Moving to Netherlands from Russia

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Russia to Netherlands — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Russia to Netherlands, you would find that Netherlands is 2.3 times more expensive than Russia overall. A RUB6,200,000 salary in Russia would need to be roughly €154,000 in Netherlands to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch.

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

Is Netherlands cheaper than Russia?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 2.4 times more

Groceries

pay 79.8% more

Transportation

pay 2.6 times more

Housing

pay 3.1 times more

Childcare

pay 2.2 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.0 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 RUB = 0.0108 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.

What salary do you need in Netherlands?

What does your salary buy?

RUB6,200,000 → €154,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Netherlands

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 Netherlands cost about 64% more than cities in Russia.

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Russia to Netherlands, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
5,160 ↓ 16% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Netherlands?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Russia to Netherlands.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

RU
6.8
NL
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

RU
10.6
NL
3.4

Netherlands performs significantly better than Russia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

RU
$3,204
NL
$8,195
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

RU
51.1
NL
38.8

Netherlands 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
NL
13.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

RU
14.0t
NL
6.6t

Netherlands 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
NL
43.0
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

RU
4.1%
NL
16.7%

Russia generally does better on infrastructure, though Netherlands 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%
NL
3.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

RU
$17,547
NL
$73,684

Russia generally does better on employment & economy, though Netherlands 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
NL
82.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

RU
4.1
NL
3.4

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

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Tax Service of Russia (2016), Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Netherlands vs Russia

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Amsterdam Rain: 30.7 in/yr (780 mm)
56° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Moscow Amsterdam
Jan–Mar 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) 45°/34°F (7°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) 61°/45°F (16°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) 69°/53°F (21°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) 50°/40°F (10°/4°C)
View all months
Month Moscow Amsterdam
Jan 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C)
Feb 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C)
Mar 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C)
Apr 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C)
May 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C)
Jun 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C)
Jul 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C)
Aug 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C)
Sep 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C)
Oct 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C)
Nov 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C)
Dec 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C)

Data: Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

Can you move from Russia to Netherlands?

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

Russia passport

Russia passport holder visiting Netherlands

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

Netherlands passport holder visiting Russia

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Netherlands 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 Netherlands than Russia?

No — Netherlands is on average about 130% more expensive than Russia. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Netherlands?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €38,500 in Netherlands on a RUB6,200,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Netherlands?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Netherlands has 43.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Netherlands safe for expats?

Netherlands performs significantly better than Russia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Netherlands is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Russia.

How is healthcare in Netherlands compared to Russia?

Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Russia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Netherlands, compared to 51.1 in Russia. Netherlands scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).

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

The average high temperature in Amsterdam is 56°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Amsterdam receives around 30.7 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.

What language do they speak in Netherlands?

The official language in Netherlands is Dutch. In Russia, the official language is Russian.

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At a Glance

RU NL
Population 143,513,328 18,087,633
Currency Russian Ruble (RUB) Euro (€)
Languages Russian Dutch
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +7 +31
Time zones 9 1
Emergency number 112 112