Coffins to manicures: Ten goods and services that have soared in price in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine

RU

Prices cited in this article are indicated in rubles only. The RUB/USD exchange rate on Feb. 24, 2022 was approximately 80 rubles per dollar. As of Oct. 25, 2024, it was nearly 97 rubles per dollar, meaning that Russian inflation measured in dollar terms is lower than inflation as measured in the national currency.

The price of the average Russian consumer basket has risen by 95% between Feb. 2022 and Aug. 2024, according to data from the research company Romir, which tracks a broader range of goods and services than state statistics agency Rosstat. In the first three months after Russia’s February 2022 invasion, food prices alone jumped by nearly 30%. While the increase in cheaper items — like a box of matches now costing 3.6 rubles instead of 2 — might go unnoticed, the impact is far more severe for essential goods like medications and vehicle parts. The Insider spotlights ten goods and services whose prices have more than doubled, offering a glimpse into how life in Russia has changed since the start of Putin’s full-scale war.

Travel

According to Rosstat, the most popular form of international vacation for Russians in February 2022 was a one-week trip to Turkey, costing 30,000 rubles per person. In the first months of the war, the dollar exchange rate soared, and airfare prices spiked, causing ruble-denominated travel packages to jump by 97% in just one month. Rosstat later removed the data completely from its weekly reports.

By February 2024, the cost of a trip had more than doubled — to 68,000 rubles — and by August it had reached 93,000 rubles. Comparing this to the pre-war high season in August 2021, prices have surged by a factor of 2.6.

The price increases were driven by the ruble's depreciation against the U.S. dollar, affecting airline tickets and accommodation in Turkish hotels. Even Rosstat noted a 1.7-fold increase in the cost of economy-class flights per 1,000 kilometers. Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) intervened, demanding the country’s airlines reduce their prices. Inflation in Turkey, at 65% for the last two years, coupled with a central bank interest rate of 50%, further exacerbated the situation.

Aviation market experts interviewed by The Insider report that airline ticket prices in Russia have seen even sharper increases. Rosstat's average airfare calculations include 293 routes subsidized by the government, meaning that fares on non-subsidized routes have risen much more steeply.

Foreign cars

According to official data, the average price of new foreign cars across Russia has surged by 74.4%. In February 2022, the average price was 1.4 million rubles , but by August 2024, it had reached 2.4 million rubles. However, it is clear that a foreign car bought in early 2022 is not the same as one purchased in 2024. Experts from the online portal Avtostat note that the Russian new car market is now dominated solely by domestic and Chinese brands. Another expert reminds us that Rosstat uses prices for goods that are both popular and widely available across Russia, focusing on the most common prices.

In January-August 2022, the most popular and affordable imported cars on the Russian market were the South Korean-made Hyundai Solaris and Kia Rio — this despite a 40% price increase over pre-war levels. China's swift takeover of the market was evident by January 2023, when the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, priced at 2.65 million rubles ($27,500), emerged as the most popular imported car in Russia, while the Haval Jolion, at 1.89 million rubles ($19,600), was the cheapest.

By March 2023, the average price of popular Chinese cars had surpassed 2 million rubles. As of July 2024, the Haval M6, priced at 2.29 million rubles, was Russia’s most affordable new foreign car. The Haval Jolion’s price increased to 2.79 million rubles — a 147.6% rise over the course of a year and a half — according to selected models.

In January 2022, the Hyundai Solaris was priced at 970,000 rubles, but according to Avtostat, its current minimum price is 2.01 million rubles. Similarly, the Kia Rio has gone up in price from 1.01 million rubles to 2.07 million rubles.

Both models were manufactured at the Hyundai plant in Saint Petersburg, which halted production in March 2022 due to supply chain issues. After a prolonged shutdown, the plant laid off two-thirds of its workforce and was sold for a symbolic price to Art-Finance — a company owned by the former director of the Avilon dealership, Andrey Pavlovich, with an option for Hyundai to repurchase it. Two years after the war began, the plant confirmed it would begin producing Hyundai Solaris models under new brands — HC, HS, KRS, and KRX — which resemble the previous Hyundai Solaris, Creta, as well as the Kia Rio and Kia Rio X-line. These cars are assembled using leftover kits and supplemented by parts brought into Russia through parallel import schemes via third countries. Production at the plant, however, is much lower than before the war. Between February and September of this year, only 17,000 cars were produced, falling short of predictions of 80,000–90,000 units. The shortfall is widely attributed to the limited availability of parts. The plant could potentially produce another 20,000 cars if a supply of electronic components were to be secured, but the remaining 50,000 kits would require more specialized parts.

Used foreign cars have seen a price increase of only 60%, according to Rosstat. This estimate is supported by data from experts at Avtostat, who report that, overall, the average price of a used car has fallen in the past year — to 1.475 million rubles in September 2024, a figure 3.4% below the average price in September 2023. Avtostat attributes the ongoing decline in average used car prices to the increasing availability of cheaper mass-market brands on the secondary market.

The new iPhone

Smartphone prices, according to Rosstat, have risen by 44% since the start of the war, though in reality, they have increased even more among certain specific brands. For instance, Apple’s flagship iPhone remains the most popular smartphone among Russians. In February 2022, the latest model was the iPhone 13 with 128 GB of memory, priced at 75,000 rubles. Currently, the latest model is the iPhone 16 with 512 GB, which launched in September at 160,000 rubles, marking a 213.3% price increase. Prices on Wildberries and Ozon — online retailers similar to Amazon — soon dropped, making iPhones imported via semi-legal “gray” market channels some of the cheapest in the world. However, at Re:Store, a former official supplier before the war, the 512-gigabyte iPhone 16 currently costs 185,000 rubles.

Like other imported goods, smartphones have become more expensive due to the ruble's decline and the complication of supply chains, while demand remains steady. Interestingly, sales have increased more in the high-end segment than in the budget one. According to analysts from Russia’s GS Group electronics firm, sales in the sub-10,000 ruble ($104) segment rose by 12% from January to July compared to the same period in 2023, while sales in the sub-30,000 ruble segment grew by 24%, and sales above 30,000 rubles surged by 58%.

Taxis

According to Rosstat, taxi fares in Moscow have doubled. In February 2022, the average price per kilometer was 30 rubles, but by August 2024, it had increased to 60 rubles. Across the country, fares rose by more than 1.5 times — from 28 to 45 rubles per kilometer.

This can be traced to the rising prices of cars, spare parts, and insurance, as well as increased wages for drivers, who are in short supply. By the end of the year, Russia is expected to face a shortage of 130,000 taxi drivers, as per an estimate from Anton Petrakov, director of government relations at Yandex.Taxi — Russia’s leading ride-hailing app. The shortage has been caused by stricter migration policies and the implementation of the 2023 Taxi Law, which bans individuals with unresolved criminal records or three unpaid administrative fines from driving taxis. The law also mandates that taxis display checkered markings, have an orange roof light, and comply with regional environmental standards.

Since then, taxi drivers have been required to obtain compulsory passenger liability insurance with a minimum coverage of 2 million rubles. Ride-hailing platforms are also required to set up offices by Sept. 1, 2025 in regions where they handle more than 4,000 orders per day.

Prices are expected to keep rising in light of these regulations, with fares likely to surpass the twofold increase nationwide. Maxim Shusharin, CEO of the ride hailing company Maxim, estimates that traditional taxi fleets with employed drivers will need to charge at least 70 rubles per kilometer to remain profitable.

Coffins

Demand for funeral services in Russia has increased — for obvious reasons — while burial costs have risen due to sanctions and the falling ruble, leading to a sharp rise in coffin prices. In many regions, coffin prices have doubled — and even tripled in areas such as the towns of Ishim, Tuapse, and Pyatigorsk. According to Rosstat, coffins have inexplicably quadrupled in price in two regions: Sasovo in the Ryazan Region (to 7,500 rubles, from a pre-war price of 1,700 rubles) and Bratsk in the Irkutsk Region (14,500 rubles from 3,400 rubles).

In Moscow, the cost of cremation has more than doubled, rising from 16,600 rubles to 37,700 rubles, according to Rosstat. In Yeysk and Tuapse — seaside towns in Russia’s southern Krasnodar Krai — digging a grave has become eight times more expensive.

Alcohol and soda

Alcohol demand in Russia has surged since the start of the full-scale war and the continued military draft, labeled as a «partial» mobilization in late 2022, while supply has been strained by sanctions. Even Rosstat confirms that alcohol prices have increased.

On average, the price increase across broader categories has been less than twofold, varying by specific type and brand. Following a request from The Insider, Prices Today — a project run by the late Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF) — found the most significant price hikes for alcohol and food products in Moscow by analyzing data from ten online stores.

Over the past two years, prices for imported alcohol and beer have increased significantly. For example, the German-made Paulaner Weissbier, which once cost just over 100 rubles, now exceeds 220 rubles, while a bottle of Gaetano Pinot Grigio white wine has jumped from 500 rubles to 1,000 rubles. These price hikes are expected to continue, following the Kremlin's decision in August to raise duties on wine and spirits from “unfriendly” countries. Experts predict the sharpest impact will be on spirits, with prices potentially rising by an additional 20%.

Imported soft drinks have also become more expensive: the price of a two-liter bottle of Coca-Cola has gone up from an average of 115 rubles to 232 rubles, as per calculations from Prices Today.

Building materials

The increase in building material prices is driven by two main factors: the overall rise in import costs due to sanctions and the devaluation of the ruble, as well as the high volume of construction in recent years, fueled by government-supported mortgage programs (which have since ended).

Nearly all materials, from cement and wall panels to paint and insulation, have seen price hikes, with wallpaper experiencing the steepest rise. According to Rosstat, the price of a roll of vinyl wallpaper has nearly tripled, rising from under 600 rubles before the war to over 1,600 rubles today.

Chocolate and sweets

Among the most significantly inflated products are chocolate and sweets, as noted by Prices Today. Not only has Swiss chocolate risen in price — a 200-gram package of Lindt Lindor rose from just over 300 rubles in February 2022 to nearly 900 rubles now — but many Russian sweets have also doubled in cost. “Korovka” (lit. “little cow”), a popular toffee candy produced by Rot Front, rose from 90 to 180 rubles per 250 grams.

Mutton

Mutton prices have been rising for reasons not directly related to the war and sanctions. Lamb production in Russia has stagnated for years due to low demand, explained Sergey Yushin, head of Russia’s National Meat Association. He also pointed to the broad legalization of the market, which has forced producers to pay taxes and comply with animal welfare regulations. Some Russian lamb is also exported. A 400-gram package of lamb ribs, which cost 275 rubles in February 2022, now sells for 659 rubles — a 140% increase, according to Prices Today. Rosstat reports that in September, a kilogram of mutton cost 789 rubles.

Manicures

In the beauty industry, many services have also seen significant price hikes, with manicure prices rising the most. Even official statistics show that the average cost of a manicure in Russia has doubled, from less than 500 rubles to more than 1,000 rubles. In Moscow's “Palchiki” chain, prices are much higher, but the increase has been only 20%, from 1,900 rubles to 2,300 rubles. A bottle of Luxio gel polish, which cost 1,280 rubles before March 2022, increased by 50% in a month, and now sells for around 2,000 rubles on the e-commerce site Wildberries .

Like in the taxi industry, the manicure sector has been affected by a labor shortage due to stricter migration laws.

To each their own inflation

There is an issue with the way Rosstat calculates price increases: its consumer basket consists of the simplest goods that should be available in any store across the country — from remote villages to Moscow. However, a large portion of Russian consumer spending (around 80%) happens in large cities, with purchases mostly in the mid-to-high price segments — which are not reflected in Rosstat’s consumer basket.

Most items available in Moscow’s online stores are simply not stocked outside major cities, according to experts interviewed by The Insider, and prices for these products are rising at a faster rate compared to the goods in Rosstat’s basket. Sellers are forced to artificially keep prices for the latter in check to avoid problems with regulatory authorities (the Federal Antimonopoly Service, the prosecutor’s office, and regional governors).

According to experts, retailers are generating profits from high-margin goods in the mid-to-upper price ranges, and this inflation goes unrecorded by Rosstat. In smaller towns, when prices rise for a particular product, consumers often stop buying it, which halts further price increases, meaning inflation is not reflected due to the lack of sales volume, as noted by The Insider's source.

For Russia's poorest citizens, food prices have risen by 29% since the war began, according to Prices Today. The cost of a minimum food basket increased from 10,420 to 13,395 rubles (comparing August 2022 to August 2024, as food prices fluctuate seasonally, making it inappropriate to compare February and August prices for items like apples). However, the poorest Russians are also grappling with rising utility and medication costs. Overall, The Insider estimates that between 2022 and 2023, the number of people living below the poverty line in Russia grew by 2 million.