Shopping and Prices in Russia

When I first came to Russia about 10 years ago the British pound was worth around 50 roubles, it later went up to 53 roubles and a couple of months ago it was down at 43 roubles to the pound.  Nowadays a weak pound and high Russian inflation means a much poorer British expat.

I still calculate money in my head using the same method as when the pound was worth 50 roubles, although after the initial calculation I then have to take the pounds devaluation into consideration.

I work prices out like this – 50 roubles = 1 Pound, so 10 Pounds = 500 roubles, 20 Pounds = 1000 roubles, 100 Pounds = 5000 roubles.

A monthly bus/tram/trolleybus ticket for my city in Russia used to be 400 roubles, it’s now about 1200 roubles/month. A typical netbook computer that you can buy in England for around £200 is closer to £320 here.  Some things are quite expensive here.  In you are staying in Moscow or St Petersburg expect prices for everything to be much higher than in the Russian provinces.

If you are coming to Russia for anything longer than a holiday I would advise you to buy your clothes and electronics/notebook computers at home, you won’t find any bargains here.  You will spend enough on food and drink and sightseeing.  And also don’t bring too much stuff, Russia isn’t your average package holiday destination, its not easy to carry heavy bags around the metro.  Food and drink prices are reasonable, especially if you stick to locally produced things.

Train travel is better value than in England, for example the 18 hour ( 1200 km) ride from Moscow to Izhevsk is around 1500 roubles for 3rd class,3500 roubles for 2nd class and around 8000 for 1st.  To fly the same distance costs around 6000 roubles and takes only 2 hours.

What’s Cheap ?

Petrol, alcohol, cigarettes, utility bills, public transport, food.

Petrol  is 20 roubles a litre, less than half the UK price.  Cigarettes can be bought from 20-50 roubles for a pack of 20. A litre of vodka is yours from 100-150 roubles.

Yearly water bill = 20 pounds ! Electricity – again it’s only a fraction of the UK price.  Utility bills are slowly rising, but they have a very long way before they reach the same levels as the criminally greedy British utility companies.

What’s expensive ?

Clothes, electronics, rent, most foreign imported goods.

Markets offer the cheapest clothes but the quality can be extremely nasty.

Russian clothes shops try to market themselves as designer boutiques with correspondingly crazy prices for cheaply made chinese clothes.

Buy your digital camera, notebook, flash memory cards, ipod, ipad at home before you travel. Russian electronics prices can be 10-50% higher for no apparent reason.

Typical Prices

Here a list of prices in my typical central Russian city (valid May 2010)

Litre of Milk – 22 roubles.

Small Yoghurt – 15 roubles.

Loaf of Bread – 19 roubles.

1/2 litre can of beer – 25 roubles.

2 litre super size bottle of beer – 85 roubles.

Bottle of wine = 200 roubles.

20 cigarettes = 30 roubles.

Bus/tram/trolleybus ticket (any distance in the city) – 13 roubles.

Litre of Petrol – 22.50 roubles.

Cheap pay as you go mobile phone – 1000 roubles.

Washing machine – 8500 roubles.

Cheapish digital camera – 3500 roubles.

ADSL Internet monthly charge (8mb speed – 40Gb download limit) – 550 roubles.

Packet of antibiotic tablets – 150 roubles.

What should you buy ?

You are in Russia so try to sample the local food and drink as much as possible.  It will be tastier, fresher and cheaper.

For your souvenirs you can buy matryoshka dolls, wooden souvenirs, vodka and cigarettes.