The Sapsan high-speed train has shortened the journey time between Moscow and St. Petersburg to less than four hours, making commuting between the two cities for business and leisure an increasingly appealing option. Accommodation options for those without the cash to spend on permanent properties in both capitals are not great, but real estate companies say they increasingly have to cater for this type of commuter.

Daily rentals

St. Petersburg has a fairly underdeveloped daily apartment rental market, with prices ranging from 2,000 rubles ($75) a day for a tworoom apartment in the suburbs to 7,500 rubles ($275) for a high-end two-room apartment overlooking Palace Square. Daily rentals are a cheap option for business trips and are better than hotels for families. “Short-term apartment rentals are convenient, as the apartment is selected taking into account the individual requirements of the customer,” said Anna Levitova, managing partner at Evans Property.

However, Pavel Pikalyov, St. Petersburg director at the Penny Lane real estate agency, says the relatively low number of apartments available makes it difficult to find reasonablypriced lets during the high season. Apartment hotels make a good compromise between renting and staying in a hotel and rooms are slightly easier to come by than short-term rentals. Prices are steep, averaging at around 6,800 rubles ($245) a day for a 37 square meter flat, according to the Miel Arenda letting agency.

Longer term

For businessmen making regular trips between the two capitals, longer-term rental apartments in both cities may work out cheaper. Real estate and rental prices in St Petersburg are significantly lower than in Moscow, with a tworoom apartment in downtown St Petersburg going for 25,000 rubles ($900) a month, compared to around 50,000 rubles ($1,800) in Moscow.

Maria Zhukova, of Miel Arenda, says short-term rentals have never caught on in Moscow. “In practice, the vast majority of property owners, regardless of the sector, prefer renting long-term,” Zhukova said. “Short-term letting involves many risks and requires a lot of effort finding customers and cleaning the apartment.”

Corporate renting

By far the most popular option for companies regularly sending employees between the two cities is corporate apartments rented via real estate agencies. “The biggest advantages for employees is that they get a spacious apartment in a convenient location near their workplace or a good school,” said Levitova, of Evans.

The apartment question

Sergei Kuznetsov lives in St. Petersburg and works as an interpreter for an energy company in Moscow. He lives in a rented apartment in Moscow on weekdays and goes back to St. Petersburg on weekends. He says he doesn’t intend to move to the capital, because it’s much more expensive and less cozy. “But Moscow is the perfect place to make a career,” he says. “Perhaps only IT people earn equal sums in both cities, but usually Moscow salaries are around 10,000-15,000 rubles more for the same job.”

The twice-weekly trips by train don’t bother Kuznetsov, he says. “It gives me time to think, to read a book or watch a movie. Sapsan journeys are actually my favorite time to reboot from the pace of the working week to relaxing at home,” Kuznetsov says. But he adds that the rhythm and cost of living in both cities diff ers dramatically. “High-profi le restaurants in Moscow can easily set you back around 7,000 rubles, while in St. Petersburg the bill won’t be higher than 4,000 rubles,” Kuznetsov says. “Well, that’s reasonable, since Muscovites famously consider that all that’s cheap is also bad. But otherwise, entertainment in both cities is pretty similar.”

Moscow offers a bigger choice for consumers, while the service in St. Petersburg diff ers by being friendlier yet much slower. “The real estate prices in Moscow are unbelievable, and I would never want to rent an apartment for a family or buy a fl at here,” Kuznetsov says. “And the architecture… Well, Moscow has the same amount of historic buildings, but they are lost in its chaotic infrastructure, which makes them less striking than in St. Petersburg.”

Source: The Moscow News