Moving to Russia from Ukraine
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Ukraine to Russia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Ukraine to Russia, you would find that Russia is 32.2% more expensive than Ukraine overall. A UAH3,400,000 salary in Ukraine would need to be roughly RUB8,520,000 in Russia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Russian.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Ukraine to Russia.
What does your salary buy?
UAH3,400,000 → RUB8,520,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Russia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 31.9% more
Groceries
pay 15.5% more
Transportation
pay 6.0% less
Housing
pay 53.1% more
Childcare
pay 51.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 55.2% 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 Russia cost about 20% more than cities in Ukraine.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Ukraine to Russia, based on official data.
Who's moving to Russia?
Top countries of origin for Russia's foreign-born residents.
-
1.3,268,263
Ukraine
- 2,558,907
- 1,146,175
- 766,918
- 763,879
- 591,025
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Ukraine to Russia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Ukraine performs 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
Ukraine 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 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 significantly 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), Ministry of Revenue and Duties of Ukraine (2016), Federal Tax Service of Russia (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 | Kiev | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/25°F (2°/-4°C) | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/51°F (20°/10°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/58°F (24°/14°C) | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/33°F (6°/1°C) | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kiev | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/22°F (-0.7°/-5.5°C) | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) |
| Feb | 33°/23°F (0.8°/-5.0°C) | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) |
| Mar | 44°/31°F (6.5°/-0.8°C) | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 59°/42°F (15.1°/5.7°C) | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) |
| May | 70°/52°F (21.1°/10.9°C) | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) |
| Jun | 76°/59°F (24.6°/14.8°C) | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.6°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) |
| Aug | 79°/60°F (25.9°/15.7°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) |
| Sep | 68°/51°F (20.0°/10.6°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 55°/41°F (12.9°/5.1°C) | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) |
| Nov | 42°/33°F (5.3°/0.3°C) | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) |
| Dec | 33°/26°F (0.5°/-3.5°C) | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) |
Data:
Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center,
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ukraine 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.
Ukraine passport holder visiting Russia
Visa Required
Russia passport holder visiting Ukraine
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 Russia than Ukraine?
No — Russia is on average about 32% more expensive than Ukraine. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Russia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly RUB2,130,000 in Russia on a UAH3,400,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Russia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Russia has 27.1 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 Russia safe for expats?
Ukraine performs better than Russia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Russia is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.8 in Ukraine.
How is healthcare in Russia compared to Ukraine?
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ukraine leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 51.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Russia, compared to 35.3 in Ukraine. Russia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Ukraine: 76).
What's the weather like in Russia compared to Ukraine?
The average high temperature in Moscow is 48°F, compared to 56°F in Kiev. Moscow receives around 27.2 in of rainfall per year, while Kiev gets 23.8 in.
What language do they speak in Russia?
The official language in Russia is Russian. In Ukraine, the official language is Ukrainian.
