They will spend 27 thousand rubles, and that's if they stay at home: it became known what expenses to expect during the May holidays

This year, the May holidays will cost us a whole third more than last year, according to a study. VTsIOM found out that on average, each person will spend about 27 thousand rubles over the long weekend, even if they stay at home. This is significantly more than last year.

Muscovites and St. Petersburgers traditionally lead in holiday spending – 54 thousand per weekend per average resident of one of the capitals. Respondents named the length of the holidays and the rise in prices of goods and services necessary for a quality vacation during the long weekend as reasons for the rise in the cost of May festivities. But Russians who gathered to see these capitals during the holidays believe that the stated amount of 27 thousand rubles is clearly underestimated. At least for those who are heading to St. Petersburg or Moscow.

— For some reason, at first, I naively thought that it would be possible to stay in a sanatorium near Moscow, and from there go on excursions, — shares Maria Vasilievna from Oryol, planning a visit to the capital with her husband and preschool grandchildren. — My husband loves the sauna, I would also like to go to the procedures. And with children in a sanatorium with three meals a day, it is much easier. But all this remained a dream when I saw that for a week in May, the most ordinary sanatorium near Moscow at the basic rate without treatment for a week in early May costs from 80 thousand for two. And you can’t put a bed for children in an adult room, you need to take another room. Then there was a choice: a hotel on the outskirts or an apartment with a kitchen, also in a residential area, all for 7,000 rubles per day. We came to the conclusion that an apartment is better.

According to realtors, on average in Russia, daily rent of an apartment during the May holidays will cost an average of 5,000 rubles per night, so 7 thousand per day for Moscow is not very expensive. The most affordable private sector rentals for these May holidays are in the Tyumen (3,400 rubles/day), Tver (3,500 rubles/day) and Sverdlovsk (3,700 rubles/day), as well as in Karelia (3,800 rubles/day) and Crimea (4 thousand rubles/day).

And the most expensive housing for the coming May holidays is in the Nizhny Novgorod region (6,200 rubles/day), St. Petersburg, Tatarstan, Moscow and the Volgograd region - from 6,000 rubles per night.

Countryside housing, regardless of the region, is more expensive to rent in May: about 12 thousand rubles per day on average across the country. The cheapest places to rent country cottages per day are in Stavropol Krai (8400 rubles/night), Crimea (8500 rubles/night), Novgorod (9200 rubles/night) and Pskov Oblasts (10,100 rubles/night).

— In Moscow, the average cost of housing is understated, — says Polina from Lipetsk, who took a look at the prices in the capital during the May holidays. — When calculating the average price, they take hostels at 700 rubles per night. But these are such terrible dormitories, who would live there?!

Residents of the regions who are planning to visit the capital in May say the same thing, and about reviews of “average” prices for the capital’s catering and excursions.

— The lower limit is 400 rubles per person for lunch in a “chain cafe,” says Danaya from Novorossiysk, giving an example. — But that’s not lunch, that’s shawarma with coffee, standing or even on the go. Theme park tickets start at 500 rubles — I haven’t checked, maybe that’s true. But excursions starting at 800 rubles are a clear fantasy. I wanted to take my daughter to the Bulgakov entrance, he’s her favorite writer. Do you know how much they asked for a walking tour for a couple of hours? 5,200 rubles per person! This is, of course, some private guide, supposedly with special knowledge of the subject... But if a private guide isn’t embarrassed to declare such a sum, then official ones are probably even more expensive!

It is no easier for the natives of the capital, even if they decided to save on their vacation, staying in the city for the holidays. Renting a gazebo with a barbecue for a barbecue picnic in Moscow and the surrounding area for the May holidays starts from 3,000 rubles, depending on the location. And since everyone wants barbecue for the holidays, both good and budget gazebos are snapped up quickly, and “additional services” from private owners are also in demand. For an amount equal to the rent of the desired object, they are ready to “hammer” it for you: show up early in the morning and wait for the “customer”.

- And without it, alas, nowhere, - Muscovite Dmitry shrugs. - Who wants to hang around in the park from 6 am on their legal day off, guarding the gazebo? And by 8 o'clock there will be nothing worthwhile left.

However, summer gazebo booking services are recording a “significant increase in demand” for their services, which has grown significantly compared to last year’s May: already in April, the number of requests for gazebo rentals increased by 11%, and offers from veranda owners increased by 32%. Gazebos are most actively booked in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Saratov, Izhevsk, Kaliningrad, and Novosibirsk. But, alas, it is in these places that there are many more people willing to barbecue outdoors on May Day than there are free barbecue areas advertised by each of the named cities. Free gazebos are generally occupied from the previous evening, and cheap ones — until dawn. However, “scorers” — those who will rent you a profitable gazebo for a fee — can also provide the customer with related services — bring coal, skewers, put up an awning from the rain, and even decorate the gazebo “scorched” by them for your arrival.

If someone thinks that the happy owners of private dachas and barbecues have it much easier, they are mistaken: the prices for lamb and beef shashlik have grown so much that a free place to grill them no longer saves dacha owners. The rise in meat prices varies by region, the capital can be considered the "golden mean" in this matter, and Muscovites who love shashlik will have to fork out for these May ones. Compared to last year's May ones, lamb shashlik has risen in price by 34.1%, beef - by 24%. Pork and chicken have increased in price less, but they have also risen in price - by 9.5% and 5.1% respectively. A meat set for shashlik for four people made from lamb will cost around 3,000 rubles, made from beef it will cost 200 rubles less, made from pork it will cost around 1,500 rubles, and made from chicken it will cost around 1,000 rubles.