Russian Currency

The current exchange rate from US dollars to Rubles is $1.00 to 30 Rubles. This is a great exchange rate, which means the US dollar goes a long way.

Basic Conversion:

• 10 Rubles = $.30
• 100 Rubles = $3.00
• 1000 Rubles = $30.00

Examples

• Bottle of Nivea Shampoo costs 90 Rubles which is less than $3.00.
• Buss Fare into town costs 10 Rubles which equals $.30. In the US, it almost costs a dollar, I think depending on where in the US you are.
• A Latte drink costs 145 Rubles which equals $4.00.
• Moscow Metro costs 26 Rubles which equals $.80.
• A one way train fare to Moscow costs 1100 Rubles which equals $33. Quite reasonable considering it is 4.5 hours away. If I were to drive from Hayward to Madison, which also takes 4.5 hours, it would cost me a tank of gas which is about $50 (17 gallons * 3/gallon).
• Bottle of water costs 80 Rubles which equals $2.50.
• Bottle of (cheap) Vodka costs 120 Rubles which equals $3. 20.
• The Good Vodka can vary in Price, but Beluga the best can cost about 4500 Rubles which equals $142.00.

Overall, it is rather cheap to live in Yaroslavl. However, the prices in Moscow and St. Petersburg are comparable to those in the USA.

Also, Russia runs on a cash basis system. I have only used my credit card twice and that was to buy a pair of earrings at the Hermitage and to buy my ticket to the Marinski Ballet. When I used my credit card at the Hermitage, the sales people looked at my passport to validate the sale. Also for example, when visiting a museum the employees keep track of each sale in a ledger book, not a computer. I can't even fathom that in the USA. Don't get me wrong, every business owner has a ledger, but it is usually kept on the computer, not hand written. Another fine example is the bus. Most bus systems in the USA have a bus card or pay with cash into a machine. NOT Russia. When I get on the bus, there is a bus driver and the person who collects the bus fare, two people. After I get on the bus, I hand my bus fare over to the person who collects the fare and in return she gives me a paper ticket. If there is not a person who collects the fare on the bus, then you hand your money over to the bus driver. In most cases he takes your fare while he is in the mists of driving, and if you need change he proceeds to give you change while he is driving. This screams personal injury in the USA!!! If a person chooses not to pay for the bus fare and gets off, they go running after you. It is an on your honor system.