How much does a week of vacation in St. Petersburg cost?
We calculated the cost of a vacation in Russia's cultural capital, if you go to the theater and a museum at least once.
Trip from/to the airport
St. Petersburg has one airport, Pulkovo. You can get from it to the nearest metro station (‘Moskovskaya’ or ‘Prospekt Veteranov’) by city bus. A ride on it will cost 65 rubles (approx. $0.67), if you pay the conductor, or 44 rubles (~$0.45), if you have a ‘Podorozhnik’ travel card. But, a taxi to the center will cost about 1,000 rubles (~$10).
Total: ~1,000 rubles (~$10) if you take a cab.
Accommodation
There are over 1,000 hotels to suit every taste and budget (read about historical ones here). In summer, when there are the most tourists in St. Petersburg, prices will be higher. The rest of the time, the cost of a room in a hostel will cost about 1,500 rubles (~$15.5), in a good hotel in the city center – 3,000 rubles (~$31) and, if you want to spend the week in a 5-star hotel, it will cost from 10,000 rubles (~$104) and more per night.
Find out how to book hotels in 2024 here.
Total: 21,000 rubles (~$217) for a hotel in the city center.
Public transport
To travel by public transport, it is best to buy a ‘Podorozhnik’ travel card with an e-wallet. It can be used to pay for travel on the subway, buses, trolleybuses and trams and it will be cheaper than paying in cash. Thus, a trip on the bus will cost 44 rubles (~$0.45) against 65 rubles (~$0.67), while on the subway – 49 rubles (~$0.5) against 70 rubles (~$0.72).
In addition, one, three or five day unlimited tickets for all types of transportation can be activated on this card. They will cost 270 (~$2.8), 520 (~$5.4) and 920 (~$9.5) rubles, respectively. Thus, a week using such tickets will cost 1,310 rubles (~$13.5).
Total: 1,310 rubles (~$13.5).
Food
New establishments are regularly opening in the northern capital, both budget cafes and luxury restaurants. The price ranges are similar to Moscow. On average, to have breakfast in a café in the city center will cost about 1,000 rubles (~$11), dinner – 1,500 (~$15.5).
Total: 17,500 rubles (~$180) if you eat in a cafe twice a day.
Museums
St. Petersburg is called the cultural capital of Russia for a reason. It is impossible to visit all the museums in a week, but it is worth visiting the most famous ones: the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, the Kunstkamera and the Peter and Paul Fortress.
A ticket to the Hermitage costs 500 rubles (~$5), to the Russian Museum – 600 rubles (~$6), to the Kunstkamera – 400 rubles (~$4). A comprehensive ticket to the Peter and Paul Fortress, meanwhile, costs 750 rubles (~$8).
Total: 2,250 rubles (~$23).
Theaters
Many tourists visit St. Petersburg specifically to go to the theater. If you like opera and ballet, including modern ones, go to the Mariinsky Theater. Ticket prices vary, depending on the performance and the day of the week. As a rule, for the classics, ticket prices will start at 2,000 rubles (~$21) in the upper tier and about 8,000 rubles (~$83) in the parterre.
Another old theater where classical opera and ballet are staged is the Mikhailovsky. Tickets for performances cost from 3,000 (~$31) to 15,000 rubles (~$155).
Another popular theater is the Alexandrinsky Theater, also one of the oldest in Russia. There, you can see plays based on classic works by Russian writers, as well as modern authors. Tickets in the parterre cost, on average, around 2,000 rubles (~$21).
Read about other theaters in St. Petersburg in more detail here.
Total: 8,000 rubles (~$83), if you manage to get a good seat at the Mariinsky!
Entertainment
If you want to see Russia in miniature, it's worth visiting the ‘Grand Maket’ exposition. A ticket will cost 860 rubles (~$9).
You can also see St. Petersburg from above from the top of St. Isaac's Cathedral’s colonnade, from the roof of the ‘Etazhi’ loft project and from the balcony of the Duma Tower. Tickets cost 300-500 rubles (~$3-$5).
But, perhaps the most popular entertainment in St. Petersburg is a boat ride along its rivers and canals. Such a water excursion costs about 1,000 rubles (~$11).
Total: 2,160 rubles (~$22.5).
In total, a week in St. Petersburg will cost about 50,000 rubles (~$520).
