Moscow is certainly one of the world’s great cities from a historical standpoint, but for tourists it’s still largely undiscovered. Now that Western visitors are welcome the infrastructure is building, though it can still be a frustrating place to go.
Once you are in the city you’ll find that transportation is cheap, and most of the main attractions are quite affordable as well.
| Population | 10,500,000 |
| Area | 10,500,000 |
| Timezone | UTC+3 |
| Currency | Russian ruble |
| Airports | Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO), Domodedovo International Airport (DME) |
Food and drinks can be a problem for budget travelers since places with English-language menus are typically incredibly expensive. You can actually eat and drink well in Moscow for a reasonable price if you can navigate the restaurants and watering holes where the locals eat and drink.
| Budget breakfast | If your hotel doesn't include breakfast then follow the locals for the better deals. | $5.32 - $8.67 |
| Budget lunch | The cheap local restaurants can be baffling to tourists, but if you can pull it off you can eat well cheaply. | $6.81 - $11.76 |
| Budget dinner | Finding proper restaurants for budget tourists can be challenging, as many places are fancy or really run-down. | $9.91 - $16.10 |
| Beer (pint) | Local lagers can vary greatly in price depending on where you go. | $4.58 - $7.43 |
| Vodka (.5l bottle) | Vodka in shops can still be quite cheap by the bottle in Moscow, in spite of new minimum prices. | $4.95 - $8.05 |
| Month | High F | Low F | PRECIP (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23 | 14 | 1.8 |
| February | 26 | 14 | 1.4 |
| March | 36 | 24 | 1.3 |
| April | 51 | 36 | 1.5 |
| May | 65 | 45 | 2.1 |
| June | 72 | 54 | 3.3 |
| July | 74 | 57 | 3.5 |
| August | 70 | 54 | 3.2 |
| September | 59 | 45 | 2.6 |
| October | 47 | 36 | 2.6 |
| November | 33 | 25 | 2.4 |
| December | 26 | 18 | 2.1 |
Moscow can be quite nice most of the time from May through September, with warm and slightly humid months from June through August. But the rest of the year the city is either cold or freezing, with snow on the ground usually from November through March.
| 21 Mar | 6:30am | 6:45pm |
| 21 Jun | 4:45am | 10:18pm |
| 21 Sep | 7:12am | 7:32pm |
| 21 Dec | 8:57am | 3:58pm |
Another difficulty the city has is that Moscow is very expensive, even by most European standards. Hotels in the lower categories can be affordable, but standards tend to be equally low. Once you get into the nicer business hotels the prices skyrocket to among the most expensive hotels on earth. There are a handful of hostels in Moscow, which are also expensive compared to other hostels, though at least cheaper than Moscow hotels.
Moscow still doesn’t have much of a tourist infrastructure for a city its size, so its hotel scene is mostly dominated by business hotels, which can be busy at any time of year. High season for tourists is May through September, so bargains can be found in other months if you can bear the cold and snow.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | 6.19 - 28.48 |
| 11.39 - 50.77 |
| 14.86 - 102.77 |
| 35.04 - 130.14 |
| 56.96 - 15.85 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | 4.95 - 13.62 |