Moving to Pakistan from Russia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Russia to Pakistan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Russia to Pakistan, you would find that Pakistan is 44.3% cheaper than Russia overall. A RUB5,859,336 salary in Russia would need to be roughly PKR9,841,693 in Pakistan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Urdu. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Islamabad averages 84°F vs 48°F in Moscow, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Russia to Pakistan.
What does your salary buy?
RUB5,859,336 → PKR9,841,693
To maintain the same standard of living in Pakistan
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 55.5% less
Groceries
pay 46.0% less
Transportation
pay 21.6% less
Housing
pay 21.7% less
Childcare
pay 86.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.1% less
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 Pakistan cost about 58% less than cities in Russia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Russia and Pakistan stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Russia generally does better on safety, though Pakistan leads in homicide rate.
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
Pakistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Russia 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
Russia generally does better on environment, though Pakistan 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
Russia performs better than Pakistan across all infrastructure metrics.
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 Pakistan 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
Russia performs better than Pakistan 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 | Islamabad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) | 69°/44°F (21°/7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 95°/68°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) | 94°/74°F (34°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) | 78°/48°F (26°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Moscow | Islamabad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) | 64°/38°F (17.9°/3.2°C) |
| Feb | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) | 68°/43°F (19.8°/6.0°C) |
| Mar | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) | 76°/51°F (24.5°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) | 87°/60°F (30.5°/15.8°C) |
| May | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) | 97°/69°F (36.0°/20.7°C) |
| Jun | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) | 101°/75°F (38.4°/23.8°C) |
| Jul | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) | 96°/76°F (35.3°/24.4°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) | 93°/75°F (33.7°/23.8°C) |
| Sep | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) | 93°/70°F (33.7°/21.1°C) |
| Oct | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) | 88°/58°F (30.9°/14.5°C) |
| Nov | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) | 79°/47°F (25.9°/8.3°C) |
| Dec | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) | 68°/40°F (20.2°/4.3°C) |
Data:
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Russia and Pakistan. To live, work, or study long-term in Pakistan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Pakistan's immigration authority.
Russia passport holder visiting Pakistan
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Pakistan passport holder visiting Russia
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Pakistan than Russia?
Generally yes: Pakistan runs about 53% cheaper than Russia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Pakistan?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a RUB5,859,336 comparable salary, that's around PKR2,460,423 in Pakistan for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Pakistan?
With 1.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Pakistan 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 Pakistan.
Is Pakistan safe for expats?
Russia generally does better on safety, though Pakistan leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Pakistan is 4.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Russia.
How is healthcare in Pakistan compared to Russia?
Pakistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Russia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 10.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Pakistan, compared to 38.3 in Russia. Pakistan scores 45 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).
What's the weather like in Pakistan compared to Russia?
The average high temperature in Islamabad is 84°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Islamabad receives around 49.1 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.
What language do they speak in Pakistan?
The official languages in Pakistan are English and Urdu. In Russia, the official language is Russian.
