Money and Banks
The official currency of Russia is the ruble, which is divided into one hundred kopeks: there are 1, 5, 10 and 50 kopek coins, 1, 2 and 5 ruble coins, and notes to the value of 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rubles. Only notes and coins dated 1997 or after are valid. Despite the end of soaring inflation, prices in this guide are given in US dollars, a fairly stable measure of real costs - but in practice they're charged and paid for in rubles. It is illegal to pay in foreign currency. The black market offers nothing but risks: always change money in an official bank or currency exchange. Most banks are open Mon-Sat 10am-6/8pm, or later. ATMs are now found in plenty, and using your credit or debit card to obtain cash from them is generally a safe way to get money in Russia. Some, however,  © 2003 by Rough Guides Ltd. as trustee for its Authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. Buy the book here!
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have a very low cash limit per transaction, which may make your rubles expensive. You can also obtain cash from most banks with a card (Visa, Mastercard and Cirrus are the most widely accepted; problems may occasionally occur with Diners and Amex). Travellers' cheques are time-consuming and expensive to use. Be warned that Moscow is an expensive city, and the daily cost of life there is up to three times that of St Petersburg. In the provinces, life becomes ridiculously cheap
Your Tips For Russia
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