Moving to Ukraine from Russia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Russia to Ukraine — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Russia to Ukraine, you would find that Ukraine is 24.4% cheaper than Russia overall. A RUB6,400,000 salary in Russia would need to be roughly UAH2,550,000 in Ukraine to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Ukrainian.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Russia to Ukraine.
What does your salary buy?
RUB6,400,000 → UAH2,550,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Ukraine
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 24.2% less
Groceries
pay 13.4% less
Transportation
pay 6.4% more
Housing
pay 34.7% less
Childcare
pay 33.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 35.5% 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 Ukraine cost about 17% less 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 Ukraine, based on official data.
Who's moving to Ukraine?
Top countries of origin for Ukraine's foreign-born residents.
-
1.3,330,586
Russia
- 249,641
- 225,962
- 223,491
- 152,249
- 83,674
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Russia to Ukraine.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Ukraine performs significantly better than Russia across all safety metrics.
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 Ukraine 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
Russia generally does better on environment, though Ukraine 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 Ukraine 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 Ukraine 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
Ukraine generally does better on family life, though Russia leads in infant mortality.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Tax Service of Russia (2016), Ministry of Revenue and Duties of Ukraine (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 | Kiev |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) | 36°/25°F (2°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 68°/51°F (20°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) | 76°/58°F (24°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) | 43°/33°F (6°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Moscow | Kiev |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) | 31°/22°F (-0.7°/-5.5°C) |
| Feb | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) | 33°/23°F (0.8°/-5.0°C) |
| Mar | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) | 44°/31°F (6.5°/-0.8°C) |
| Apr | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) | 59°/42°F (15.1°/5.7°C) |
| May | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) | 70°/52°F (21.1°/10.9°C) |
| Jun | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) | 76°/59°F (24.6°/14.8°C) |
| Jul | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) | 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.6°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) | 79°/60°F (25.9°/15.7°C) |
| Sep | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) | 68°/51°F (20.0°/10.6°C) |
| Oct | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) | 55°/41°F (12.9°/5.1°C) |
| Nov | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) | 42°/33°F (5.3°/0.3°C) |
| Dec | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) | 33°/26°F (0.5°/-3.5°C) |
Data:
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring,
Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Russia and Ukraine. To live, work, or study long-term in Ukraine, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Ukraine's immigration authority.
Russia passport holder visiting Ukraine
Visa Required
Ukraine 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 Ukraine than Russia?
Yes — Ukraine is on average about 24% cheaper than Russia. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Ukraine?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly UAH637,500 in Ukraine 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 Ukraine?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Ukraine has 21.6 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 Ukraine safe for expats?
Ukraine performs significantly better than Russia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Ukraine is 3.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Russia.
How is healthcare in Ukraine compared to Russia?
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ukraine leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 35.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Ukraine, compared to 51.1 in Russia. Ukraine scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).
What's the weather like in Ukraine compared to Russia?
The average high temperature in Kiev is 56°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Kiev receives around 23.8 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.
What language do they speak in Ukraine?
The official language in Ukraine is Ukrainian. In Russia, the official language is Russian.
