Moving to Russia from United States
What to Expect
Considering a move from United States to Russia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from United States to Russia, you would find that Russia is 48.9% cheaper than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly RUB2,940,802 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 66°F in Washington, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between United States and Russia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → RUB2,940,802
To maintain the same standard of living in Russia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 58.5% less
Groceries
pay 48.4% less
Transportation
pay 40.6% less
Housing
pay 71.7% less
Childcare
pay 72.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 58.9% 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 49% less than cities in United States.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from United States to Russia.
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
- · · ·
-
27.4,583
United States
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Russia compared to United States.
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 generally does better on safety, though United States leads in homicide rate.
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 United States 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
United States 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
United States 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
Russia generally does better on employment & economy, though United States 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
United States performs better than Russia across all family life metrics.
Data: Internal 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 | Washington | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting Russia
Visa Required
Russia passport holder visiting United States
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 United States?
On average Russia is about 49% less expensive than United States, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Russia?
Budget about RUB735,200 for 3 months in Russia (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Russia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Russia: 24.8 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Russia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Russia safe for expats?
Russia generally does better on safety, though United States leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Russia is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.4 in United States. About 90% of people in Russia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Russia compared to United States?
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index. There are 38.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Russia, compared to 36.1 in United States. Russia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United States: 86).
What's the weather like in Russia compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Moscow is 48°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Moscow receives around 27.2 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in Russia?
The official language in Russia is Russian. In United States, the official language is English.
