Moving to Minnesota from Russia

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Russia to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 2.0 times more expensive than Russia overall. A RUB6,000,000 salary in Russia would need to be roughly $151,000 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is Minnesota cheaper than Russia?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 91.6% more

Groceries

pay 2.1 times more

Transportation

pay 59.6% more

Housing

pay 2.6 times more

Childcare

pay 2.5 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.1 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 RUB = 0.0124 USD (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.

What salary do you need in Minnesota?

What does your salary buy?

RUB6,000,000 → $151,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota

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 Minnesota cost about 49% more than cities in Russia.

Minnesota

Mankato 62%
Rochester 60%
Duluth 50%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Minnesota

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
12,910 ↑ 32% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to United States?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate World Health Organization, 2024

share of adults with obesity

RU
17.6%
MN
33.9%

Russia performs better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access World Bank, 2024

share of households with internet

RU
94.4%
MN
91.0%

Russia performs better than Minnesota across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

RU
2.1%
MN
4.3%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

RU
$17,547
MN
$68,478

Russia generally does better on employment & economy, though Minnesota 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
MN
79.1 yrs

Minnesota performs significantly better than Russia across all family life metrics.

Weather in Minnesota vs Russia

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Minneapolis Rain: 30.6 in/yr (778 mm)
55° / 37°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Moscow Minneapolis
Jan–Mar 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) 31°/15°F (0°/-10°C)
Apr–Jun 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) 69°/48°F (20°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) 78°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Oct–Dec 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C)
View all months
Month Moscow Minneapolis
Jan 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) 24°/8°F (-4.6°/-13.6°C)
Feb 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) 29°/13°F (-1.7°/-10.7°C)
Mar 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) 41°/24°F (5.2°/-4.3°C)
Apr 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) 58°/37°F (14.3°/2.9°C)
May 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) 69°/49°F (20.8°/9.4°C)
Jun 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) 79°/59°F (26.0°/14.9°C)
Jul 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) 83°/64°F (28.6°/17.8°C)
Aug 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) 80°/62°F (26.9°/16.6°C)
Sep 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) 72°/52°F (22.1°/11.3°C)
Oct 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) 58°/40°F (14.4°/4.3°C)
Nov 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C)
Dec 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) 27°/12°F (-2.7°/-10.9°C)

Data: Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Can you move from Russia to Minnesota?

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

Russia passport

Russia passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Russia passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Russia

Visa Required
United States passport holders need a visa to enter 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 Minnesota than Russia?

Day-to-day costs in Minnesota run about 102% higher than Russia on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a RUB6,000,000 comparable salary, that's around $37,750 in Minnesota for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Minnesota?

Working remotely from Minnesota's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Russia and Minnesota.

How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Russia?

Russia performs better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Minneapolis is 55°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Minneapolis receives around 30.6 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.

What language do they speak in Minnesota?

The official language in Minnesota is English. In Russia, the official language is Russian.

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At a Glance

RU
Population 143,513,328 5,830,405
Currency Russian Ruble (RUB) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Russian English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +7 +1
Time zones 9 11
Emergency number 112 911