Googling apartment rentals for Moscow is frustrating, because the only thing you find are ridiculously overpriced dodgy small panel-house flats. Most of them are also located so far away from the center that with the famous Moscow traffic it's going to be a tedious torture to get from one place to another. The reason is that real estate prices are very high in Moscow: it costs at least $2000 per month (long-term rate!) to rent a more or less decent 1-bedroom apartment in the center of the city. That's why if you see anything less than $130 per night it's going to be either outside of the center or dodgy (the hosts prefer to earn at least 30% more than they normally would renting out long term, plus they have overheads and the average occuppancy for short-term rent is about 70%). Another option is to rent a room and $50-$70 per night can get you a nice room in the very center of the city. Do not use the agencies that advertise short-term rent over the internet. It's much better to connect to the private hosts directly using the websites like
CouchSurfing or
AirBnB. Below we list some of our favorite apartments, centrally located and fairly priced.
Oktyabrskaya Studio Apartment: $79 per night (Moscow center, sleeps 2)
Price: $79 per night, $530 per week
Best for: a short trip, private base in central Moscow
Not so sure about: availability, also the interior is a bit dull
This apartment is located within a 1-minute walk from Oktyabrskaya metro station (which is near hipster mecca Red October and Central Park). It's a small flat, nothing fancy, but perhaps the best and the cheapest choice if you're on a short vacation or a business trip. The host (a financial consultant) rents it out when he's on business trips, so it may be hard to get but definitely works trying.
Book online
Boulevard Ring Apartment: $100 per night (Moscow center, 3 rooms, sleeps 6)
Price: $100 per night for 3 rooms (sleeps 6 persons, 3 double beds)
Best for: friends and groups who want to be close to the best hip spots in Moscow, super cheap
Not so sure about: if you want to be alone, probably not the best choice, not so much space in the flat
This is a slightly unusual offer in that it's not really clear whether they offer the whole 3-room apartment or only the 3 private rooms (meaning that you'll be sharing the apartment with someone else). The point is that it's the best price for the center of Moscow: $100 per night get you 3 rooms and 6 sleeping places at your total disposal, which is quite amazing. The hosts are also great: one of them, Inna, works as the editor of the popular Russian education portal Theory and Practice, co-founded by the co-founder of WayToRussia.Net Danil (small world!).
The area is amazing: a small park with Chistye ponds and Kitai Gorod area, which is our favorite for quiet walks, many best cafes, bars, and clubs in Moscow are within a 5-minute walk from this apartment.
Definitely the best choice ever if you are a large group of people and you can also negotiate with the hosts if you want the whole apartment to yourself.
Book online
Designer Studio apartment: $149 per night (Moscow center, studio, sleeps 2)
Price: $149 per night, $868 per week
Best for: romantic holiday, a couple. great interior, nice view.
Not so sure: the area is very close to all the good spots, but is not the best one itself. small room.
This is perhaps the best-designed studio apartment in the center of Moscow that you can find on the internet. Nice wooden floors, cute kitchen, great view. The location is also great: only a 5-minute walk from Kitai Gorod, which is the mecca for local nightlife and just a simply great area to walk. The place where apartment is located itself is not so good though, but it's also quiet, which may be a positive thing. Also a 24-hour supermarket is just around the corner.
Book online
Private Rooms for Rent in Moscow
If your budget is low, you can also rent private rooms in Moscow. Prices in the center of the city start at $60 per night. We recommend getting something in Kitai Gorod area or around Tverskaya: this way everything is within a pleasant walk's reach.
Check out some rooms on AirBnB here.
