How Much Money Should You Bring To Russia?
- Konrad Tillman
- Sep 24
- 4 min read
Intro
This is the last of the technical posts surrounding Russia, before I move on to the Saint Petersburg series. However, I do think it is important to share this, as once you are in Russia, it can become very difficult to get more money if you are from the US or parts of the EU, due to your cards not working in the country.
And this is coming from someone who ran out of money 🤣.
How Much?
Before I even begin to talk about how much money you need when visiting Russia, there are some things you need to keep in mind. These consist of the following:
Are you a backpacker or a hotel stayer?
Where are you going in Russia?
Do you like going out?
How long are you planning on visiting?
As someone who had no idea what to expect going in, stays at hotels, eats at upscale restaurants, and likes to go clubbing, I spent about 5K USD in 2 weeks. And this didn't even include the flights to and from Moscow...
Why? Well, this is purely on me, as I am somewhat of a boujee traveler. Not in the Four Seasons type way, but the Marriott or Radisson type way. Anyways, here is a breakdown of roughly what I spent on my 2 weeks here:
Hotels= 1.8K for 14 nights
Flights (including Aeroflot A350 Business)= 1.7K for 5 economy flights and 1 business class flight
Food+Drink= 1.4K for 15 days (yeah, not my finest hour)
Miscalleneous= 100 USD
Visa= 750 USD (not included in the budget)
However, if you are more of a budget traveler, I did stay at a hostel for 3 hours, and talked with some locals in SPB, so I can help you out with some metrics:
Hostels= 15-30 USD per night, depending on where
Trains= 30-150 USD depending on where you are going and class (sleeper is more)
Food+Drink= I would recommend budgeting a minimum of 20 USD per day, double that if you don't like the local food
Visa= can be done for as low as 280 USD
However, I will say this over and over again. If you are setting aside a budget for Russia of about 2K for 2 weeks, bring 4K. Worst comes to worst, you spend 2.5K and deposit the 1.5K back in your bank account once you return. But once you run out of money in Russia, you have to leave, it's that simple (there is a way around through Crypto and stuff). Additionally, with how fluid the situation is with Ukraine, I am saying this just so you are on the safe side. 🤟
Obviously, if you use my Wego trick for hotels and flights, you don't have to bring as much cash, just make sure it works before!
Russia Is Expensive
Perhaps I have traveled to many countries recently that most people would call "cheap", but I found Russia to be quite expensive as a whole. While most of Asia is cheap, as well as Africa, I found Russia to be a little bit cheaper than Tokyo, and right around the prices of London. As an example, I usually look at the cost of a Four Seasons, and that resembles the cost of the city (weird, but it works).
The Four Seasons in Tokyo is about 1200 USD per night
The Four Seasons in Moscow is about 750 USD per night
The Four Seasons in Jakarta is about 210 USD per night
And honestly, this falls right in line with the pricing of each city I have visited. While you can live relatively cheaply, most people go to Russia for vacation, and I recommend enjoying, not just saving.
Anyways, tangent over...
Final Thoughts
If you are planning a trip to Russia and was confused about how much money to bring, I hope this article has helped. Once you have set a budget aside, double it and bring the entirety in cash, as once you are there, you practically have no way of receiving more money. Russia is more expensive than you think, but oh so worth it. Enjoy, and stay tuned for the Saint Petersburg series!
Russia Series
