City break in Moscow is cheaper than in Barcelona, Berlin or Tallinn

A new rating puttogether by the European Backpacker Index has once again busted a myth about Moscow being an expensive travel destination.

The PriceOfTravel.com, an international web-portal, released a list of the most budget-friendly European cities. The cheapest tourist destinations in Europe are Sofia, Krakow, Bucharest and Sarajevo. Out of the total of 47 cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg place 15^th and 14^th respectively.

The European Backpacker Index-2013 doesn't just consider an overnight in a city's cheapest hostel. It is also based on the number of favorable reviews received by the accommodation facility, the cost of two public transport rides, the admission fee to a tourist attractions and three-course meal with alcohol or a desert with a cup of coffee.

As for Moscow, the "tourist affordability" rating is based on a one-night stay at the TNT Hostel (500 roubles - €12), a daily meal (432 roubles - €10.50) with a beer (180 roubles – €4.40), two metro rides (56 roubles - €1.40) and a cultural activity (320 roubles - €7.80). Thus, shows the European Backpacker Index, a budget day break in Moscow stands in 1488 roubles (€36.40).

Surprisingly, some European cities traditionally regarded by the Russians as much more affordable destinations than Moscow have taken places of less honor in the rating in question: Tallinn – 17, Lisbon – 19, Berlin – 20, Athens – 21, Madrid – 23, and Barcelona – 27^th place.

The most expensive destinations for those travelling on a shoestring are Amsterdam. Helsinki, Stockholm, Venice, Oslo, and Zurich that closes up the rating with the cost a one-day stay at €92.

In a similar European Backpacker Index rating of worldwide destinations released by PriceOfTravel.com, Moscow has taken 62^nd place, close to Argentina's Buenos Aires, Belize's San Pedro and Spain's Tenerife.

"These long-settled stereotypes about Moscow being an interesting but quite pricey travel destination have once again gone through reasonable and evidential correction", said the Head of the Moscow City Committee for Tourism and Hotel Industry, Mr. Sergey Shpilko, "And what's especially important is that these figures, confirmed by our own statistics, have been delivered by an independent international company". 

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