Moving to Spain from Russia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Russia to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Russia to Spain, you would find that Spain is 81.0% more expensive than Russia overall. A RUB5,859,336 salary in Russia would need to be roughly €95,962 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Madrid averages 68°F vs 48°F in Moscow, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Russia to Spain.
What does your salary buy?
RUB5,859,336 → €95,962
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.3 times more
Groceries
pay 63.9% more
Transportation
pay 2.2 times more
Housing
pay 2.5 times more
Childcare
pay 29.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 71.7% 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 Spain cost about 16% more than cities in Russia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Spain
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Russia to Spain, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Russia and Spain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Spain 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
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Russia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Spain performs significantly better than Russia across all environment metrics.
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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Spain leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 Spain 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
Spain generally does better on family life, though Russia leads in literacy rate.
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 | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Moscow | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Russia and Spain. To live, work, or study long-term in Spain, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Spain's immigration authority.
Russia passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Required
Spain 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 Spain than Russia?
Day-to-day costs in Spain run about 46% higher than Russia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a RUB5,859,336 comparable salary, that's around €23,990 in Spain for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Spain?
With 36.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Spain 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 Spain.
Is Spain safe for expats?
Spain generally does better on safety, though Russia leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Russia. About 78% of people in Spain feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Russia?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Russia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 38.3 in Russia. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Russia?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Russia, the official language is Russian.
