Moving to Slovakia from Russia

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Russia to Slovakia, you would find that Slovakia is 55.2% more expensive than Russia overall. A RUB5,776,862 salary in Russia would need to be roughly €77,795 in Slovakia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Slovak. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bratislava averages 61°F vs 48°F in Moscow, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Russia to Slovakia.

What does your salary buy?

RUB5,776,862 €77,795

To maintain the same standard of living in Slovakia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 80.6% more

Groceries

pay 54.2% more

Transportation

pay 84.6% more

Housing

pay 98.1% more

Childcare

pay 23.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 56.9% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 RUB = 0.0114 EUR (July 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.

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 Slovakia cost about 5% less than cities in Russia.

Russia

Slovakia

Zilina 42%
Nitra 40%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
128 ↑ 54% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Slovakia?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

RU
6.8
SK
0.7
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2020

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

RU
90%
SK
74%

Slovakia generally does better on safety, though Russia leads in feel safe walking at night.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

RU
$3,204
SK
$3,230
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

RU
38.3
SK
36.8

Slovakia 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
SK
30.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

RU
14.0t
SK
5.5t

Slovakia performs significantly better than Russia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

RU
24.8
SK
33.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

RU
4.1%
SK
2.4%

Slovakia generally does better on infrastructure, though Russia leads in electricity per capita.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

RU
3.3%
SK
5.8%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

RU
$39,800
SK
$39,300

Russia performs better than Slovakia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

RU
72.4 yrs
SK
78.3 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

RU
6.4
SK
4.8

Slovakia 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Bratislava Rain: 22.6 in/yr (574 mm)
61° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Moscow Bratislava
Jan–Mar 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) 44°/30°F (7°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) 71°/51°F (22°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) 78°/58°F (26°/15°C)
Oct–Dec 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) 49°/37°F (9°/3°C)
View all months
Month Moscow Bratislava
Jan 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) 38°/27°F (3.1°/-2.8°C)
Feb 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) 42°/29°F (5.8°/-1.7°C)
Mar 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.7°C)
Apr 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.0°C)
May 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) 71°/51°F (21.8°/10.6°C)
Jun 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.4°C)
Jul 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) 82°/61°F (27.8°/16.2°C)
Aug 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) 82°/61°F (27.6°/15.9°C)
Sep 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) 71°/53°F (21.9°/11.5°C)
Oct 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) 60°/44°F (15.6°/6.6°C)
Nov 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) 48°/37°F (9.0°/2.7°C)
Dec 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) 39°/29°F (3.7°/-1.5°C)

Data: Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Russia passport

Russia passport holder visiting Slovakia

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

Slovakia passport holder visiting Russia

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

Day-to-day costs in Slovakia run about 18% higher than Russia on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Slovakia?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a RUB5,776,862 comparable salary, that's around €19,449 in Slovakia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Slovakia?

With 33.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Slovakia 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 Slovakia.

Is Slovakia safe for expats?

Slovakia generally does better on safety, though Russia leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Slovakia is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Russia. About 74% of people in Slovakia feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Slovakia compared to Russia?

Slovakia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Russia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Slovakia, compared to 38.3 in Russia. Slovakia scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).

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

The average high temperature in Bratislava is 61°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Bratislava receives around 22.6 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.

What language do they speak in Slovakia?

The official language in Slovakia is Slovak. In Russia, the official language is Russian.

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At a Glance

RU SK
Population 142,021,981 5,431,252
Currency Russian Ruble (RUB) Euro (€)
Languages Russian Slovak
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +7 +421
Time zones 9 1
Emergency number 112 112