A loaf of bread in Russia generally costs between 30 to 60 rubles, though prices vary by location and type, with some basic loaves starting around 22 rubles in discount stores, while fresher or specialty breads can be more, reflecting overall increases in food costs.
What Can You Buy in St. Petersburg for 100 Rubles in 2022?
Price Wars and Hidden Costs
Russia's $3.50/gallon milk—half the EU's $9.45/gallon average—relies on a $196/month minimum wage and state subsidies.
Russia. In Russia, a 500ml Coca-Cola is priced at 94 RUB (i.e. INR 94).
A pepperoni pizza in a mid-range restaurant will cost you between 400-600 roubles (around $6 - $10). Russians also love sushi - in 2018 it was the most popular takeaway dish in Russia.
A U.S. dollar goes quite far in Russia, buying roughly 80 Russian Rubles (RUB) as of late 2025/early 2026, meaning your money stretches for inexpensive meals (around 350-700 RUB), basic goods, and services, though direct dollar use is restricted; you need to exchange dollars for rubles, which can be done at banks or airports.
Items to declare
You are entitled to import/export unlimited cash into Russia, but sums over $10000 should be declared at customs. This applies to all foreign currencies and to rubles, with the exact quantities varying slightly from currency to currency.
If you're looking for cheap things to buy in Russia with an air of sophistication, consider amber jewellery. Russia is known for its Baltic amber, found in many colors, from golden yellow to deep orange-red. Amber jewellery and decorations make for an elegant and beautiful souvenir.
Cigarettes are available in high- (at least RUB 30 or US$ 1.10 per pack), middle- (RUB 10–29 or US$ 0.37–1.10 per pack), and low- (less than RUB 9 or US$ 0.33 per pack) priced categories. Non-filtered cigarettes are available for as little as RUB 4 (US$ 0.15) per pack of 20.
Wholesale prices of Fresh Banana in Russia
Over the past 4 weeks, the wholesale price of Russia Fresh Banana has typically been between $1.82 and $2.02 USD per kg, or $0.83 to $0.92 USD per pound (lb).
A standard 200g stick of butter now costs around 200 rubles, or almost $2, with prices up 30% since December 2023, according to data from state statistics service Rosstat. The theft of such a basic product has drawn attention to rampant price rises in Russia.
While the average yearly salary in Russia sits around 1.24 million rubles (roughly $14,771), it's important to remember this doesn't show the whole picture. In Russia, salaries can vary greatly, with the lowest average being just 26,200 rubles and the highest reaching 463,000 rubles.
The public transportation system in Russia is reasonably well-developed, especially in Saint Petersburg and Moscow. Using the bus, tram, or metro will save you much money than driving a car.
Precious metals and stones. Guns, explosives, ammunition. Strong medicines (anesthetics, sleeping pills, etc.), psychotropic or narcotic medicines, poisons, strong sedatives.
There are three options for paying in Russia by foreigners: carrying cash, buying a Chinese UnionPay card before going on a trip, or buying a bank card from a Russian bank when you arrive in Moscow, St. Petersburg or any other Russian city.
According to the Economist's Big Mac index, which looks at currency strength by comparing the price of the popular McDonald's menu item in countries around the world, the Russian Big Mac in normal times cost about 135 rubles, or just under $2.
In 2021, the average personal wealth of the richest one percent in Russia was valued at over 2.5 million euros. In the same year, the bottom 50 percent of the country's population held an average wealth of 3,300 euros, or just over three percent of the total national wealth.
A gallon is 3785 millilitres. Milk brand I usually buy is 63.50 roubles per 930 millilitre bottle. 63.50 * 4 = 254 roubles for a gallon of milk. $1 = 72.85 roubles currently.
Many people believe it's an astounding $18 after a post on X of McDonald's menu prices at a rest stop in Connecticut went viral and made national headlines.
Average monthly living cost for a single Indian professional in Russia : ₹65,000 – ₹1,00,000 (₽65,000 – ₽100,000). Accommodation is usually your largest monthly expense. In Moscow or St. Petersburg, rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in the city center can range between ₽50,000–₽80,000/month.
A simple working lunch costs around 1200-1500 rubles, a coffee is 300-400, a egg&ham sandwich in supermarket is 300-400 also. Renting a one-room apartment cost 60-70K per month. My hotel is 8500 per day with 2 meal, which is really nice.