I'm curious as to what everyday items cost in Russia. I'm planning on how much money I should bring when I travel, and what ratio of US dollars and Russian Roubles I will take. (I hear that use of foriegn currency is illegal, but the US$ will pretty much get you anything across the globe.)

Some particular things I'm curious about are:

beer
vodka
meal
cab
bus
lodging

Some travel guides can be a little outdated, so I trust the word of someone living there right now. I'm looking at average prices, and if you have anything else to add, please feel free.