Currency Conversion/Costs

I know there are a lot of threads here about this subject, but I didn't see this exact thing. I found a list of how much things generally cost in Russia in Rubles, and started converting them to USD.

It listed the price of a small bottle of beer to be R12, or around 42 cents US. This seems extremely cheap. The price of a mid-price hotel (R1600-5000) also seemed very, VERY cheap.

However, it gave the price of a meal as

Low: R200-550($7-19)
Mid: R550-850($19-30)
High: R800-1850($28-65)

I can see paying that much in a High-class restaurant, but the lower ranges seem high. Am I not understanding what they mean by a "Low" meal in Russia, or is food just very expensive compared to everything else?

Prices depends on where in Russia you are. Generally, Moscow is about 30% more expensive than the rest.

Food is dirt cheap in Russia. You can have a full dinner for 100 Rubles, if you know where to go.

I buy 1-1.5L bottle of beer at "Pyatorichka" for 26-32p

In my city we can get a very good business lunch for 79-140p, which includes salad, soup, bread, and main course (a meat or fish and side dish of rice or potato) and tea or juice.
Of course cooking food at home is cheaper, buying fruits and veggies at the renock and staples at supermarket "Pyatorichka".

Beer prices in Moscow a year ago
http://www.expat.ru/forum/archive/index ... 14472.html

The expat forum can be misleading on prices and lifestyle in Russia. Most of these people are very wealthy foreigners working for foreign companies and getting six figure saleries on top of a benefit package that includes housing, cars and healthcare. They frequent the stores and resturants that cater to expats and thus have way higher prices than what most people in Russia can pay.