How to stay on a budget when traveling to Moscow

If you’re on a tight budget traveling to another country might not sound like a fun thing do. Especially Moscow is known to be one of the most expensive cities in the world. But don’t let that scare you off or give up your travel plans.

It might be frustrating but traveling without a lot of money can actually be also be pretty amazing experience. It makes you think more like a local, you have to be more creative in terms of planning your activities and you will get insights that you otherwise might have never gotten. By traveling with less money, you will get the opportunity to see the city more through the eyes of a local rather than a tourist.

Traveling on a budget can be a challenge but it is definitely not impossible! If you want to find out how you can save money when you are traveling to Moscow then keep on reading.

Accommodation

First of all, you need somewhere to stay of course. Try traveling slightly before or after peak seasons to save some money on your accommodation. You don’t have to book a fancy hotel room during your travels. Great alternatives are the websites AirBnb or Couchsurfing. This way you will book a room in a local person’s apartment or flat or you even have the entire apartment for yourself and you will get a glimpse of the real-life living situation in the city. You can also get some real insider tips for the best spots and restaurants in your area by your host, and that for free.

Maybe you even have friends or family in Moscow who can help you out and let you stay at their place. Most private apartments and flats are also equipped with an own kitchen, which brings me straight to my second tip.

Eating

Depending on where you stay and if you have a kitchen available or not you can prepare your own meals. Trying the national food is an important part of traveling and if the place you are staying has their own kitchen it’s easy for you to visit local markets, buy the products there and cook something on your own. Shopping like a local is the cheapest way to go and will save you some money. You will most likely get a better price for things and you will be supporting the local economy.

You can for example prepare your own breakfast and dinner at home. During lunch time many restaurants in Moscow offer the so-called business lunches, usually during 12-16 pm. This is a trendy concept in Russia that is aimed at business people but during those hours it is possible to get a two or even three-course meal for a much lower price than usual.

Other alternatives if you want to try traditional Russian food without spending a lot of money are the restaurant chains Teremok or Kroshka Kartoshka. You will find those nearly anywhere and they offer a wide variety of different dishes.

If you are a fan of coffee, I suggest you to try out the Ziferblat café. This interesting and unique concept is based on the idea that everything is free (coffee, tea, sweets, books, table games), except time. In this café you will not pay for your drink or food, only for the minutes you spend there. During the first two hours a minute costs 3 rubles, from the third hour on it’s only 2 rubles per minute. If you stay longer than four hours the counting stops, which means 600 rubles is the maximum you pay on a day.

Tsiferblat; photo taken from: https://a-a-ah.com/tsiferblat/gallery/59004

Transportation

Use public transportation in Moscow as often as possible. The infrastructure is very well connected and the prices for tickets are, compared to European countries, very cheap. The ticket price for one ride is only 55 rubles (0,8 €), a day ticket costs 230 rubles (3,3 €) and for a three-day ticket you will pay 438 rubles (6,3 €).

Using the Metro is not only a cheap but also a fast experience, as there can be heavy traffic jams in Moscow anytime. In addition, the Moscow metro is like a museum itself. Moscow is known for its beautiful and unique metro stations, so why not just drive around and explore the stations. Especially on a rainy day this can be a fun thing to do.

The metro in Moscow is one of the most beautiful ones in the world and many of the more than 200 stations are cultural heritage sites. If you research beforehand you can do your own tour around Moscow’s metro but be sure to avoid rush hour to get the best pictures. My personal favourite is the Komsomolskaya metro station which is located on the brown line.

Moscow metro; photo taken from: https://unsplash.com/photos/yGYydVrN1YU

Activities for free

If you are traveling to Moscow you can easily explore a lot of things without having to pay any entrance. You can visit one of Moscow many parks – Gorky Park, Alexander Garden, Victory Park or VDNKh Park just to name a few, any time of the year. Nearly all of them offer free entrance. Going there in the fall or winter time can be just as a good experience as during summer. You get to see the colour changing of leaves during fall or in some parks you even have the possibility to go ice skating during the winter season.

Another important thing to keep in mind are free entries for a number of museums every third Sunday in the month. Some museums that participate are the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, the State Darwin Museum and the famous Pushkin State Museum. Every Wednesday you can also visit the permanent exhibition of the Tretyakov Gallery, which is an extensive museum complex, for free.

If you would rather visit one of the many churches in Moscow it’s also no problem. A lot of them offer free entry like the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour which is just a short walk from the Red Square.

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour; photo taken from: https://unsplash.com/photos/Rv2i_gtC_9M

Traveling to Moscow doesn’t immediately mean that you have to spend a lot of money. There are a lot of activities you can do for a reduced price or even for free and you will most likely not get bored. I hope these tips will convince you to still visit the Russian capital even if you are on a tight budget. Be sure to try it, it’s definitely an experience that’s worth it!

Posted by Marleen Streussnig