Moving to Russia from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Russia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Russia, you would find that Russia is 6.5% more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,223,766 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly RUB6,673,046 in Russia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Russian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Moscow averages 48°F vs 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Africa to Russia.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,223,766 → RUB6,673,046
To maintain the same standard of living in Russia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 5.6% less
Groceries
pay 1.8% more
Transportation
pay 26.5% less
Housing
pay 24.1% less
Childcare
pay 84.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.5% 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 Russia cost about 35% more than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from South Africa to Russia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Russia?
Top countries of origin for Russia's foreign-born residents.
- 3,268,263
- 2,558,907
- 1,146,175
- 766,918
- 763,879
- 591,025
- · · ·
-
86.238
South Africa
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa and Russia 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
Russia performs significantly better than South Africa 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 South Africa 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
South Africa generally does better on environment, though Russia leads in air pollution deaths.
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 significantly better than South Africa 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 significantly better than South Africa 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 generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Data: South African Revenue Service, 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 | Pretoria | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and Russia. To live, work, or study long-term in Russia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Russia's immigration authority.
South Africa passport holder visiting Russia
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Russia passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Russia than South Africa?
Day-to-day costs in Russia run about 16% higher than South Africa on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Russia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ZAR1,223,766 comparable salary, that's around RUB1,668,262 in Russia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Russia?
With 24.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Russia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in South Africa and Russia.
Is Russia safe for expats?
Russia performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Russia is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa. About 90% of people in Russia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Russia compared to South Africa?
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Russia, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Russia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Russia compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Moscow is 48°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Moscow receives around 27.2 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Russia?
The official language in Russia is Russian. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Russia
At a Glance
ZA
|
RU
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 142,021,981 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Russian Ruble (RUB) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Russian |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +7 |
| Time zones | 1 | 9 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 112 |