Moving to Russia from South Korea
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Korea to Russia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Korea to Russia, you would find that Russia is 26.6% cheaper than South Korea overall. A ₩112,436,250 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly RUB4,644,058 in Russia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Russian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Moscow averages 48°F vs 63°F in Seoul, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Korea to Russia.
What does your salary buy?
₩112,436,250 → RUB4,644,058
To maintain the same standard of living in Russia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 5.4% less
Groceries
pay 54.3% less
Transportation
pay 28.5% less
Housing
pay 31.7% less
Childcare
pay 34.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 35.6% 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 3% more than cities in South Korea.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from South Korea 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
- · · ·
-
29.3,718
South Korea
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Korea 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
South Korea 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 South Korea 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
South Korea performs 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
South Korea generally does better on infrastructure, though Russia leads in water stress level.
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
South Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though Russia leads in top income tax rate.
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
South Korea generally does better on family life, though Russia leads in literacy rate.
Data: National Tax Service, South Korea, 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 | Seoul | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seoul | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) |
| Feb | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) |
| Mar | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) |
| Jun | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) |
| Aug | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) |
| Sep | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) |
Data:
Korea Meteorological Administration,
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Korea 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 Korea passport holder visiting Russia
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Russia passport holder visiting South Korea
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 Korea?
Generally yes: Russia runs about 20% cheaper than South Korea on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 ₩112,436,250 comparable salary, that's around RUB1,161,014 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 Korea and Russia.
Is Russia safe for expats?
South Korea generally does better on safety, though Russia leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Russia is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in South Korea. About 90% of people in Russia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Russia compared to South Korea?
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index. There are 38.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Russia, compared to 25.2 in South Korea. Russia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Korea: 89).
What's the weather like in Russia compared to South Korea?
The average high temperature in Moscow is 48°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Moscow receives around 27.2 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.
What language do they speak in Russia?
The official language in Russia is Russian. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.
