How to tip in Moscow: Restaurants, Taxis, Hotels and Guides

This guide explains how to tip in Moscow, for travelers from abroad who want to know when a tip is expected and how much to leave. Tipping is not required by law and no one will insist on it, but it is now common in restaurants and welcome in a few other places.

The recommended way is to tip about 10 percent in a restaurant when the service was good, usually in cash, round up in cafes and for taxis, and leave a small sum for porters and guides. Amounts change over time, so use the percentages as a guide.

Quick answer: Tip only if you are satisfied: about 10 percent in restaurants (5 to 15 percent is usual), in cash, since a tip cannot normally be added to a card payment. Round up in cafes and for taxis, and leave a small sum for porters and guides.

At a Glance

Total time	A few seconds at the end of each meal or service
Typical cost	About 10 percent in a restaurant; small sums elsewhere, and nothing is required
Last updated	Oktober 7, 2026

What You Need Before You Start

• Small rubles notes and coins in cash, since tips are usually paid in cash
• A check of the bill for a service charge before you add anything
• A sense of the service: tipping is optional and tied to satisfaction
• A little cash for porters and guides, kept apart from larger notes
• A habit of not worrying: no one is obliged to tip in Russia

Compare Your Options

Option	Duration	Price	Notes
Restaurant waiter	A few seconds at the end of the meal	5–15 percent of the check; about 10 percent on average	Paid in cash, since a tip cannot normally be added to a card payment. Check for a service charge first; high-end restaurants may expect more, according to guides.
Cafe and counter service	A few seconds	Round up the check; minimal	Looser rule where you carry your own tray or order at a counter. Bartenders in Moscow are commonly tipped.
Taxi	A few seconds	Nothing with an app; round up or 5–10 percent if you pay cash	Drivers rarely get tips from app users. If you pay in cash for good service, round up to a convenient round amount.
Hotel porter or housekeeper	A few seconds	Small cash sums; older figures ₽ per bag	No strict habits; a porter with heavy luggage is the clearest case. The figures are dated.
Private guide or driver	At the end of the service	Older figures ₽₽ for half a day and ₽₽ for a full day	Paid in cash at the end. Treat the figures as dated and adjust for the service.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Remember that tipping is optional

Tipping is not a legal requirement, and you should never tip if you do not want to, according to a Moscow newspaper, but a tipping culture now exists, and rounding up a bill will not be taken as a bribe. The main rule is to tip only if you are satisfied with the service, according to an English-language Russian news site, and no one will extort a tip.

Tip: Do not feel pressure to tip for poor service.

Step 2: Check the bill for a service charge

In some restaurants, a tip is included in the bill as a service charge, but most of the time gratuities are not added automatically, and the bill carries a phrase to the effect that gratuities are welcome but at your discretion, according to an English-language Russian news site. Look at the bill before you add anything, so you do not tip twice.

Tip: Ask the waiter if you are unsure whether service is included.

Step 3: Tip in a restaurant by percentage

Russians tip waiters about 5 to 15 percent of the check, and on average about 10 percent, according to sources, and a tip rarely forms part of the bill. A tip of 10 percent is a good bet when in doubt, and more for excellent service, according to an expat guide. Leave it in cash on the table or hand it to the waiter, because you usually cannot add a tip to a card payment.

Tip: Round the tip to a convenient sum in small notes.

Step 4: Round up at cafes and counters

In cafes, coffee shops and counter-service places, where you take your food to a table yourself, the rule is looser: minimum service, minimum tip, according to an English-language Russian news site, and rounding up the check is enough for coffee and cake. In a canteen, as the canteen guide of this site explains, tipping is not expected, though bartenders in Moscow are commonly tipped.

Tip: A few coins on the counter are enough for a coffee.

Step 5: Taxis: apps rarely, cash sometimes

Taxi drivers rarely get tips because many customers order and pay through apps and may have no cash, according to an English-language Russian news site. If you pay in cash and the service was good, a tip of 5 to 10 percent or rounding up the fare is appreciated, according to guides, and drivers may be surprised if you tip on a fixed price. The taxi apps guide of this site explains the apps.

Tip: Round up to a convenient round amount if you pay cash.

Step 6: Hotels: small tips for porters

There are no strict habits for hotel staff. It is fine to tip a porter who helps with heavy luggage, and a housekeeper if you wish, according to guides; older figures give small budget-level (₽) sums per bag for a porter and small budget-level (₽) sums for general hotel staff, and small budget-level (₽) sums a day for the housekeeper. These amounts are dated, so adjust them for today's prices.

Tip: Keep a few small notes ready for the porter.

Step 7: Guides and drivers: tip at the end

A private tour guide or temporary driver can be tipped at the end of the service, according to an expat guide, and older figures give ₽₽ for a half-day tour and ₽₽ for a full day, or ₽ a day for a driver. Treat the figures as dated and give what feels right for the service.

Tip: Hand the tip over in cash with a thank you.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Tipping twice: some restaurants include a service charge in the bill, so check before you add anything.
• Trying to add a tip to a card payment: you usually cannot, so keep small notes for tips.
• Tipping at a fixed-price taxi: drivers may be surprised, so round up only if you paid cash and had good service.
• Tipping Western rates of 20 percent: Russians tip about 5 to 15 percent, and 10 percent is the average.
• Feeling obliged to tip for poor service: tipping is optional, and no one will chase you.
• Counting on a foreign card for a tip: foreign cards are reported not to work in Russia, so carry rubles in cash.
• Leaving a large tip to a government official: it can be seen as a bribe, according to a Moscow newspaper.

Tickets, Payment and Booking

No booking is needed. Tips are voluntary and paid in cash, since a tip usually cannot be added to a card payment, according to guides, and foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are reported not to work in Russia; the payment and exchange guides of this site explain how to get rubles. Some restaurants include a service charge in the bill; check the bill first.

• Amounts: as of October 2026, guides give 5 to 15 percent in restaurants and small sums elsewhere; the fixed amounts in older guides are dated.
• Touts: none apply; do not tip people who demand money.

Use the percentages as a guide and adjust for today’s prices.

Moscow Vibes Tips

• A tip is an optional extra that forms a significant part of a waiter's salary in many places, according to a language school, so a modest tip for good service is appreciated.
• The phrase on the bill that gratuities are welcome but at your discretion is a polite note, not a demand, according to an English-language Russian news site.
• On a small bill, a fixed sum is easier than a percentage: an older forum post suggests a small sum (₽) on a small bill, which is dated.
• Haggling and tipping both depend on the size of the bill and the level of the restaurant, according to guides, so tip more in upper-end places.
• Keep small notes from your exchange for tips; large notes make it awkward to leave a modest amount.
• Tipping a hairdresser or a salon worker is usual only in expatriate-oriented places, according to an expat guide.

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FAQ

Is tipping required in Moscow?

No. Tipping is optional, and there is no legal requirement.

How much should I tip in a restaurant?

About 5 to 15 percent, and 10 percent on average, for good service, in cash.

Can I add a tip to my card payment?

Usually not, so leave a tip in cash. Foreign cards are also reported not to work.

Is a service charge included?

Sometimes. Most bills say that gratuities are welcome but at your discretion; check the bill.

Should I tip taxi drivers?

Rarely with an app. If you pay in cash for good service, round up or tip 5 to 10 percent.

Should I tip hotel staff?

A small tip for a porter with heavy luggage is fine; there are no strict habits.

Do I tip in a canteen?

Not expected, as in a self-service place a coin or two is plenty.

Can a tip be a problem?

A tip to a government worker can be seen as a bribe, according to a Moscow newspaper.

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