Moving to Poland from Russia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Russia to Poland — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Russia to Poland, you would find that Poland is 26.2% more expensive than Russia overall. A RUB6,400,000 salary in Russia would need to be roughly PLN371,000 in Poland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Polish.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Russia to Poland.
What does your salary buy?
RUB6,400,000 → PLN371,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Poland
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 24.5% more
Groceries
pay 7.6% more
Transportation
pay 39.5% more
Housing
pay 55.1% more
Childcare
pay 17.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 26.3% 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.
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 Poland cost about 4% 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 Poland, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Russia to Poland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Poland 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 Poland leads in health coverage index.
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 Poland 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 Poland 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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Poland leads in gdp per capita.
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
Poland generally does better on family life, though Russia leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Tax Service of Russia (2016), Ministry of Finance, Poland (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Moscow | Warsaw |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) | 38°/26°F (3°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 66°/46°F (19°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) | 44°/33°F (7°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Moscow | Warsaw |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) | 33°/24°F (0.7°/-4.4°C) |
| Feb | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) | 36°/25°F (2.1°/-3.9°C) |
| Mar | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) | 44°/30°F (6.9°/-0.9°C) |
| Apr | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) | 57°/38°F (13.9°/3.6°C) |
| May | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) | 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) |
| Jun | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) |
| Jul | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) | 76°/57°F (24.6°/13.7°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) | 75°/55°F (23.9°/13.0°C) |
| Sep | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) | 65°/48°F (18.4°/9.0°C) |
| Oct | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) | 55°/40°F (12.8°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) | 43°/33°F (5.9°/0.5°C) |
| Dec | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) | 35°/26°F (1.6°/-3.1°C) |
Data:
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring,
Institute of Meteorology and Water Management
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Russia and Poland. To live, work, or study long-term in Poland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Poland's immigration authority.
Russia passport holder visiting Poland
Visa Required
Poland 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 Poland than Russia?
No — Poland is on average about 26% more expensive than Russia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Poland?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly PLN92,750 in Poland on a RUB6,400,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Poland?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Poland has 25.4 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 Poland safe for expats?
Poland generally does better on safety, though Russia leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Poland is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Russia. About 11% of people in Poland feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Poland compared to Russia?
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland leads in health coverage index. There are 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Poland, compared to 51.1 in Russia. Poland scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).
What's the weather like in Poland compared to Russia?
The average high temperature in Warsaw is 55°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Warsaw receives around 20.9 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.
What language do they speak in Poland?
The official language in Poland is Polish. In Russia, the official language is Russian.
