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Russian tourists spend an average of US$1,676 per person on foreign holidays, which is higher than the European average of US$1,174, according to ExpoMitt. Total outbound Russian travel spending has been rebounding strongly and reached nearly US$50 billion in the first two months of 2026.
There are several economic reasons for this.
A Lower Russian Income Tax Base
A lower domestic income tax base of between 13% and 22%, and just 4% for self-employed individuals in Russia, against increasing tax rates averaging 36% in the European Union, means that Russians have more disposable income available for foreign holidays. Newer, less costly, and more friendly destinations, especially in Asia, have also attracted Russian tourists away from Europe.
A Higher Cost of Living in Europe
In addition, the cost of basic living is higher in Europe than in Russia. When measured in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) terms, a basket of goods valued at €100 in the EU would buy products worth the equivalent of €160 in Russia.
The current official exchange rate is currently 1 euro to 91.4 rubles. However, based on the €100 value, in Russia, 9,100 rubles generally has significantly higher purchasing power for local goods, services, transportation, and food compared to the purchasing power of €100 in most Eurozone countries. While €100 might cover a moderate dinner or a short stay in a European city, 9,100 rubles could cover several days’ worth of groceries, multiple restaurant meals, or a significant portion of monthly rent in some Russian regions, indicating that the PPP-adjusted value is higher than the official exchange rate suggests. The upshot is that the ruble buys more than the euro does and therefore leaves higher volumes of disposable income in Russian wallets.
Budget Flights & Unemployment
This financial disparity is also related to the higher prices generally paid by Russian tourists to Asia, which means that the financial quality of Russian outbound travelers is better. For example, flights on Russian budget airlines to Sri Lanka are about US$800 return, whereas from London these can be as low as US$540. Additionally, issues such as domestic employment make a quality difference—lower unemployment data means more people are working and therefore have higher incomes. In Russia, the unemployment rate is currently 2.2%. In the UK it is 5.3%, and in Germany 6.3%. Put simply, Russian tourists overseas have jobs and are employed.
2024 data from the European Commission shows that European outbound tourists spent an average of €104 per night. However, according to Statista, Russian outbound tourists averaged €172 per night. This suggests that the Europeans look for budget trips, whereas the Russians want more upmarket experiences.
Tourism Relocation
In 2020, over 4 million, or 80%, of all multi-entry Schengen visas were issued to Russian nationals. In 2025, that had dropped to just over 500,000, a decline of 3.5 million visa issues. Those missing Russian tourists are now among the top sources of visitors to countries such as the UAE, Thailand, Egypt, Türkiye, and Sri Lanka—and are also now leaving more money on the table than the Europeans.
These figures show up in Russian and European tourism data. While outbound Russian tourism increased by 23% in 2025, European outbound tourism increased by 2%. The data may surprise; however, it reveals an economic truth—the cost of living in Europe has become far higher than in Russia, and the impact of this is leaving more disposable income in Russian wallets. With that also manipulated by Russians now heading for financially competitive destinations that Europe cannot provide, that disposable income gap between what a Russian can afford in Asia versus what a European can afford has grown and revealed itself as a profound change in actual overseas spending power.
