 performs better than Latvia across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Latvia 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 | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) | 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) | 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) | 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Moscow | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) | 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) |
| Feb | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) | 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) |
| Mar | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) | 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) |
| Apr | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) |
| May | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) | 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) |
| Jun | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) | 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) |
| Jul | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) | 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) |
| Sep | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) | 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) |
| Oct | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) | 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) |
| Nov | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) | 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) |
| Dec | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) |
Data:
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring,
Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Russia and Latvia. To live, work, or study long-term in Latvia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Latvia's immigration authority.
Russia passport holder visiting Latvia
Visa Required
Latvia 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 Latvia than Russia?
Day-to-day costs in Latvia run about 19% higher than Russia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Latvia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a RUB5,776,862 comparable salary, that's around €19,477 in Latvia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Latvia?
With 26.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Latvia 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 Latvia.
Is Latvia safe for expats?
Latvia generally does better on safety, though Russia leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Latvia is 3.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Russia. About 75% of people in Latvia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Latvia compared to Russia?
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 33.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Latvia, compared to 38.3 in Russia. Latvia scores 75 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).
What's the weather like in Latvia compared to Russia?
The average high temperature in Riga is 50°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Riga receives around 24.9 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.
What language do they speak in Latvia?
The official language in Latvia is Latvian. In Russia, the official language is Russian.
