Moscow vs Saint Petersburg

Moscow and Saint Petersburg are level on the CIRA Index at 40. Moscow grades better on 4 measures, Saint Petersburg on 6; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Moscow 40, Saint Petersburg 40
• OECD: Moscow 75, Saint Petersburg 75
• UN Tourism: Moscow 79, Saint Petersburg 76
• UNDRR: Moscow 58, Saint Petersburg 63

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Moscow 90, Saint Petersburg 80
• Economy and jobs: Moscow 88, Saint Petersburg 83
• Climate and hazards: Moscow 65, Saint Petersburg 75
• Water and environment: Moscow 75, Saint Petersburg 69
• Community and housing: Moscow 92, Saint Petersburg 100
• Access and continuity: Moscow 42, Saint Petersburg 46

Where Moscow is stronger

• Average length of stay: 5 nights per visitor (Official portal of the Moscow Mayor and Moscow Government (mos.ru), 2024). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 78 % average annual occupancy (Official portal of the Moscow Mayor and Moscow Government (mos.ru), 2024). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Water scarcity: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Green space: 44.3 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Rosstat / Moscow City University Journal (Vestnik MGPU), 2023). At or above 40: grade 4/4.

Where Saint Petersburg is stronger

• Recovery against 2019: 110.5 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (Administration of Saint Petersburg / Committee for Tourism Development of Saint Petersburg (Turbometer of Saint Petersburg), 2024). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 316 kg per resident per year (Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg / Committee for Nature Management of St. Petersburg & Rosstat, 2024). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Tourism intensity: 4.5 visitor nights per resident per year (Rosstat (Russian Federal State Statistics Service) Tourism Statistical Bulletin 2024, 2023). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Law of Saint Petersburg No. 419-81 & Russian Federal Tax Code Chapter 33.1, 2024–2025). Grade 2/4.

Moscow in full · Saint Petersburg in full

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