Saint Petersburg Travel Forum

My sister and I travel together and usually gone for at least 12 days on vacation. I usually rent a flat and that is easy for me to get information on that thru the internet, but what is hard to find out is the costs of basic food. For example we go to the local grocery store and pick up bread, coffee, sliced meat, cheese. etc. Just some food to nibble on in the flat if we get hungary. Can anyone give me an idea the costs of such items?
We are two single women traveling and also must be concerned for our safety. Anything we should be aware of?

Assuming you mean the Russian city as opposed to Florida maybe the following website could help: http://bravosolutions.com/cost_of_living.php
www.xe.com will sort the exchage rate for you. Not sure how safe it is as Latvia & Lithuania is closest i have got. Have a great time, Darren.

Re-going to Hungary:

There is no direct train service from St. Peterburg to Budapest anymore, you have to change trains in Moscow. With the current price hike it became very uneconomical to buy a ticket from Russia to Hungary. Instead, buy a CITY-STAR from St. Peterburg to Kosice or to Bratislava. To Kosice it would be only 96 Euro round-trip from St. Pete, to Bratislava 114 Euro. The Moscow-Kosice direc cars arrive in the morning and you can catch the train to Budapest. Buy Kosice-Budapest round-trip for 21.76 Euro/person.

The beauty of CITY-STAR is, only the first person pays the full price, the second, third, fourth, fifth would pay half of it (=48 Euro).

Here is a nice ticket sample of CITY-STAR ticket sold in Russia to Slovakia, it's a round-trip and it was issued for 3 adults and 2 children but via Minsk. You would need to have a less expensive via Kiev:

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/6229/citystar07iv5va9.jpg

if you are able to find shops closeby, that are used by the local people you will
1) not be able to talk to them in any language except russian, will have to explane by hands and feet, what you want, AND will also pay the prices that the local people can afford, and lots of them have to live a whole month on the amount, that tourists spend for a good meal in a good restaurant.
In places in the countryside of Russia you might pay the same about of money for a glass of tea in a restaurant, that you pay in order to go to the toilet in a Moscow. Happened to me in 2003 and it was 6 rubles in Serpuchov, served in a nice glass and packed sugar with it...
2)you will not find the items you are used to and have to make "experiments" untill you find the right taste
As soon as you have to go to the places, where tourists do their shopping, St.Pete will be more expensive than many other places in Europe.
Make sure, you are able to READ the cyrillic letters, otherwise you will be in big troubles !

The salary situation changed quite a bit. Some salaries in St. Pete or Moscow for regular jobs in demand are pretty much on pair with "Western" ones.

some saleries, yes, but not all of them and especially the older generation and retired people have to live on low saleries and have to find shops they may afford.
I simply mean, it depends in which "neigborhood" this rented appartment will be !

Prices at the supermarkets for 1 kg ($10=250 roubles) - bottom level of prices, may be more:
1. Cheese - 250 roubles and more
2. Boiled sausage - 170-250 roubles
3. Ham - 250-380 r.
4. Loaf of bread - 20 r.
5. Milk 1 l = 27 r.
6. Apples - 45 r.
7. Oranges - 30 r.
8. Coffee - 600 r.
9. Meat (non-frozen) - 250 r.
10. Meat (frozen) - 170-200 r.
11. Chicken - 80 r.
12. Eggs 10 - 35 r.
13. Chocolate 100 gr - 20 r.

Prices in small stores are higher then in big supermarkets but if you live in the center there are no many of supermarkets in the center. Usually I drive to a big supermarket once a week.

Don't walk in dark places far from the center late in the evening. The cantral streets are safety. Be carefully with you belongings in public transport. Keep you passport and wallet at the inner porket.

Have good time in our city!
If you have any more questions - don't hesitate to ask me.

all depends on what u want and what u preffer.
globetrott was right about cyrrilic, so u may need someone to help u with it.
as for things u should be aware of... only cyrrilic letters xD
in my opinion the best way would be to find someone as a guide...

I would second the opinion that prices are not so different from home. And I at this time, perhaps slightly less than western europe. But you will find that the shopping experience is not so formidable even if you dont know russian. Several times I have stayed in an area near Vladimirsky prospect. I know russian, but even so, most items would be recognizable. ( and Some items, even knowing russian, there are things from the baltics that will remain a mystery until someone can tell me how to prepare them!) However, it was very easy to stock up on essentials and get around the cost of eating out by taking a picnic when going out of town, or by preparing dinner at the apartment. The most difficult thing, if you are not used to buying in metric weight, is figuring out just how much you need. But in some cases, it is easy enough to just demonstrate how much sausage you want. I do that at home anyway (how much salami do I get in a pound? I have no idea!)
It is always a little scary going to a new city and being aware that you dont know what areas are potentially bad and what are just colorful. But I feel safer in SP than in most big cities. To be sure there are instances that I find I automatically check my stuff and my surroundings. Like getting on and getting off the metro train, or a bus when it is peak time and crowded. Otherwise, you will use the same precautions you would at home.

As others have mentioned, groceries are similar to US prices. For best prices, shop where the grandmothers shop. The Dixie groceries allow you to pick out your items and pay at the cash register and they have the best prices on staples. Other big chain stores, Perekrostok and Patterson groceries also allow you to pick out your own items and pay at the cash register. This requires no Russian language except to count out some rubles at the cash register. Most little mom and pop grocieries make you wait in line, then when it is your turn you have to tell them what to get for you. It can be kinda difficult without any russian words.
Safety should not be a problem but keep your valuables securely in an inside pocket or purse with a good strap, don't attract the pick-pocket that looks for easy pickens!

The link in the first reply is obsolete, double the prices for a more realistic representation.

I went home to California for the first time in 4 years this winter and was quite surprised that the prices for food had increased in St Petersburg to be consistently higher than in California. Dining out, for similar quality food and decor is about 25-75% more in St Petersburg. There has been a rapid increase in prices across the board in Russia, and more so in St Petersburg. It does not seem to bother locals much, the cafes, coffee shops, stores, clubs and new malls are full of young people, in larger numbers than ever. Typically, the $6-10 dollar cups of coffee and $12 glasses of Guiness the kids love do not seem to discourge then, so when they go to Europe or Turkey as they do often, they feel those places are bargains. My income is based on dollars so my buying power has dropped in half in the last 3 years.