In Soviet Russia dollar exchange rate was established by the state and was 1 dollar for 63 Russian copecks, or 1 American dollar for 0.63 Russian ruble. What could the Foreigners coming to Russia afford? Here is the short review for the prices at that times in American dollars:
Small loaf - $0.11 Bread - $0.30 Cigarettes (Bulgarian, Eastern European) - $0.83 Cigarettes imported Marlboro - $2.50 Eggs (10 pieces) - $1.66 Ice-cream $0.25 Chocolate bar (0.22 pound) 100g - $1.33 Milk 1 liter (32 fl. oz) - $0.76 Cheese (2.2 pounds - 1kg) $3.66 Recycled glass bottle - $0.16 Salt (2.2 pounds pack) - $0.16 Potatos (2.2 pounds) 1 kilo - $0.41 Cucumbers (2.2 pounds) 1 kilo - $1.16 Tape cassette recorder, Russian make - $241.00 Acoustic guitar, Russian make - $41.00 Parker pen with a golden feather - $8.33 Beer, Russian make, 16 fl.oz. (half liter) bottled - $0.66 Beef, (2.2 pounds) 1 kilo - $3.16 (also standing in line for two hours and not more than 5 pounds in one hands) Vodka “Stolichnaya”, 16 fl.oz (half liter) bottled - $6.66 Wine red, white - $1.36 Sparkling wine - $6.95 Car, Soviet make, ZAZ - $5800 Boxer’s gloves $15.8 City bus $0.08 Flight Moscow-Kazakhstan $106 Small tape recorder, Russian make $160 Levi’s jeans, smuggled, sold at black market $416 Sweet beets $0.10 Sugar (2.2 pounds - 1kg) $1.30 Matches box $0.01 (often used as a change in shops when there was shortage of the small coins) Sewing machine $97.00 Bicycle $80 Carpet, oriental style, Russian make, 10ft (3 meteres) long - $53 Wrist watches, Russian make $88 Electric shaver, Russian make $23 Piano $876 Fridge, Russian make - $250 Photo camera, Russian - $100 Vaccuum cleaner, Russian - $70
By the way, average Russian salary for someone like an office worker or a construction worker was around $200/month.
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